c41 dev kits - Yes, I've read archives

peter k. · Mar 9, 2015

Oh not another.. :confused: c-41 chemical man

In the past I've read the archives about c-41 kits.. but remained confused, and its time to order some color developer again, so rather than go back to the archives, thought I try to sort it out this way.

I do not shoot much color, and like to develop myself, and have only used once a Digibase (6 components + starter) and a Freestyles simpler Arista 41 kit, that uses Blix, but there is quite a bit of time elapse between the need to develop again. And that is the key for me, not ease, as I don't do it that often.

Have liked the results of both.. and understand the Blix kits are easier to use, but still confusion on the issue of Blix vrs Bleach and fix, and the longevity of the components, of each type of kit.
I understand that it is usually 'Part C' of the component group, that seems to have a short time duration, after opened, and new bottle could be purchased, from the retailer, if it where not in a kit form.

So.. need a quick, simple response...
On two Questions:

1) Preference
......A)Kit that uses Blix
......B)Kit that uses Bleach & Fix
......C) Separate components that are purchased separately.

2) Company name of your supplier and name of chemicals.

~~~~~

Example... answer..
1b
Freestyle Arista c-41

Don't need to know the reason why you prefer it, just what you use.
Thanks for your help..

wombat2go · Mar 9, 2015

1B
MacoDirect

Info:
I accumulate 6 to 12 rolls, mix 500ml solutions, just enough to cover the spiral, process the batch over a few days, then discard the solutions.

The part C (as I read) is expired when it starts to change color. My kit was unsealed in March 2013 and Part C in March 2015 is still clear, not colored.
Opened packs were stored in the dark at about 18C (60F)
I just processed a batch all OK and I have enough remaining for one more batch (5 batches from the 1 liter kit).

Now however the 1 liter kit can not be carried by air, so I might have to order (2) of the new 2.5 liter kits from MacoDirect to do the above over next 2 years.

peter k. · Mar 9, 2015

wombat2go said:
1B
MacoDirect

Ah.. Yes but which one???

wombat2go · Mar 9, 2015

You didn't give a multi choice question!
answer:
http://www.macodirect.de/colour-chemistry-c-765_767.html?osCsid=82f2e98ceb5d941583dbb75f567ad05d

Terry Christian · Mar 9, 2015

1C
Kodak Flexicolor (not a kit)
Developer comes as a combined box of parts A,B,C. Bleach, fix, and final rinse (stabilizer) are sold separately. I buy mine from Unique Photo online.

Soon I'll be dabbling in only buying the developer, and mixing up potassium ferricyanide bleach and plain hypo fix myself.

EdSawyer · Mar 9, 2015

1C

Unique Photo, Pakor, minilab suppply - all good vendors. Also Adorama and B&H but they are more finicky about what they will ship. Last stuff I bought from Unique Photo I believe.

sagai · Mar 9, 2015

1B
Tetenal Colortec C41
There is a 5 liter kit that reduces development cost radically to a 50 cents per canister level.

That's the color when manual says the developer had gone and should be replaced [emoji2]
https://flic.kr/p/rvhDHS

B&Wpositive · Mar 9, 2015

Nice thread. I'm reading this one as well as the one I started. Just wondering though, several of you have posted chemistry that belongs in OP's category 1B (separate bleach and fix). I didn't realize there were a number of brands that are available in this category.

B&Wpositive · Mar 9, 2015

Also, the Rollei Digibase kits from Europe are confusing me..

Are these the old version that Freestyle used to sell (with bleach and fix rather than Blix)? And it's still available in Europe (and apparently from Europe) but not in the US via Freestyle?! The kit at Freestyle now has Blix. So confused.

sagai · Mar 10, 2015

That Tetenal is for 1A,
I am not good at questionnaire.

peter k. · Mar 10, 2015

B&Wpositive said:
Also, the Rollei Digibase kits from Europe are confusing me..

Are these the old version that Freestyle used to sell (with bleach and fix rather than Blix)? And it's still available in Europe (and apparently from Europe) but not in the US via Freestyle?! The kit at Freestyle now has Blix. So confused.

Yes that's from whom I got my first kit, and they have discontinued it..
but Freestyle also has two other c-41 development kits with components ..
but kit only, and the parts cannot be purchased separately.

Rollei C-41 kit which contains:
1 - Bleach Fix Part A - 200 ml
1 - Bleach Fix Part B - 200ml
1 - Color Developer Part A - 100ml
1 - Color Developer Part B - 50ml
1 - Color Developer Part C - 50ml
1 - Stabilizer - 50ml

