can i tell if my Flexicolor part C is still good from the color?

[Donald Qualls]

PE has said no starter is needed for Kodak RA-4 RA-RT Developer/Replenisher, but is required for C-41 for proper results. My findings as well.

Correct, starter adjusts the activity to match (or approximate) the steady state of a replenished system.

Kits don't need this because they're formulated to produce tank solution, but Flexicolor produces replenisher and needs starter.

 

[mohmad khatab]

Yes, I have done this and it works. If your package makes replenisher, then you must add water and starter in correct amounts and adjust the pH if necessary to use as a working solution developer.

PE has said no starter is needed for Kodak RA-4 RA-RT Developer/Replenisher, but is required for C-41 for proper results. My findings as well.

hello brother
Yes, I found that package with that kit.
- I was certain, beyond any doubt, that the package marked (C) had already expired and tested it on a test strip. So I got rid of that package.
- I still have the package that says (A) and the package that says (B), and that's the starter
I also have a component (CD4) and I don't really know how to do that, what are the quantities and proportions that I should mix.

 

[RPC]

hello brother
Yes, I found that package with that kit.
- I was certain, beyond any doubt, that the package marked (C) had already expired and tested it on a test strip. So I got rid of that package.
- I still have the package that says (A) and the package that says (B), and that's the starter
I also have a component (CD4) and I don't really know how to do that, what are the quantities and proportions that I should mix.

I only have experience with Kodak C-41 Replenisher. In my kit, there was parts A, B and C and the starter is purchased separately. I replaced the bad part C with CD-4, mixing in 5 grams per liter to the replenisher mix (with parts A and B). I then just followed the instructions on the starter bottle to make a working solution out of the replenisher mix.

Finally, adjust the pH if necessary, of the working solution to about 10.0-10.2 before use.

 

[mohmad khatab]

I only have experience with Kodak C-41 Replenisher. In my kit, there was parts A, B and C and the starter is purchased separately. I replaced the bad part C with CD-4, mixing in 5 grams per liter to the replenisher mix (with parts A and B). I then just followed the instructions on the starter bottle to make a working solution out of the replenisher mix.

Finally, adjust the pH if necessary, of the working solution to about 10.0-10.2 before use.

Yes Yes, the kit I have is (Kodak C-41 Replenisher.) A & B
Only the starter solution is from another company, but I asked that guy who gave me those bottles (he was the owner of an old lab) and that guy told me that he was based on that starter solution and it worked just like it was Kodak,,
Please tell me how you handled this situation.
I don't have that instruction sheet you're talking about,
How many ml of package A
How many ml of package B
How many ml of starter solution?
How many grams of CD4
Then add water until the amount of solution reaches 1 liter
Is CD4 only added without potassium iodoid?
Can you give me any picture of the results of this developer.?

 

[RPC]

Yes Yes, the kit I have is (Kodak C-41 Replenisher.) A & B
Only the starter solution is from another company, but I asked that guy who gave me those bottles (he was the owner of an old lab) and that guy told me that he was based on that starter solution and it worked just like it was Kodak,,
Please tell me how you handled this situation.
I don't have that instruction sheet you're talking about,
How many ml of package A
How many ml of package B
How many ml of starter solution?
How many grams of CD4
Then add water until the amount of solution reaches 1 liter
Is CD4 only added without potassium iodoid?
Can you give me any picture of the results of this developer.?

The mixing instructions should be somewhere on the bottles for the replenisher mix. I no longer have my bottles. The kit makes 20 liters and you would use the entire contents of each bottle. So to make 1 liter divide the volume of each bottle by 20. The part C in your photo does not look that bad to me, but if you want to replace it with CD-4, just do as I said earlier, put in 5 grams of CD-4 per liter of replenisher mix consisting of parts A & B. The potassium iodide you asked about is probably in part A but may also be in the starter.

Are there no instructions for the starter on the package? Sorry, but I do not have any amounts for the Kodak starter. After I used up all the chemistry I made with this method some time ago, I started mixing my developer from formulas and scratch chemicals.

Perhaps if anyone out there has any figures they can chime in.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I've got the per-liter amounts for replenisher, starter, and water, at least for LORR color developer, but they're on my home computer. Don't think this was published by Kodak, but they do have the amounts for mini-lab size batches (in Z-131?) and the arithmetic is straightforward.

 

[mohmad khatab]

The mixing instructions should be somewhere on the bottles for the replenisher mix. I no longer have my bottles. The kit makes 20 liters and you would use the entire contents of each bottle. So to make 1 liter divide the volume of each bottle by 20. The part C in your photo does not look that bad to me, but if you want to replace it with CD-4, just do as I said earlier, put in 5 grams of CD-4 per liter of replenisher mix consisting of parts A & B. The potassium iodide you asked about is probably in part A but may also be in the starter.

