C-41 Small Batch Chemistry Canada

jwwbrennan · Feb 24, 2011

After reading 24 pages of posts and many other details on Rollei/Compard Digibase C-41 Midi Color Processing Kits I cannot locate a Canadian supplier. I can't even locate a supplier that can sell any small batch C-41 chemistry. If anyone can help find a way to purchase such chemistry in rural Canada I would truly appreciate it.

Thanks
Jim Brennan

Bob-D659 · Feb 24, 2011

Rural Canada is one big place. How close are you to the US border?

jwwbrennan · Feb 24, 2011

Indeed it is. I just wanted to make the point it would need to be shipped...hazmat and all.

I can get to Bangor, Maine one day and be home the next but the trip would make the cost unacceptable. I seldom have reason to go any more.

Mike Wilde · Feb 24, 2011

I have not researched Mondrian Hall/Unisource, for small volume C-41 but they might work for you. I ordered 3-10L kits of RA-4 developer a few months back. I make this developer concentrate up to 1 or 2L of working solution at a time at a time, so if that works for you for your definition of small quantity, you may be set.

There is another thread on my dealing with them on this site somewhere. I had to set up an account with them linked to my credit card from the Halifax office, but that only took a few minutes, and then I could call the inside sales rep who was 1-800 away in Montreal and get a quote. I accepted the quote and I picked the goods up locally in Mississuaga 2 days later.

I think Unisource will ship between depots, and that Mississuaga might be thier Kodak stocking depot.

jwwbrennan · Feb 24, 2011

Mike Wilde - They certainly have a diverse line of products and surprising number of offices. Looks right to me. Thanks.

MattKing · Feb 24, 2011

Jim:

They are the (many times removed) successors to Eastman Photo Stores (I think I have the name right), who once, long ago, were Kodak's Canadian wholesale supplier to the commercial and photofinisher market. When Kodak decided to exit that part of the business, they sold it to their employees, who called it Treck Photographic.

hpulley · Feb 24, 2011

Freestyle and B&H photo and Adorama will ship at least the Tetenal Press Kit (1L and 2L) to Canada no problem. It's powder so no hazmat issues, can even be placed in carryon luggage! I've had great results with it and using B&H the ground Purolator shipping is cheap and gets here from NY in 2-3 days. Freestyle is much farther away unfortunately so it takes longer and shipping is more expensive.

jwwbrennan · Feb 24, 2011

I remember them. Hall and Treck sold a lot of film and chemistry in the Toronto studio market in the late seventies and early eighties. At least that is when I got to know of them. Unfortunately I can't find anything suitable on the Unisource website. Their products are geared to higher throughput. Maybe Michaels would consider adding film processing kits to their roster of paints, canvases and brushes. It's hard to believe there is enough demand to stock InkAID in a market where C-41 chemistry is simply unavailable in small amounts. It must be a marketing problem; still thought of as big production rather than niche. I so much prefer working with scanned film than RAW files. Oh well, digital is decidedly easy.

All right Harry. I didn't think of that. I have dealt with them both before. Thanks.

hpulley · Feb 24, 2011

B&H is sold out but Freestyle has it. It is under the Unicolor brand name at Freestyle, an APUG sponsor too!

jwwbrennan · Feb 24, 2011

hpulley said:
B&H is sold out but Freestyle has it. It is under the Unicolor brand name at Freestyle, an APUG sponsor too!

I just purchased three 2 litres to get the best out of shipping costs. I usually buy things with the hope it works so that is enough for quite awhile.

Have you ever tried dividing it into smaller batches or is that a bad idea?

Thanks for your help.

hpulley · Feb 24, 2011

With powder it is generally a bad idea to try and keep half the powder back as the ingredients may not be mixed thoroughly in the packets. So, I mix mine up all at once. I don't toss it out, I keep using it over and over anyways so I just pour into the tank as much as I need (290-1000mL) for each batch and pour it back into the bottle afterward. The stuff lasts a long time in cold storage so you don't need to really worry about smaller batches. My current 1L kit has done 20 rolls in 5-6 weeks and it still works well.

jwwbrennan · Feb 25, 2011

hpulley said:
With powder it is generally a bad idea to try and keep half the powder back as the ingredients may not be mixed thoroughly in the packets. So, I mix mine up all at once. I don't toss it out, I keep using it over and over anyways so I just pour into the tank as much as I need (290-1000mL) for each batch and pour it back into the bottle afterward. The stuff lasts a long time in cold storage so you don't need to really worry about smaller batches. My current 1L kit has done 20 rolls in 5-6 weeks and it still works well.

OK, one mix does it.

The amount of film per 500 ml (480 actually according to the instruction sheet) appears to be the same as one shot in a Jobo so I assume the balance is depletion versus oxidation. What are the advantages of reusing over discarding?

Thanks for all your help. I look forward to using C-41 after years of E-6.

hpulley · Feb 25, 2011

If you discard after use then a 2L kit will only do four films at 480mL per shot! At $33 for 2L this won't be cost effective, you can get film developed for $8 at a lab. You must reuse these chemicals to make them cost effective. I think the bigger Flexicolor kits can be cost effective in one shot use but the advertised capacity of 8-12 120/135-36 films for 1L (I'm at 20 films already) or 16-24 for 2L requires you to reuse the chemicals. Their effectiveness seems to be fairly constant over time though I'm developing for a little longer and blixing for longer just to be sure (the blix runs to completion but I have overdeveloped a roll and blown the highlights so don't develop for too long).

jwwbrennan · Feb 25, 2011

I was thinking more along the lines of mixing up the 2L, taking 480ml off for processing and sealing the remaining 1520ml back in the bottle. The 480ml would be used for processing four films and discarded. Repeating that process until the kit was gone would still make it 16 films per kit at two bucks and a bit a film. All things considered I would be only too happy at that price and would not want to jeopardize the time and effort put into the photographs to push it further. It seems so inexpensive compared to the less desirable alternatives. I remember getting film back from a 'professional lab' that looked like it was processed by my cat. The mailing cost as much as the processing.

After reading your post on divvying up the powder I wrote to FreeStyle and asked to have the order changed from three 2 liter to six 1 liter kits. It was no problem. They are good people.

Thanks for all your help. Now I just have to wait for the product to arrive.

C-41 Small Batch Chemistry Canada

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