Tetenal C-41 kit also contains six parts (which is Tetenal Colortec C41)
- Color Developer CD Part 1
- Color Developer CD Part 2
- Color Developer CD Part 3
- Bleach Fix BX Part 1
- Bleach Fix BX Part2
- Stabilizer STAB

Still in a quandary over which one to purchase, but leaning toward the component kits, the Flexicolor (not a kit) from Unique is for mass developing... like the concept, but expensive for the amount of color developing I do.
Wish there were components that could be purchased in smaller quantity.
thanks for your replies ...

sagai · Mar 11, 2015

Hey!
Tetenal is three liquids at the end! You should mix for Developer, Blix and Stabilizer, that's all!
What smaller quantity would you look for than a liter?
Cheers!

peter k. · Mar 11, 2015

sagai said:
Hey!
Tetenal is three liquids at the end! You should mix for Developer, Blix and Stabilizer, that's all!
What smaller quantity would you look for than a liter?
Cheers!

Yes, your right, but was referring to wishing that the Flexicolor could be had in a smaller quantity, making it less expensive to purchase all the parts needed to start using it for developing.

LarsAC · Mar 13, 2015

Just ordered the Digibase kit yesterday, it falls into category 1b. I read about problems with combined blix here on APUG and finally decided to go for Digibase.

My preferred option was Fuji Hunt, but i am unsure whether I am able to exploit the chemistry before it goes off considering my usual film throughput.

Regards,
Lars

mtjade2007 · Mar 13, 2015

peter k. said:
Wish there were components that could be purchased in smaller quantity.
thanks for your replies ...

Smaller kits cost more. If shipping is added they cost even more. That makes DIY home processing much less rewarding.

The only chemical that won't last once opened is the part C of the developer. If you have a way to preserve it once opened larger kits will be a lot cheaper per unit volume of the chemicals. Everything else will last for years even partially used. I have mixed part A and part B with right amount of water without part C and kept it for over two years. When I used it eventually it was as good as fresh one. The bleach will not go bad almost forever. The fix can last for a very long time too.

So just figure out a way to preserve part C of the developer then buy larger (much larger) kit and save the money for films. Forget about small kits.

MartinP · Mar 13, 2015

How about decanting the (large and cheap) bottle of Part-C developer in to a number of much smaller bottles containing no air?? That should work, in accordance with #15 above?

wombat2go · Mar 13, 2015

The 1 liter Rollei digiBase kit cost me in March 2013 about US$150 including shipping from Germany to Michigan
I have done 4 batches with one batch remaining. Averaging 9 ~10 rolls per batch, that will be about 45 rolls.
So the cost per roll is about $3.33

MartinP · Mar 13, 2015

Ouch, $150 is crazy. There must be a small 'repackage' supplier in the US somewhere surely?! Buying the Kodak bulk chemistry (perhaps via a friendly mini-lab) would likely work out cheaper than that too, even if half of the developer went off before you had finished using it.

Rudeofus · Mar 14, 2015

MartinP said:
Ouch, $150 is crazy.

It would be substantially cheaper to get a C-41 liquid concentrate kit from Freestyle and use some Potassium Bromide and TF-5 from Formulary to convert its BLIX into a separate bleach&fixer. A recent APUG how-to article of mine provides amateur level instructions how to do this.

peter k. · Mar 14, 2015

Rudeofus said:
A recent APUG how-to article of mine provides amateur level instructions how to do this.

How about a link

zehner21 · Mar 14, 2015

peter k. said:
How about a link

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

mtjade2007 · Mar 15, 2015

MartinP said:
How about decanting the (large and cheap) bottle of Part-C developer in to a number of much smaller bottles containing no air?? That should work, in accordance with #15 above?

An opened but unused part C will not last for too long either. So I am not sure if a large bottle of part C dived into many smaller ones with no air in them will last. I have tried to use 5g of CD-4 for every liter of ready mixed part A, B and water. It seems to work very well for me. So I now simply toss the entire bottle of part C that has gone bad and use CD-4 powder instead of part C.

LarsAC · Mar 17, 2015

mtjade2007 said:
I have tried to use 5g of CD-4 for every liter of ready mixed part A, B and water.

Do you scan or print RA-4 ?

Lars

c41 dev kits - Yes, I've read archives

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