Author Topic: C41 Processing: Wish Me Luck, I'm Going In (Read 4035 times)

Ed Wenn · « **on:** December 03, 2010, 12:37:44 PM »

Just over 4 years after temporarily abandoning b/w processing at home due to the old equation:

toxic chemicals + small children + no separate darkroom + no spare time = switch to instant film and/or process via the cheapest mailorder service

I have decided to take the plunge and try my hand at colour processing.

Why?! Well, I have over 2 years worth of exposed colour film in my fridge and the cost of getting them processed at a lab is too much for my finances. In addition to which I really miss using all my favourite non-instant cameras (specifically my Pentax 35mm SLRs and my Bronnys), so I needed to find a more cost-effective method to process colour neg film. Spurred on by the recent post here about processing E6 at home and also bearing in mind Al Cooper's words of wisdom re colour processing not being as hard as it's supposed to be, I called Matt "The Man Who Can" Wells at AG Photographic and discussed the options. I ended up buying a big 5L Tetenal kit because Matt swore it was the simplest of the various kits he had on sale.

It looked like I was going to have a couple of quiet weeks at work in the lead up to Christmas and I was itching to get started on the C41....however, I have now learned that The Man has other plans for me and it turns out I'll be working like a b*stard over the next few weeks instead. Bah!

Anyway, the reason for posting here to to garner tips and tricks from anyone out there who has also done C41 at home (I know, I know, it's all about keep the temperature steady), but also to 'go public' with it so that I am forced to actually process some film and not just chicken out when the time comes.

gregor · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2010, 01:33:42 PM »

good luck Ed. Looking forward to seeing a few of those shots ! That kit is supposed to be among the better of those available ;-)

LT · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2010, 02:14:34 PM »

Having suffered from acute chromophobia for at least 10 years, I have nothing to add other than wishes of good luck and the obligatory, "I'm looking forward to seeing your results" platitude.

Photo_Utopia · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2010, 02:25:47 PM »

C41 is probably easier than B&W as there is just one dev time 3:15sec at one temp 38ºc. Temp is critical so use a thermal jacket (not on you silly). Developer hates to be mixed with fix or air. Bleach doesn't care and actually needs contact with oxygen, we used to half fill bottles of bleach and shake them (lid on please) this makes the bleach more effcient.

Any help or advice readily given, I have tons of Fujitech docs about colour processing.

Alan · « **Reply #4 on:** December 03, 2010, 03:46:11 PM »

Good luck, its not that bad TBH.

The trouble I had last time was getting the temp right.
My thermometer only goes to 30 degrees C so i got an older thermometer
from ebay but i dont think its accurate.

I read somewhere that someone developed @ 30 degrees for 8 minutes?

would that be right I wonder?

good luck anyway Ed.

moominsean · « **Reply #5 on:** December 03, 2010, 04:31:44 PM »

yeah temp is the only real issue. i heat up my bottles under a hot bath tap. the developing times are so short that you usually don't have to worry about maintaining the temps, unless it is particularly cold. it's defnly something that can be played around with. i've developed expired film at room temp for like 10-15 minutes.

Francois · « **Reply #6 on:** December 03, 2010, 05:49:13 PM »

I read that it's best to use what they call "average temperature" (before and after processing) to calculate the time.

As far as it goes, having never done color at home, there's not much apart from the usual good luck wishes I can say.

But if you have the guts, you could try a bleach bypass process. It affects the colors and densities to quite some degree but can give lovely results.

original_ann · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2010, 06:24:43 PM »

Exciting Ed! I'm right there with you! I ordered an accurate thermometer http://www.professionalequipment.com/deltatrak-flash-check-pocket-probe-thermometer-11024/thermometer and soon I'll be giving it a go. I hope to learn and share as I go.

al · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2010, 07:23:06 PM »

It's taken news like this to awaken me from my non-posting slumber.

Good luck with it Ed, you know it makes sense. There's a lot of bottles in that kit though!

What's already been said about temperature is true, but I think if you're a taking the hybrid route and scanning then it's probably not that crucial. I've been trying for five years to get wack results but generally it just doesn't happen, the darn scanner is just too damn good at correcting the colours for you!

The thing about the temperature is that it it's so much higher than with B&W and so more difficult to maintain a constant especially in the current bracing conditions. I just fill a washing up bowl with hot water a few degrees hotter than the 37.5C spec, and dunk everything in there; chemical bottles and tank. I keep checking the temperature of the developer til it's about right with a cheapo digital thermometer, then pour it in to the tank and start timing, holding the tank in the warm water between inversions. I've also taken to prewetting with the warm water (basically I just pour a jugfull of the warm stuff into the tank when the dev is nearly up to temp) not for any benefit of washing the film just to make sure there's no cooling effect when the dev is poured in. It also stops the dev tank from bobbing around in the bowl why it warms up.

