Best C-41 developer for Jobo ATL

[schlger]

What brand of c-41 CD is the best one for use in a Jobo Autolab, one shot. And what of the many different kinds of color developers Kodak and Fuji offer, is the best suited one in terms of quality?

Thanks a lot
Gerhard

 

[Richard Harris]

Kodak flexcolor. I wouldn't bother with anything else. Get some good graduates and pipettes for accurate measuring and then you are away.
Prewet, Develop. Stop. Bleach. Wash. Fix. Wash.
Stabilize and dry out of the jobo.
Learn it, nail it and then; don't change it!

 

[pcyco]

hallo

a good friend of mine use the tetenal and the amaloco.
both great but the tetenal has a longer shelflife.

ag

thomas

 

[Ian Grant]

For small scale use I can highly recommend Tetenal, their colour chemistry is superb and readily available in raesonable sizes.

Ian

 

[schlger]

Kodak flexcolor. I wouldn't bother with anything else. Get some good graduates and pipettes for accurate measuring and then you are away.
Prewet, Develop. Stop. Bleach. Wash. Fix. Wash.
Stabilize and dry out of the jobo.
Learn it, nail it and then; don't change it!

There are different Flexicolor colour developers from Kodak, what is the appropriate one for rotatio one shot developement?

What is the benefit of prewet in C-41? Is there a difference compared to a developement without prewet?


Thanks
Gerhard

 

[Richard Harris]

Gerhard,
I use flexicolor LORR 150ml per 36 exp 35mm or 120 roll, double for 220 roll.
Prewet helps a more even development in my opinion; some disagree.
I don't know how little you could get away with using, especially if you used the non LORR (LOw Replenishment Rate) It would be good if you could get Photo Engineer to answer this one as the Kodak tech sheets and peoples experience differ. As I said in my first reply, get a system together that works and stick with it.

 

[pentaxuser]

Gerhard. In terms of obtaining chemicals it always helps if we know where the original poster is based. If you have made this clear then I apologise. However if you are in Europe and not the U.S. then unless things with Kodak chemistry are a lot different to the U.K. the problem, I have discovered, is minimum quantities. In the U.K for instance only MORCO seem to sell Kodak C41 chemistry and only in large volumes so if you are a small volume user then you'll have a large amount of waste, especially developer which doesn't keep that long.

Like Ian I have used Tetenal and found it very good and available in small quantities. In the UK Silverprint sell an even smaller powder kit call Celer 41 from Speedibrew but taking into account transport etc if you are based in the European mainland, it may not be any cheaper.

Before others say it, I should add that most if not all the other kits except Kodak combine bleach and fix as blix. Some APUGers such as PE believe this is not ideal and that separate bleach and fix should be used. Others have had no problems with blix. Well not so far. There is question over whether a blix kit will affect the longevity of the film but this may be years in the future. It may depend on how high you rate longevity and whether you believe the case to be proven that bleach and then fix is better than combined blix.

Folks. I am not looking to start another debate but thought it worth mentioning for Gerhard's information.

pentaxuser

 

[j_landecker]

I've found the Kodak Flexicolor to be great - I buy the developer in the 1 gallon kit. As pentaxuser mentions there could be minimum quantities... I think I had to buy 12 each of the developer and fixer, and managed to talk the store into getting a smaller number of the final rinse. I try to do 6 rolls at a time on the Jobo in a 2551 tank, using 950ml (1/4 gallon) of developer one shot, so roughly the same as Richard. I did a run of 6 where I tried 750ml developer, and my impression was that the colors were not quite as good, so I'm sticking with 950ml. It's a convenient way to divide the gallon kit anyway, without having odd amounts of concentrate left over. I use 750ml of the fixer and bleach, and discard both after 2 runs of 6 rolls. My color balance is a bit different from the same film processed at a local lab, but it's been consistent batch to batch and the colors look good without apparent crossover.

 

[Richard Harris]

Gerhard,
just a post script. I mix as little as 200ml of developer working solution using pipettes, that is less than 6ml of part B if I remember, so you have to be very very accurate. No problem, my negatives are consistent and finely grained with non of the heavy base fogging I used to get with the non Kodak kits. I keep my unused concentrates in a cool cellar with an argon shielding gas; available as a welding gas from DIY handyman stores. The concentrates show no deterioration after some months of storage. I do decant big bottles of concentrates into smaller glass bottles to help with longevity. The Kodak kit requires 13 minutes of bleaching and fixing with washing between; I fail to believe that the reduced times with a blix can be effective.

