Colour processing chemicals and the demise of Agfa?

[Kevin Caulfield]

I use the Agfa 500ml processing kits for C41 and E6 film processing. I still have a couple of each type. Now that Agfa is sadly in its death throes, I will need to look into alternate suppliers. I would appreciate your thoughts on the other brands available (especially in Australia) and how they compare with the Agfa kits in terms of volume required, how many films can be processed, cost, etc. My weapon of choice is a Paterson Auto Colortherm, and I use it for both 35mm and 120 processing.

 

[Mick Fagan]

Kevin, I'm in the same boat as you . Very recently I spent up big at VanBar buying bucketloads of AP94 (RA4) 5 litre kits.

The long term is that I think it's going to be Fuji or Kodak 20 litre kits broken up into smaller mixes.

Perhaps you and I could go halves in some C41 or RA4 kits. I live about 10 minutes away from your surname's suburb.

Mick.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Mick, thanks for the info. I was thinking specifically about film processing kits as opposed to printing (RA4) kits, but I guess I should have been thinking about printing chemicals too. I use the same Agfa RA4 kits as you do. I'd be happy to go halvies with you in C41 and RA4. My suburb is the one whose football team got beaten by my football team in the 2001 grand final.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I don't know who won the 2001 grand final but if my memory is correct, Essendon lost?

I live in Hampton East (Moorabbin).

Not that far apart, perhaps we could PM each other at a later time?

Mick.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Yep, looks like we both live in the land of the DFO.
We will have to PM.
Regards,
Kevin

 

[gbroadbridge]

Guys, dunno if you know this, but Vanbar in Camperdown (Sydney) still have quite a few C41 kits on the shelf when I rang them today. I've reserved 2 for myself but Vanbar would send the rest (6 that I could see) back down to Carlton if you put in an order.

I intend to use the two I've ordered while I test the patterson C41 chemistry. Let me know your results with Kodak kits, but I'm not keen on a 20 litre kit and dividing it into 20 pieces How many films does 500ml of Kodak chemistry process anyway, is it 5 like the agfa? I'll check it out.


Graham.

 

[Mick Fagan]

Graham, many years ago I asked our developing technicians in the lab that I worked in, this same question.

Their findings were that approximately 8 rolls per litre of 35mm 36 frames was the closest. One could stretch this by about 20%, meaning 10 rolls per litre. They added caveats like, the actual amount of active ingredients per litre etc, etc,.

I also remember reading, (15 or so years ago) on either an Agfa or Kodak kit, 8 rolls of 35mm 36 frame film per litre.

I myself use Jobo rotary and develop 4 rolls at a time in 500ml (35mm).

Mick.

 

[roteague]

Did you look at the Tetenal chemicals? I used them years ago.

Check:

http://www.tetenal.co.uk/acatalog/COLORTEC__E_6.html
http://www.tetenal.co.uk/acatalog/Classics.html

 

[OldBikerPete]

Kevin, I'm in the same boat as you . Very recently I spent up big at VanBar buying bucketloads of AP94 (RA4) 5 litre kits.

The long term is that I think it's going to be Fuji or Kodak 20 litre kits broken up into smaller mixes.

Perhaps you and I could go halves in some C41 or RA4 kits. I live about 10 minutes away from your surname's suburb.

Mick.

Me Too! I'm in Melbourne Northern suburbs. I've also invested in enough raw chemicals to mix my own for a while. I'll keep them on the shelf while I can get Kodak or Agfa Chemistry.

I phoned Kodak recently asking who I could buy C-41 kits off and they told me they no longer import them.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hi Mick,

I've used agfa c41 kits for a while, and they state 5 x 120 for 500ml over 3 months Which is why I love them.

I push it out to 8 x 120 or 6 months depending on my shooting habits at the time. I mainly shoot B&W so sometimes color gets left in the fridge. When I get around to processing it is in a Jobo.

I like the agfa kits because 500ml is perfect for me, I simply cannot imagine having 20 litres of developer and bleach-fix going off in bottles

Thanks for your info.


Graham.

Graham, many years ago I asked our developing technicians in the lab that I worked in, this same question.

Their findings were that approximately 8 rolls per litre of 35mm 36 frames was the closest. One could stretch this by about 20%, meaning 10 rolls per litre. They added caveats like, the actual amount of active ingredients per litre etc, etc,.

I also remember reading, (15 or so years ago) on either an Agfa or Kodak kit, 8 rolls of 35mm 36 frame film per litre.

I myself use Jobo rotary and develop 4 rolls at a time in 500ml (35mm).

Mick.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Kicking an old thread here, but having recently returned from the lightroom to the darkroom, what are we using these days for C41 processing?

I can find plenty of film, but nothing to process it.

Sadly the Jobo was almost given away with all my darkroom gear, so it would need to be some chemistry as flexible as the old Agfa kits.

Graham.

 

[foc]

If you want to process C41 then any of the kits available will do.
It shouldn't matter the brand as C41 is a standard process, it would just be a person's preference for what kit they like.

What do you mean when you say "flexible" ?

 

[gbroadbridge]

If you want to process C41 then any of the kits available will do.
It shouldn't matter the brand as C41 is a standard process, it would just be a person's preference for what kit they like.

What do you mean when you say "flexible" ?

Thanks, but my question really is what kits are available. I probably should have been more specific and mentioned that I'm in Australia.

The old Agfa kits would work at 20 degrees C as well as at 39, which is pretty important in the absence of a jobo bath and rotary processor.

Graham.