Dunkbot is an Automated At-Home Film Processing Machine
Reveni Labs has announced Dunkbot, an automated film processing machine. Dunkbot fits three 35mm film rolls, a pair of 120 rolls, and up to six sheets of 4×5 medium-format film.
Like one of Reveni Labs’ prior products, the Reveni Labs Spot Meter, the Dunkbot is launching on Kickstarter. At the time of publication, the project has received nearly $35,000 in pledges with just a month remaining in the campaign. The Dunkbot has a lofty goal of around $300,000.
Matt Bechberger, the creator of Reveni Labs, says that the resurgence of film photography inspired Dunkbot. When digital photography took over the photo industry, nearly every film processing center went out of business. However, since then, the demand for film processing has increased while the supply of film facilities remains lacking. Many customers must choose between processing their film at home or mailing it for processing, often at a relatively high cost.
Home development is, of course, a much faster and more economical option. However, it’s labor-intensive. Dunkbot combines a simple dip-and-dunk method with off-the-shelf parts to make at-home automated film processing what it bills as more accessible and affordable.
“The Dunkbot lets you get quality results with minimal effort and cost, by automatically managing the times, temperatures, and agitation cycles for your black and white, C-41, E-6, or ECN-2 processes,” Reveni Labs writes.
The setup process is made to be straightforward. Users load their film onto the developing reel and place it into the lightproof developing tank (in darkness). Then each of the six pots must be filled with the appropriate chemicals or water. After attaching the developing tank to the end of the arm, users configure the Dunkbot for their specific film process using the built-in color touchscreen. It’s possible to customize parameters such as time, agitation rate, temperature, sequence order, and more. There are also preset options. Then the user presses start, and Dunkbot does the rest.
As mentioned earlier, Dunkbot can simultaneously process three rolls of 35mm film, two rolls of 120 film, or six sheets of 4×5. The machine can run a second time immediately following its first run. To process 4×5, a special film holder is required. It’s not included, but 4×5 sheet holders are available through many companies.
Dunkbot includes the required machine components, six stainless steel pots, a light-proof developing tank, two Paterson-style Film Reels (universal for 35mm, 127, or 120/620 film), a universal in-line power supply, and a toolkit.
Users must supply photographic chemicals, a wetting agent, a bottle opener, chemical storage bottles, hanging clips, and a dark environment. Bechberger also recommends access to running water, a dark bag or tent, a film puller, opaque chemical storage containers, archival sleeves, a countertop cover, and additional film reels for running Dunkbot at its max capacity.
Backer options start at just under $700 for a self-assembly Dunkbot kit and nearly $900 for a mostly assembled version. Assuming successful funding, Reveni Labs expects shipping to begin in September.
Image credits: Reveni Labs
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