Patterson Auto Colortherm

I just picked up one of these as a very cheap alternative to a jobo system, and upon putting it together have discovered a few limitations that someone must have a workaround for...

In "film" mode you're supposed to to inversion processing - duh! There's a motor all set up for rotary processing paper. There MUST be a way to do rotary processing of film on it. Has anyone figured out how to mount the older style system 4 tanks (pre-super system 4)? They fit the motor end perfectly, but there's no way to support the other end.

I guess I could just use it as a thermostatic water bath but again there's a catch: the cups only hold 300ml - enough for 1 35mm, but a pain for anything else... unless you can rotary process it!

If anyone has/had one of these are there any tricks for processing film on it efficiently, or is it just a lame design?

Thanks

Ian

127 said:

or is it just a lame design?

Click to expand...

'fraid you got there in one!
Makes a good foot bath for sore feet but that's about it's limit.

I've used one for years. Yes, it's a pain to not be able to utilise the motor for film processing, but I'm used to it. I use it for 120 processing by keeping the developers in the Colortherm and the reversal and bleach-fix in a separate water bath.