There
are a number of well-known makes to choose from. The most popular and widely used is the Patterson
system. Another and maybe not so well known is the German maker Kaiser no lesser a system. So what are
the differences? When buying a universal developing tank, if cost is one of
your main considerations the Kaiser system wins hands down as being very good
value for money. So much so its worth considering if you are thinking of buying
a Paterson second-hand.
Both systems
have good and bad points to consider. Starting at the top in both cases I have
found no matter how well the cap has been put in place it leaks slightly when
inverting the whole tank. It can be a messy annoyance when using PMK Pyro as it
stains whatever it drips on too. Yes I know that each system comes with an
agitator but the Paterson one is difficult to use because it is so thin, unlike
Kaisers which has a top to it you can grip and when turned also moves the
spiral up and down in the solution as well. Each company uses a different way
to fix their lids. Paterson's idea is a twist and click method which I prefer
but can be miss aligned if you are not careful. The Kaiser tank has a screw top
which I have managed to cross thread each time.
The Kaisers
spiral design is the main reason that I have one of their developing tanks. I'm
having trouble with kinking the film when loading 120 format onto Paterson
spirals and have used lots of different ideas to overcome it. The main
difference with the Kaiser reel is that it has two large feed in wings where
you load the film which makes loading a lot easier and faster with no kinking.
Because of the trouble I've been having with the Kaiser screw top tank I now
use a Paterson tank with the Kaiser reel, it is a little loose on the centre
tube but the C clip stops it moving up and down when inverting. So for now I
have the best of both worlds.