Are there no instructions for the starter on the package? Sorry, but I do not have any amounts for the Kodak starter. After I used up all the chemistry I made with this method some time ago, I started mixing my developer from formulas and scratch chemicals.

Perhaps if anyone out there has any figures they can chime in.

I do not have the detailed mixing instructions, it is written only on the bottles that it is enough to produce 20 liters of deflator.
I don't want to mix 20 liters at once,
I only want to mix a pint when I need to develop a roll or two.
Is there anyone who can tell how I can mix a pint, given that I got rid of the contents of the package (C), so I will need to add (CD4)
Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[mohmad khatab]

I've got the per-liter amounts for replenisher, starter, and water, at least for LORR color developer, but they're on my home computer. Don't think this was published by Kodak, but they do have the amounts for mini-lab size batches (in Z-131?) and the arithmetic is straightforward.

I do not know what to do ,,
If you have any suggestions, that would be appreciated.
This is the picture of the kit that I have, the carton is worn out and there are no instructions papers at all..
The packages do not have any instructions.
The starter pack wasn't in the box of course, it was separate from the box, but the old lab guy gave it to me and said it was the complement to that kit (although it doesn't have the Kodak brand) but he said he was using that brand and it was working fine and it's perfectly compatible. With a Kodak kit.

I want to know how to mix a liter or half a liter at a time,,
I do not want to mix all the quantity at once.
Note that I will need to add CD4 in lieu of damage package C

 

[Donald Qualls]

Given that's a 20 L kit, you'd mix 1/20 of each bottle in about 700 ml of water, add the CD-4 (said above to be 5 g for this quantity) to replace the C component, and make up the volume to 1 L. On my last 5 L kit, the bottles were each marked with their content volume, so you'd use that figure for the division. Then you mix the replenisher so made with the right amount of water and starter (divide Kodak's published figures, available online, by the size of the tank solution they give) to make your tank solution.

Obviously you'd divide everything by two to make a half liter of working solution.

 

[mohmad khatab]

Given that's a 20 L kit, you'd mix 1/20 of each bottle in about 700 ml of water, add the CD-4 (said above to be 5 g for this quantity) to replace the C component, and make up the volume to 1 L. On my last 5 L kit, the bottles were each marked with their content volume, so you'd use that figure for the division. Then you mix the replenisher so made with the right amount of water and starter (divide Kodak's published figures, available online, by the size of the tank solution they give) to make your tank solution.

Obviously you'd divide everything by two to make a half liter of working solution.

Thanks
You are a really good and respected colleague.
The results look amazing
This image was developed according to your advice.
The picture is of an Egyptian dish called Koshary, which is basically derived from an Andalusian dish called Albaia, and that was during the days of the Arab rule of the Iberian Peninsula.
I advise you to try this spicy dish, trust me, it will change your life completely.
For more information, the wiki link is signed.

God bless you .

 

[tbeaman]

Yeah, I still have some unopened C-41sm developer kits that have an expiry of 2013, and the last I checked the Part C was still tea colored. Anyway, I know I mixed and used some successfully last around 2018. It always shocks me when I check and find that it’s still good. I’ll have to look again and report back.

I don’t think anybody cares, but I said I’d report back, and it appears that those kits I mentioned that expired in 2013 are in fact still good. So there’s at least one anecdotal case of how long unopened C-41 concentrates can last.

 

[mtjade2007]

Given that's a 20 L kit, you'd mix 1/20 of each bottle in about 700 ml of water, add the CD-4 (said above to be 5 g for this quantity) to replace the C component, and make up the volume to 1 L. On my last 5 L kit, the bottles were each marked with their content volume, so you'd use that figure for the division. Then you mix the replenisher so made with the right amount of water and starter (divide Kodak's published figures, available online, by the size of the tank solution they give) to make your tank solution.

Obviously you'd divide everything by two to make a half liter of working solution.

I would mix all part A, B and water (without C) to the specific volume (20 liter in this case) at once. This is essentially a replenisher minus CD4. It will not go bad for a very long time (probably years). I think this is easier. It is more difficult to mix 1/20 of the bottles of part A and B.

 

[mtjade2007]

I do not know what to do ,,
If you have any suggestions, that would be appreciated.
This is the picture of the kit that I have, the carton is worn out and there are no instructions papers at all..
The packages do not have any instructions.
The starter pack wasn't in the box of course, it was separate from the box, but the old lab guy gave it to me and said it was the complement to that kit (although it doesn't have the Kodak brand) but he said he was using that brand and it was working fine and it's perfectly compatible. With a Kodak kit.

I want to know how to mix a liter or half a liter at a time,,
I do not want to mix all the quantity at once.
Note that I will need to add CD4 in lieu of damage package C

In my case of Kodak Flexicolor LORR developer starter here is the instruction. 763ml of LORR developer replenisher + 30 ml of the starter + 207 ml of water to make 1 liter of working developer. This is when you add 5 grams of CD-4 to it. Then there is the standard Kodak C-41 developer.