 

[fatboy22]

Hi Gerhard,

I due my C-41 in A Jobo ATL 1000 with Kodak Flexicolor Deveolper. I buy it in 1 gallon packs. There is 3 parts, A,B,&C that get mixed with water. I find this very easy to work with. A gallon is about $9 from Adorama but shipping is kind of expensive. I have thought about testing out the LORR version of this stuff in the Jobo because it seems it is much cheaper and you can buy it in units (5 gallons). I just mixed up a gallon today and ran 2 rolls of 220. I run a 220 roll of c41 film in a 2523 small tank and use 350 ml. So far it has worked out very well.

Jamie

 

[AMBYSTOMA]

Hi Gerhard,

I due my C-41 in A Jobo ATL 1000 with Kodak Flexicolor Deveolper. I buy it in 1 gallon packs. There is 3 parts, A,B,&C that get mixed with water. I find this very easy to work with. A gallon is about $9 from Adorama but shipping is kind of expensive. I have thought about testing out the LORR version of this stuff in the Jobo because it seems it is much cheaper and you can buy it in units (5 gallons). I just mixed up a gallon today and ran 2 rolls of 220. I run a 220 roll of c41 film in a 2523 small tank and use 350 ml. So far it has worked out very well.

Jamie

Most of the Kodak C41 kits/gallon container of bleach have been discontinued. For my Jobo CPP2 I have been advised by Kodak technical support to use their C41 SM tank developer #1756337 (6x2L) and C41 SM tank bleach #8824690 (2x 2.7L). The gallon jug of fixer, #1693837, is still available as is the wetting/stabilizer. A problem is cost of shipping: my supplier insists I have to pay a $20 hazmat fee per each carton plus $20 shipping unless there is a large order which can be trucked-that is apparently the only way to avoid hazmat charges, other than picking up the products in person. Also, if you find a 60 minute lab that is willing to sell you some of the C41 SM products that might be a less expensive solution

 

[PHOTOTONE]

A problem is cost of shipping: my supplier insists I have to pay a $20 hazmat fee per each carton plus $20 shipping unless there is a large order which can be trucked

A vendor that is sensitive to the small customer MIGHT find a way to repackage the developer and bleach into one largish carton for shipment. In any case, I was not aware of a Hazmat charge per carton, just per shipment. I don't think the fix requires a hazmat charge. If you are going to pay a hazmat charge for bleach, it might pay you to get a larger quantity, as much as can be shipped in one carton, as this chemical keeps forever, particularly before mixing up into working solution.

 

[jrydberg]

I've just started to use a second-hand ATL-1500 that i picked up for a small fee ($500). I got two Tetenal packs for my supplied; one E6 and one C41.

Could someone maybe tell me what minimum quantity of chemicals is, if you develop six rolls of 120 in the large drum?

Also, is it possible to reuse the chemicals? How about mixing one liter, and reuse it maybe three times before throwing it away?

 

[fatboy22]

Reuse of chemistry is not recommended. Some what harder to do with the ATL 1500 anyway. The maximum rolls of 120 possible to process in largest drum that fits the ATL 1500 is 3 no matter what chemistry you use. I use Kodak Flexicolor and its perfect every time but I only use chemistry as a one shot only type system. I fill the bottles up to the top and run 3 120 films with no problems at all. Thats 700ml of chemistry to run 3 rolls of 120 color neg (c-41).

Jamie

 

[jrydberg]

My manual states that it is possible to pull up two 120 on one reel, enabling the possibility to run six 120 rolls in one go.

 

[fatboy22]

You are correct you can put up to 2 120 films on each reel phisically. I have only tried that a few times and found it more of a hassle than it is worth, besides 700 hundred ml of chemistry is not enough to develop 6 rolls properly in my experience. C-41 chemistry is fairly cheap compared to sending it to a lab where I live. Doing it in the JOBO is my only alternative for processing 4x5 sheet film in my area. I can run 12 4x5 sheets in the ATL1500 at once. This works well. Good luck with your Jobo, I love mine. Keep your eyes out for spare parts or junked Jobos, parts from omega satter which is who jobo sells parts through in the US is very expensive.

Jamie