C22: rodinal or hack C41?

[Dr Croubie]

So my first camera when I was a kid was a 126-film Kodak X15F. Loved that thing, and still have it. A few months ago I was at my local film shop and there was a whole bunch of old films (older than me) on the bench, they said I could pick through what I wanted. Some 120 FP4 non+ from the 70s worked quite well in Caffenol.
Anyway, there was a 126 cartridge of Kodacolour-X, so I nabbed it and put it in my old X15F. No idea what focal length, shutter speed, nor aperture that thing is. Being so old, I thought I'd just try exposing it in the brightest sun I could to attempt to overexpose it to make up for its age.

Finished it off yesterday, took it out, now I see that it's C22 process.
I've had a bit of a search around and found some useful threads like (there was a url link here which no longer exists) PE gives a recipe for a pre-hardening bath, (there was a url link here which no longer exists) says to do it cooler or it'll dissolve, and (there was a url link here which no longer exists) someone gets some kind of result with Ilfosol S.

So now I'm wondering what to do with my roll and taking suggestions.
The pre-hardening bath I could make (in theory if I can get the chems).
Doing at cooler temps is no problems, I've got some Digibase C41 mixed up which works cold.
I've also got some mixed up Tetenal E6 and RA4.
In B+W I've got handy Rodinal, Xtol, Microphen, TMax-Dev, Caffenol ingredients, and Ilford Multigrade Dev.

So the question is, if I do it in B+W, do I need the pre-hardener? Or can I just use some Kodak Hardening Fixer that I've got mixed up? I'd normally do Rodinal 1+100 stand, or are any of my other available devs better?

Or is there any new information / experience in the ten years since those other threads I found that might let me do it colour?
How about in E6 a bit colder so it doesn't melt? (I've had a lab do C41 in E6 with various degrees of success, I could do it myself this time).

I've seen people do C41 in B+W dev like rodinal and fix, then rehal-bleach or something and process back to colour, might this be an option for C22 film?

This is a complete one-off so I'm not about to buy stupid amounts of expensive chemicals I won't use again, I have no problems in destroying the entire film in the process of trying, but if I can get anything that'd be nice, if anyone's got any suggestions to add.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

A C-22 film will not develop correctly with the C-41 process. Wrong developing agent, no benzyl alcohol in the developer etc, etc, etc. Your really stuck developing it as BW.

 

[Athiril]

I've processed C-22 and even older swiss telcolor with results. You can get benzyl alcohol in this country easily. I use it with CD-2 to develop the she old films when needed.

 

[mts]

C-22 alternative chemistry can be scratch-mixed, but if you do not have the proper components then you may have trouble finding them in today's market. Bleach for C-22 is a ferricyanide formula, not the E-6 ferric-EDTA version. Temperature for C-22 is 75F if I recall correctly, and the emulsion does indeed need very gentle handling because it is soft.

If you have a lot of this film then it might be worth experimenting; otherwise just go for a generic b&w process but perhaps not for Rodinal stand, rather D-76 and some prayerful words said over the developing tank.

PM to me if you would like formulae for C-22 processing. Suitable chemistry for it is contained in some of Pat Dignan's monographs from the 1960s and 70s.

 

[StoneNYC]

I've read that it's possible to use C-41 process with C-22 film, the colors won't be perfect but the images won't be anyway because the film is old.

C-41 developer at 68 degrees for 20 minutes (yes cold, agitate once a minute like B&W dev) and follow the rest of the steps also with B&W temps.

I've seen others do this, I have not done it myself, but going to try soon.

If it's not perfect you can still print/scan it B&W which you would have to do if done with B&W anyway, why not at least try the color.

 

[Dr Croubie]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
I think I'm just going to do it as B+W, better something than nothing and possibly easier to push to make up for age as well.
Any reason for the suggestion to go D76 over Rodinal? It's jsut that I don't have any D76 and don't really want to start with a new dev now.
Is any one better than the others out of the ones I've got listed above? Xtol? Microphen?

 

[Athiril]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
I think I'm just going to do it as B+W, better something than nothing and possibly easier to push to make up for age as well.
Any reason for the suggestion to go D76 over Rodinal? It's jsut that I don't have any D76 and don't really want to start with a new dev now.
Is any one better than the others out of the ones I've got listed above? Xtol? Microphen?

If you ever want to rehal bleach it and re-process in a colour developer to get the colour back, then Rodinal tends to work better as a first developer than all the other options you listed for that.

 

[cmacd123]

lets us know you results, I am given to understand that the Benzil Alcohol is needed for C-41. Years ago, there was a hack to reuse C-41 developer for the colour paper of the day and the major change was adding some BZA and diluting. I still have a print done that way on my wall, on Agfa paper.