Paterson Super System 4 Film Developing Tank - 2 Reel (2 Reels Included)

Economical, as it takes 500ml to cover a 120 film, rather than 600ml in a tank I was using before. Rather leaky though.

I cannot recommend home developing enough (although if you have to use a lab, use Analogue Wonderland 😉), nothing adds to the excitement and achievement of a good picture like having created the negative yourself. So little is needed too, a room you can darken (my downstairs loo does the job), a basic thermometer, a measuring jug and some chemicals and you're ready.

This tank takes less fluid per film than some others on the market, making it overall more economical if you are using a "one-shot" developer.

As the title says. Great for beginners. Now that I shoot more film I sometimes wish I could develop three 35mm reels at the same time but this doesn't take too much space in the cupboard.

The tank takes 500ml of developer for a 120 film whereas my other brand tank needs 600ml. This is more economical and just as useful.
Only criticism is that these tend to leak.

The Paterson tank benefits you over the other brands as it requires less chemistry to process a film- 500ml for a 120 size film rather than 590 or 600ml.

The downside is that Paterson tanks are notorious for leaking when you agitate so put down towels or some kitchen roll and put the cat out before you start!

Will last you forever, just be careful about liquid leaking around the lid. Do the lid up tightly and you won't have any issues. Have had no issues with light leaks on the tank. The reels are well made and adjust to fit in the different formats, which is very handy. The reels have to be completely dry though before you load the film in, or else I've found the film can get very tense towards the end of the roll and you may struggle getting it all to go into the reel.

My recently purchased Paterson universal tank is the same brilliant design as when I took up photography in my teenage years in the '70's. Absolutely fit for purpose. Key thing for me is how easy it is to thread the film onto the reel in the dark. I shoot 35mm and 120, this is easily handled by the way the reels lock into the two sizes. Highly recommended.

This tank is a great workhorse for developing. At first the spools are a bit tight, hard to open, but with time they loosen up. Easy to use, what more could you want?

Paterson Universal System Tanks are easy to use and open the world of developing to beginners for not a lot of cash. It's great quality too and will last for years.

I bought this to try out home developing while we’re all on lockdown (a familiar story, I’m sure). Tried it out for the first time today and was absolutely delighted with the results - I managed to process two rolls of HP5 with no problems whatsoever and the magic of seeing your own negatives come to life is just wonderful! I think this one will be a hobby that sticks.

The tank remained leak free throughout, it was easy to pour chemicals in and out, and I found the instructions (on the Patterson website) very straightforward. I used the Ilford simplicity kit which I’d also really recommend for a beginner, and the Patterson light changing bag to get the films onto the reels. I really don’t know why it’s taken me so long to do this, I wish I’d known how easy it was years ago! Now, let’s see how I manage with c41 ;)

(Nb: should probably have scanned the negatives at a higher resolution for these sample shots but one skill at a time, eh?)

not much to say here, it works I had a bit of a time trying to set the reels to 120 and sometimes the cap leaks if you're not careful but I like it nonetheless!

Reliable reels at a good price. Takes some practice but definitely a good solution if you are developing film

It's a convenient way to develop at home with a decent capacity. My only gripe, and the reason for four stars, is that the standard Paterson reels are a pain to load with 120 film. You can get replacements though with much larger tabs to help with loading.

Four years ago I bought one of these tanks as part of a kit for a friend to start developing their own film. It's not quite as good as my Jobo 1520, but that costs three times as much to buy new. The only tiny issue with the "Super System" tank is that it leaks a few drops when you invert it during processing. Literally a few drops. It's quite easy to use, the supplied reels work with 35mm, 120 and even 127. At this price you can't go wrong, whether you're a beginner or experienced.

Not really sure what to say for a review of this product. It's a good tank, works well. I think everyone uses these and they get the job done. The reels are easy enough to use and it comes standard with easy to use ratchet-style reels.

I've lost more rolls of film to the reels of this tank than I care to mention and my tank has finally been resigned to the bin. Loading film onto the reels although easy enough to get started in the dark quickly becomes a lottery as to how far along the film is going to be jammed and eaten meaning you have to start the entire process again. If you do manage to get the film on your reward is a few crumpled frames and if you fail well, hopefully they weren't good photos anyway.

I do notice however, that very few reviews mention anything like this so it may be possible that one of my reels was faulty.

They last forever, you can bang the life out of it when agitating and it’ll just keep going. I have never had one fail by letting light in, so what more can you ask?

The reels are very good, easy to use - with 99% of films - just watch out for those really thin ones, but those would task any reel. The reels can be used for 135 or 120 by opening them up but only takes a single film on a reel. (As far as I know).

I’d recommend these for anyone beginner and upwards, although once you become experienced you may want to try jobo as they are easier to load the reels, better made tanks, and you can get 2 120s on a reel, but that’s personal preference.

To be honest you can’t go wrong with these tanks and reels, they also come in a good range of sizes.

Having used many development tanks over the years I have always come back to the Universal Developing Tank . It is such an easy click and lock tank and why I always go for this rather than the screw top takns.

Love this tank! Leaks so much less than my SP-445!

Arrived on time, dream to use x