Author Topic: C-41 stand development  (Read 2516 times)

Nigel

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,523
    • nigel rumsey photography
C-41 stand development
« on: December 10, 2017, 03:18:00 PM »
I keep meaning to have a try at developing C-41 at home. The need for precise temperature measurement has always put me off, then I watched this video about C-41 stand development.

Has anyone tried this? Is the C-41 temperature as critical as I read, should I be scared?  :-\


! No longer available

Can some one (François  ???) remind me how to embed this?
« Last Edit: December 10, 2017, 03:24:28 PM by Nigel »
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." Albert Einstein

website

Kai-san

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,481
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2017, 04:28:33 PM »
Cool! I might try this. But it makes me wonder if you can do the same with colour slide film?
Kai


If you want to change your photographs, you need to change cameras.

-- Nobuyoshi Araki


http://www.kaispage.net/

Indofunk

  • Global Moderator
  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,546
    • photog & music
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2017, 05:58:21 PM »
Reinhold has a great post about this: http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=8224.msg109499#msg109499

I've tried RT C41 according to his scheme, and it works, although the colors came out a little muddy for me (also the film was very curly). Since I've only tried it once, I don't know whether this is due to the temperature, or to the chemicals, film, time of year, what I ate for breakfast, etc. :)

Francois

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,510
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2017, 08:43:10 PM »
Can some one (François  ???) remind me how to embed this?
You did things right, so it has to be a problem with youtube changing their code.

But watching this, I tend to think that precision with C-41 is overrated.
! No longer available
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Francois

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,510
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2017, 08:49:40 PM »
Reinhold has a great post about this: http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=8224.msg109499#msg109499

I've tried RT C41 according to his scheme, and it works, although the colors came out a little muddy for me (also the film was very curly). Since I've only tried it once, I don't know whether this is due to the temperature, or to the chemicals, film, time of year, what I ate for breakfast, etc. :)
The muddy part is not caused by what you had for breakfast on that morning, but what you had for breakfast the day before  ;D ;D ;D
Also, the age of the film and if it was underexposed plays a big role in it...

Sorry for the really s****y joke. And Bon apétit les enfants  :D
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

mikec

  • 120
  • **
  • Posts: 53
    • Photography and Vintage Film Cameras
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2017, 12:54:18 AM »
I warm the developer and blix in a bath of running tap water at the recommended temperature to develop one or two rolls at a time.  I turn off the tap when the desired temperature is reached and place the filled film tank in the warmed water pan.  Because the development stage only lasts 3.5 minutes there is very little temperature change, and the time and temp for the blix is not critical.  I have found C-41 processing to be easier and faster than most b&w processing.  There is an article and illustrations on my C-41 experience on my blog at https://connealy.blogspot.com/2015/01/diy-color.html.

Nigel

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,523
    • nigel rumsey photography
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2017, 07:56:59 AM »
I warm the developer and blix in a bath of running tap water at the recommended temperature to develop one or two rolls at a time.  I turn off the tap when the desired temperature is reached and place the filled film tank in the warmed water pan.  Because the development stage only lasts 3.5 minutes there is very little temperature change, and the time and temp for the blix is not critical.  I have found C-41 processing to be easier and faster than most b&w processing.  There is an article and illustrations on my C-41 experience on my blog at https://connealy.blogspot.com/2015/01/diy-color.html.

Thanks Mike, that makes it look very simple. I've been developing b&W on and off for 30 years  :o, I really should have a go at colour.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." Albert Einstein

website

charles binns

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,134
    • Here and There
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2017, 09:13:53 AM »
Go for it.  Temperature control is not difficult to achieve -  just keep topping up the water bath with hot water.  Or buy a heater from Nova.

I like the tetenal colortec kits but recently had a go with a Rollei C41 kit - which let you develop at 24C  and was pleased with the results.

The worst that will happen is that you end up with a magenta colour cast if the temperature fluctuates and this is easily fixed in Photoshop.

mikec

  • 120
  • **
  • Posts: 53
    • Photography and Vintage Film Cameras
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2017, 02:36:15 PM »
I got started with color processing when all the local shops except one closed a couple years ago, and the remaining one was a long drive across town.  I get the Unicolor C-41 kit from Freestyle and it will process at least twice the dozen rolls they promise, so the cost per roll is about a buck compared to around $7 that I was paying for processing before.  I mostly shoot cheap Fuji 200, but have had good results from other films as well, including some expired bulk Portra 160 for my 127 cameras.

Francois

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,510
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2017, 02:49:43 PM »
7 bucks is cheap when compared to what we pay here. Last time it cost me almost 20$ to get a roll of 24 exposures with prints.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Indofunk

  • Global Moderator
  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,546
    • photog & music
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2017, 04:37:43 PM »
We used to have a local shop run by an old Japanese couple who processed C41 for $2 a roll :o B&W was like $4 or $5. Shortly after I started home developing both color & B&W, the shop closed. My friend teased me that I had caused them to go out of business and now how were they going to pay for their grandson's college education ;D  :(

Francois

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,510
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2017, 04:46:41 PM »
The lowest I ever had was 4.50$ with prints at the grocery store. When they decided to close the film shop I was devastated. I just love it when you can actually talk to the people who print your pictures.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Indofunk

  • Global Moderator
  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,546
    • photog & music
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2017, 06:39:57 PM »
Oh, forgot to mention, my $2/roll was just developing, no prints or scans. Although I think they may have offered free scanning.

Francois

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,510
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2017, 08:31:34 PM »
I kinda hope so for them. They still had to make a few bucks on the jobs.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

jharr

  • Self-Coat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,916
  • Humble Hobbyist
    • Through A Glass, Darkly
Re: C-41 stand development
« Reply #14 on: December 11, 2017, 11:29:33 PM »
Buy the dry chemicals and make your own. You just need a simple tri-beam balance or a mini digital scale. For me a liter of C-41 developer and bleach cost $5.47 total. For ECN2 developer and bleach it was $4.57. So cost is a non-issue and weighing the chemicals is not difficult (normal chemistry disclaimer applies). Wanna see if it works?

https://jamesharrphoto.blogspot.com/2017/10/diy-color-dev-comparison.html
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera"   -- Dorothea Lange
Flickr
Blogger