Rondinax daylight film developing

[belgiumreporter]

The Agfa rondinax u35 is a daylight 35mm film developing tank. By daylight i mean it can be loaded in broad daylight no need for darkrooms or changing bags.

The film casette is loaded in the tank, the film leader needs to be hooked on a clamp, the tank can then be closed and by means of a winding knob the film can be wound on to the developing reel. When that is done the film needs to be cut from the casette with the knife wich is build in the tank. Wind one more time and the film then sits completely on the reel. (only) 200Ml of developer can then be poored in and the process can start. There's allso a build in thermometer by wich the temperature of the processing liquids can be monitored.

I've had the tank for some time now and was a bit afraid to use it so i tried it with an old 35mmfilm and left the lid open to see how the film behaves when loaded in to the tank,this all went well and gave me enough confidence to give it a go with the last film i shot. As it is things went very well and the fim came out perfectly developed. I've read some people complaining that by the way the film needs to be rotaded in the tank streaks will appear on the developed film, but this certainly didn't happen with my first try.

All in all this experience encouraged me to go out and shoot more film because of the developing won't be such a fuss anymore. I allso have the 120 version of the rondinax, but from what i've read in the manual it seems to be somewhat more complicated to load the film as at some point the paper filmbacking needs to be removed while the film is in the tank. Still one of these days i'm gonna try out the RB 67's and see if i'll succeed in getting the film in to the rondinax 120. These Rondinaxes aren't made anymore should you wan't one you'll have to look for it in the second hand channels, though a new version seems to exist wich was made through a start up program, but it is available for 35mm only and people don't seem to like it as much as the rondinax.

This is what the tank looks like outside and in.






Here's a shot from the APX100 developed in the rondinax tank.

[raybar]

Another "no darkroom" developing tank is the discontinued Jobo 2400.

I found one at a swap meet for a dollar, and learned how it works, but never actually used it. What used to be my darkroom is still light tight, although I no longer have an enlarger.

Instruction sheet available at
img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/059fdc02-f8c5-4493-829d-bd516896d654/downloads/Jobo%202400%20Daylight%20tank.pdf?ver=1626884388425

Here's a (too long) YouTube video about it, shot in an alley somewhere

[julio1fer]

The Rondinax is my main 35mm developing tank, have used it for hundreds of rolls. It looks scary at first but it is rock-bottom reliable.

The wheel should be turned about half a turn each one or two seconds, there is no need to turn it continuously like a motor drive. More like winding a clock.

Never used the 120 version.

There is a similar, modern tank called the Lab Box by Ars Imago.