My LORR replenisher comes from a LORR replenisher kit that makes 10 liter of replenisher. I toss the bad part C bottle and mix only part A, B and water to 10 liters all at once and store it in a plastic bottle that has a capacity of 12 liters.

Please note that this is only for Kodak LORR developer repleniosher. For non LORR Flexicolor developer the fomula is different here. 860 ml replenisher + 18 ml of starter + 122 ml of water to make 1 liter of working developer after adding 5 grams of CD-4 powder.

The starter is from Unique Photo. It is in a 1.2 liter bottle.

 

[mtjade2007]

I don’t think anybody cares, but I said I’d report back, and it appears that those kits I mentioned that expired in 2013 are in fact still good. So there’s at least one anecdotal case of how long unopened C-41 concentrates can last.

If your part C bottles are glass bottles then they can last a long time. But if they are plastic bottles they will go bad in a few years if they are never opened. in either case if the caps have been opened to allow oxygen to get in contact with the liquid inside. they will go bad in a month or so. Kodak used plastic bottles (special HDPE) for the 10 liter LORR developer kits. I think Kodak assumed that the users would be labs and labs would use the kit quickly and never keep it around for too long. I still have a dozen or so of the 10 liter kits. I guess I won't need to buy it ever again.

 

[mohmad khatab]

860 ml replenisher + 18 ml of starter + 122 ml of water to make 1 liter of working developer after adding 5 grams of CD-4 powder.

Thank you for the response..
But I got other pedigrees from my friend Rodolfo of Austria as follows.
if you need only 500ml,
you could mix:
460ml water
33 ml concentrate part A
4.7 ml concentrate part B
12.5 ml starter
2.5 g CD-4
water —-> 500ml

 

[mtjade2007]

I only have experience with Kodak C-41 Replenisher. In my kit, there was parts A, B and C and the starter is purchased separately. I replaced the bad part C with CD-4, mixing in 5 grams per liter to the replenisher mix (with parts A and B). I then just followed the instructions on the starter bottle to make a working solution out of the replenisher mix.

Finally, adjust the pH if necessary, of the working solution to about 10.0-10.2 before use.

Did you find it always necessary to adjust the PH? Measuring PH is something not trivial to me. It's funny that I have collected several old style PH meters but never figured out how to use them. I found it not an easy task to keep the gear calibrated since it requires calibration solution to remain accurate. So, I simply never did anything to adjust the PH and used the developer (using CD-4 and abandon part C). All these years I never seemed to have any problem. Now that you brought it up here I began to wonder if I have been wrong all these years. Please advise. Thank you.

 

[mshchem]

I cheated a little and found a chart on the internet showing how much of each component (including starter) goes into X amount of tank solution (whether one-shot or replenished, the tank solution is or ought to be the same) and mixed 1 liter; used another chart on the same page to mix 1 liter of replenisher. I looked the other day, my Part C also looks to be okay, so I'll mix 3 L of replenisher to go in the wine bladders I bought and then mix that with starter to make new tank solution when I start up my C-41 again (been down about a year).

I have separated bleach and fixer for C-41, and they keep very well. Might try going that way for RA-4 if/when I get to do that.

I split my RA4 fixer component of the Blix into small bottles as full as I can get. Kodak's (unobtainable) stuff seems to keep well.

I wonder if we will ever see Kodak branded color chemistry?

 

[RPC]

Did you find it always necessary to adjust the PH? Measuring PH is something not trivial to me. It's funny that I have collected several old style PH meters but never figured out how to use them. I found it not an easy task to keep the gear calibrated since it requires calibration solution to remain accurate. So, I simply never did anything to adjust the PH and used the developer (using CD-4 and abandon part C). All these years I never seemed to have any problem. Now that you brought it up here I began to wonder if I have been wrong all these years. Please advise. Thank you.

The Part C label on my kit said it contained not only CD-4 but also sodium bisulfite. I believe this is to acidify the Part C so it will last longer. Thus it would have an effect on the overall pH. So after mixing the developer with CD-4 instead of the Part C concentrate, the pH may be a little high without the bisulfite, so it wise to check it. In fact, I did not adjust the pH when I used my batch and my results seemed slightly contrasty, but still acceptable. YMMV. If I had it to do over again, I would check and adjust the pH.

Yes, using pH meters can be a bit of a hassle. Alternately, one can run tests of simply adding acid to the developer in small increments until one gets the contrast down to where one wants it, or increase the pH if one wants more contrast.

 

[mtjade2007]

Thank you, RPC. I have developed many rolls of films without the PH adjustment. I did not notice increased contrast as you described. It could be I did not have anything to compare with. I will look into this next time when I process a film. Checking the developer PH is a right idea. I will see if I can eventually achieve it. Thanks again.