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Thread: Experience with Colenta Processors

  1. #1

    Experience with Colenta Processors

    https://www.colenta.at/php/index.php...sors-e6-c41-bw

    Has anyone used a lab that is equipped with one of these Colenta film processors? Not only can they handle rolls with leader cards, but sheet film up to 8x10. I'm curious if anyone has experience with one of these. I run a lab and next year I'll be making some upgrades. A new Colenta could be a possibility. Right now most labs I know of either are big operations with Refrema or similar dip and dunk machines, or Noritsu/Fuji leader card machines. Right now we run a V30RA and a Jobo with Expert Drums for sheet film. A single dry to dry processor would be A LOT BETTER.

  2. #2
    bob carnie's Avatar
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    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    Quote Originally Posted by sperdynamite View Post
    https://www.colenta.at/php/index.php...sors-e6-c41-bw

    Has anyone used a lab that is equipped with one of these Colenta film processors? Not only can they handle rolls with leader cards, but sheet film up to 8x10. I'm curious if anyone has experience with one of these. I run a lab and next year I'll be making some upgrades. A new Colenta could be a possibility. Right now most labs I know of either are big operations with Refrema or similar dip and dunk machines, or Noritsu/Fuji leader card machines. Right now we run a V30RA and a Jobo with Expert Drums for sheet film. A single dry to dry processor would be A LOT BETTER.
    I have had experience with this type of processors and pretty much most methods of process... I currently use Jobo roller, but if I wanted to go up scale I would seriously look at the Jobo Technolab... which is dip and dunk and can be set up for many processes .
    The machine you are looking at will work perfectly but since it is roller transport you will get scratches, no matter how clean you are with maintenence and it will happen when you least expect and you may scratch lots of film before you find the problem.. other than that
    its a machine made for mini lab and labs that can get away with issues like this due to low pricing and quick turnaround features of roller transport.

  3. #3
    bob carnie's Avatar
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    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    Quote Originally Posted by bob carnie View Post
    I have had experience with this type of processors and pretty much most methods of process... I currently use Jobo roller, but if I wanted to go up scale I would seriously look at the Jobo Technolab... which is dip and dunk and can be set up for many processes .
    The machine you are looking at will work perfectly but since it is roller transport you will get scratches, no matter how clean you are with maintenence and it will happen when you least expect and you may scratch lots of film before you find the problem.. other than that
    its a machine made for mini lab and labs that can get away with issues like this due to low pricing and quick turnaround features of roller transport.
    At this moment in my life , I could increase my film process side of the business but I have decided to leave the volume stuff to others with dip and dunk which is pretty fool proof, but with that said , a log jam in a refrema is a technicians worst nightmare.

  4. #4

    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    Quote Originally Posted by bob carnie View Post
    I have had experience with this type of processors and pretty much most methods of process... I currently use Jobo roller, but if I wanted to go up scale I would seriously look at the Jobo Technolab... which is dip and dunk and can be set up for many processes .
    The machine you are looking at will work perfectly but since it is roller transport you will get scratches, no matter how clean you are with maintenence and it will happen when you least expect and you may scratch lots of film before you find the problem.. other than that
    its a machine made for mini lab and labs that can get away with issues like this due to low pricing and quick turnaround features of roller transport.
    I hear you. But I'm also guessing a new Colenta would be free of that kind of problem for at least a long time. I like the Technolabs as well. I actually know a shop that runs three of them. However, they had to acquire 6(!!) before they were able to assemble a working one for C41. Over time they've been able to expand that to 2x C41 machines and 1 BW. Hostert makes new Dip and Dunk machines, no idea what they cost but I'm guessing it would eat up a big majority of a theoretical SBA loan, and require 3 phase power if I recall correctly.

    Dip and dunk are for sure the best, but there are scary aspects of trying to start one up too. Though maybe something new will come along in the next couple years. There is a lot of interest in film afterall.

  5. #5
    bob carnie's Avatar
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    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    Quote Originally Posted by sperdynamite View Post
    I hear you. But I'm also guessing a new Colenta would be free of that kind of problem for at least a long time. I like the Technolabs as well. I actually know a shop that runs three of them. However, they had to acquire 6(!!) before they were able to assemble a working one for C41. Over time they've been able to expand that to 2x C41 machines and 1 BW. Hostert makes new Dip and Dunk machines, no idea what they cost but I'm guessing it would eat up a big majority of a theoretical SBA loan, and require 3 phase power if I recall correctly.

    Dip and dunk are for sure the best, but there are scary aspects of trying to start one up too. Though maybe something new will come along in the next couple years. There is a lot of interest in film afterall.
    In Toronto , Downtown Camera just bought within the last year 1- Hostert dip and dunk BW and a Hostert C41 dip and dunk, I know they paid a bundle and am gobsmacked that they did this, so actually I am supporting them for film process, even though I offer the service of BW I only work on really big projects that allow me to spend the time on them using the jobo.
    Good Luck with your search.

  6. #6

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    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    One lab I worked at had a Colenta that had the foam wheels roller transport... But it brought them endless misery and grief... All it took was a slight hesitation of the film going through it, and the rollers would start digging tire tracks into the soft wet film... And the rollers could trap grit requiring ALL the rollers in the machine had to be throughly washed or replaced often ($$$)...

    More work was done on machine than film going through it...

    AVOID!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Steve K

  7. #7

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    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    I worked in a lab that had Colenta C-41 processor for 35mm & 120. Lots of scratches. High maintenance. We ran more clean-up sheets than film. Not recommended.

  8. #8

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    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    I've thankfully never had to deal with a roller transport C-41 machine directly, but I have had to deal with the scratched consequences produced by a Colenta amongst others (one of the local art schools uses a Colenta or similar for C-41) - seen all sorts of problems off them. As far as I'm concerned it's either a Jobo, gas burst tank line or full dip/dunk if you're running enough film a week and want top quality. I use Jobo's - I find them well suited to the patterns of work I get & their ease of handling multiple processes.

  9. #9

    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    Man, what a total bummer to hear. They look perfect 'on paper'.

  10. #10

    Re: Experience with Colenta Processors

    In the past I ran a Thermaphot roller transport machine for RA-4 prints, I would be nervous of using rollers for film. As I'm only processing for myself at the moment the Jobo works very well - and I use it for black & white roll film, no acutance issues, but then I don't do stand development or similar as a point of comparison. When my nearest city here in the UK still had a classic photo lab, I think they used a Refrema.

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