Actually, something worth noting that caused me a bit of a shock the first time, some film has a very dark coloured anti halation layer which disolves and turns your developer a very odd colour (kodak is bright green for instance). It has no effect on the developer but it's a bit disconcerting. Pre washing removes this first.

The comment about not letting air get to your developer is very true, air free it keeps for ages, a couple of weeks in contact with air and it's blank negatives time. This is what happened to Reevo and I don't think he ever fully recovered.

I'll be brewing myself soon... in fact it has been due for some weeks but I just haven't had time. I really wanted to contribute to the "where did my life go" collab, but ironically just haven't had the time to think of something/do it/add to the development backlog......... maybe there's still time... $:-\$

Nigel · « **Reply #9 on:** December 03, 2010, 07:58:46 PM »

I'm also excited by the prospect. I've been teetering on the edge of thinking about it for some time... in other words if I thought about it I'd probably get a bit scared and put myself off, so I didn't!

But with someone else taking the first step that seems a lot easier to face up to. Go Ed! and report back soonest with good news on how "jolly easy it is" and "it's a lot of fuss over nothing"!

Francois · « **Reply #10 on:** December 03, 2010, 11:14:34 PM »

In an old book I have, the author used to keep the drum in the water and just let it spin while being semi-buoyant... if that makes any sense (think of the floating log on the river)

mickld · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2010, 11:46:59 PM »

I've been planning on trying C41 at home for a while, but was put off by the lack of information or tutorials (compared to B&W anyway). I did bookmark this flickr tutorial - hope it helps:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ordfabriken/2971532482/

original_ann · « **Reply #12 on:** December 04, 2010, 03:17:06 AM »

thanks mickld for that very informative flickr post!

Photo_Utopia · « **Reply #13 on:** December 04, 2010, 10:23:45 AM »

I remember my first colour process I think it was Photocolor chrome six in about 1982.
Anyhow I remember that I used a fish tank heater in a large washing up bowl to bring the chemicals up to temperature with a pre soak in warm distilled water the system worked well.
Fish tank heaters are cheap:
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=1266&pf_id=55014
I still have the slides from that first try just scanned in an image from that film on Fujichrome 100D

Its still here after almost 30 years so these little kits must be OK and as minilabs start to go 'dry' this may be the way to go!

Heather · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2010, 10:18:03 AM »

I've just used a large plastic storage bin filled with warm water to temper bath everything and used glass bottles to keep them from floating and bobbing around.

It's alright and turned out fine but I decided that it's just quicker(cheaper in time spent)and less stressful for me to send off the films and get prints back than develop the film, scan it, consider which ones to print, etc.

Don't get freaked out by all the bottles, the developer is divided up into 3 parts for better keeping. Tiny bottle is the stabliser ... oh and the film is going to look cloudy and slightly blue when it comes out. Do not panic! It's fine, it'll look clear after it dries.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2010, 04:41:48 PM »

OK, well for starters, anything that gets Al posting here again has to be seen as a good thing, but as a general comment...thank you all so much for the tips and tricks. Lots of very good info for me to absorb in-between now and when the chems arrive later in the week. Very much appreciated.

jojonas~ · « **Reply #16 on:** December 06, 2010, 11:55:54 AM »

good luck ed!
I might have some time over on February so I've thought about trying this out then. I'm glad you reminded me so I can prepare

here's another tut on the subject btw: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelrayns/sets/72157623521548298/
more pictures!

and a general tutorials gathering on flickr that I'm just throwing out here http://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfilm/discuss/72157624676473529/

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #17 on:** December 07, 2010, 12:46:52 PM »

Jonas: Thanks very much for the link to Rachel Ryans Flickr stream. I loved her set about home devving C41 while cooking and doing a shoot. Very cool. I've contacted her to see if she wants to contribute to a future FW video podcast....I like her style a lot. Hope she agrees.

Nigel · « **Reply #18 on:** December 07, 2010, 01:36:47 PM »

Quote

I've contacted her to see if she wants to contribute to a future FW video podcast....I like her style a lot. Hope she agrees.

That's a great series. I wonder if this could be the first ever Filmwasters / Foodwasters crossover video podcast?

salvo · « **Reply #19 on:** December 08, 2010, 12:07:03 PM »

Quote from: ed.wenn on December 05, 2010, 04:41:48 PM

OK, well for starters, anything that gets Al posting here again has to be seen as a good thing, but as a general comment...thank you all so much for the tips and tricks. Lots of very good info for me to absorb in-between now and when the chems arrive later in the week. Very much appreciated.

hey Ed, good move - started early this year with the same kit, it works a treat (only manage to mess my first attempt...) and very easy as everybody wrote, you'll enjoy it. Just keep the kettle close by, especially these days.
I found this video (http://youtu.be/aB8qXU7dkNk) some time ago (not sure you've seen it already) but it's probably re-iterating what shown at other links.
enjoy
salvo