C41 jobo chemical confusion

[Hope Deamer]

Hi there, I am hoping you can help as I’m just loosing all hope. I went to uni to study photography and regularly enjoyed developing my colour film on their c41 machine, here I am 3 years later with a jobo atl1500 trying to buy chemicals and pulling my hair out at how confusing it all is... hats off to the technicians I never gave them enough credit. So here’s the dilemma, I have been using the Tetenal kits up until now but the demand is just getting more and more and I wanted to upgrade to using the professional separate chemicals.
I tried speaking to tetenal to ask for advice on what to buy but the advisors I spoke to had no knowledge so I bought what I thought was the equivalent of the kit: tetenal developer replenisher and starter, bleach replenisher and starter and stabiliser. Am I right in thinking I should have bought the fix rather than the bleach? Do I need both to make blix like in the kits? Do I mix them if so how much? Have I even bought any of the right stuff because the film definitely isn’t fixed correctly from what I can tell. Do you have any recommendations on what is best to buy going forward for c41 developing for a rotary processor? What is the replenishment rates for a rotary processor? Kodak says 50ml per 135/36 tetenal says 66ml per 135/36, there seems to be a lot of conflicting information and I’m just stabbing in the dark mostly!
Thanks in advance , and sorry if these are stupid questions!

 

[cmacd123]

their are no stupid questions. what I can be sure of in answer to your questions:
The kits are often simplified with things like a combined Bleach and fix. the C-41 Bleach converts developed silver back into a silver halide and the Fix dissolves the silver halide that was never exposed and developed, as well as that formed by the bleach in order to remove all the silver from the film. the Bleach-Fix combo called BLIX does both steps in one bath but often has lower capacity. (which is not an issue in a kit where the limit will be the capacity of the developer.)

I suspect that your bleach is probably just bleach so you will need a fix in addition.

As per rates, You may want to start with what the company that made the chemicals you are using recommends. If you are replenishing you many have to adjust those levels to keep the process running with constant results. (The labs run test strips and read the density and plot it on graph paper to decide if they are using too much or two little replenisher)

 

[mshchem]

Look at Fuji and Kodak sites. Machines use separate bleach and fixer for color films.
There's more than one C-41 process from Kodak and Fuji.
The original C-41 more likely to be used by big deep tank dip and dunk, sheet film etc.
And C-41 RA. The RA is rapid access, this is what is used in virtually all minilabs. Bleach times are only 1 minute, fixer short as well. It can be difficult to find in less than case quantities but is inexpensive in volume. Stabilizer is used for washless machines. A minilab typically has developer, bleach, fixer 1, fixer 2, followed by 3 sequential Stabilizer baths running counter current, then it's dried. Less that 7 minutes beginning to end.
I use Kodak Flexicolor C-41 RA with my Jobo CPP3.

 

[halfaman]

My reccomendation for a simple and realiable process in Jobo machines is to use one-shot chemistry. No replenishment.

The standard C-41 process with no replenishment is:
0. Tank warming
1. Development
2. Bleach
3. Fix
4. Wash
5. Stabilizer

Development is very well standarized in 3:15 at 38°C (37.8° C really). Bleach and fix times depend of the particulat product, normally indicated in the bottle itself. Blix (bleach and fix in the same solution) is not part of the C-41 standard process even some amateur kits include it to make things easier.

 

[foc]

If you are new to C41 processing at home, then I suggest you stick to the kits available and follow their instructions exactly.

I would steer clear of using lab chemicals (not kits) for the simple reason that starting out you don't need the hassle. Get some experience and then you can experiment with lab chemicals.
Yes there are "different" C41 chemical options but they really relate to replenishment in a lab situation and if the chemicals will be used in a high or low volume processor.

 

[Sirius Glass]

My reccomendation for a simple and realiable process in Jobo machines is to use one-shot chemistry. No replenishment.

The standard C-41 process with no replenishment is:
0. Tank warming
1. Development
2. Bleach
3. Fix
4. Wash
5. Stabilizer

Development is very well standarized in 3:15 at 38°C (37.8° C really). Bleach and fix times depend of the particulat product, normally indicated in the bottle itself. Blix (bleach and fix in the same solution) is not part of the C-41 standard process even some amateur kits include it to make things easier.

I use the Jobo with the Unicolor 1 liter kit. I do multiple development until I have done 16 rolls in two or three days. There is no need to waste the C-41 chemicals as one shot development. Per PE's recommendations I will start using stop bath.