Color print film in Diafine

BetterSense · Jul 9, 2009

I have a roll of color print film that I burned testing a camera, but I want to develop it. I was considering using it as a cross-processing experiment. To the best of my knowledge, developing C41 film in B&W chemicals results in a black-and-white negative, but I don't know what time to use, so I figured I could just use Diafine. Will this result in a printable neg?

Thomas Bertilsson · Jul 10, 2009

If you process C41 color neg film in Diafine you'll get a barely printable image. If you scan them, you may get decent results. The orange base of the film will royally screw up anything you thought you knew about printing. How do I know? I've tried it. Especially the highlights are tough to do anything with.
Lith printing might work better. But scanning really is the way to go in my experience.

Ian Grant · Jul 10, 2009

You can process C41 film in a B&W dev, and fix, wash well and re-halogenate in a Ferricyanide/Bromide bleach, wash then re-develop in C41 chemistry as per normal.

Depending on the B&W dev you use you can get some quite interesting results.

Ian

Venchka · Jul 10, 2009

Diafine, an Epson 4990 and an HP printer works. I have held the prints. Very nice.

pcyco · Jul 13, 2009

hallo
please allow me a little question:
do you have times for c41 films in b&w chem.
i also want to try this ( i have d23,d76,and rodinal)

thankyou

thomas

ITKI · Nov 25, 2017

Ian Grant said:
You can process C41 film in a B&W dev, and fix, wash well and re-halogenate in a Ferricyanide/Bromide bleach, wash then re-develop in C41 chemistry as per normal.

..why wouldn't I just develop C41 directly if I had it on hand?
Could you post images that have been developed this way?

ITKI · Nov 25, 2017

Here are a few shots of Kodak Gold developed in Diafine

Can't comment on the "print-ability" of these, but they scan pretty well.
This is just SilverFast with the regular Kodak Gold preset, and some dodge & burn later basically..

Ian Grant · Nov 26, 2017

ITKI said:
..why wouldn't I just develop C41 directly if I had it on hand?
Could you post images that have been developed this way?

Well normally you would but there are or rather were some applied techniques such as for astronomy where a B&W developer might be used first to modify contrast although looping was the most common procedure, develop (C41) fix, wash, rehalogenating bleach, wash re-expose, then re=develop in C41, this can be done a few times to increase colour saturation and density. There were also special colour developers, here in the UK/Europe they were available from Michael Maunders, he used to have a website but retired abroad and stopped trading

These techniques and formulae were published and discussed in Scientific Journals, occasionally in the Astro-Photographotography section in the British Journal of Photography but I've never seen mention of them in any general photo magazines or books.

Ian

ITKI · Nov 26, 2017

..oh, wow! Will look for some images done this way, this sounds interesting..
Thanks for the info @Ian Grant !

Murray Kelly · Nov 26, 2017

Adjusted in Irfanview

Color print film in Diafine

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