Email from Tetenal C-41 product manager in UK....

[sperera]

OK forgive the sensationalist title to this thread but I contacted Tetenal about what THEY recommend as the process times and temp and technique using their Colortec C-41 Rapid 2-bath 2.5L kit with small Paterson tanks and this is what he said....of note the fact you can mix it all up and freeze it!

Hi Anthony,
As with all ‘hand’ processing people experiment and adapt to what the think is the ‘perfect’ result’
Fortunately the exposure latitude on negative film is large so small variation in processing makes no obvious difference.
Please find attached our mixing and usage for the kit.
As you may not want use 2.5L all in one go you can make up 5 x 500ml of each bath and then freeze it!
Our test show no change to results – doesn’t work with E6.
Kind regards
Jeremy Roy
Product Manager
Tetenal Ltd | Distributor to the Photographic & Print Industries
2 Meridian West | Meridian Business Park | Leicester | LE19 1WX
T: +44 (0)116 289 3644 | F: +44 (0)116 281 5749 | M: 07879 882663 | www.tetenaluk.com

 

[trendland]

Hi there sperera ..!
So you got a real response from Tetenal.
As I stated before : Tetenal is indeed not the worst manufacturer of chems.
And not to forget - they are delivering worldwide.
So you will freeze your c41 chems now?
By the time what's about your Aaton ?
Is the filming projet still in progress?

with greetings

 

[sperera]

Hey Trendland....will start filming with the Aaton XTR and Kodak 16mm film (Vision3 500T) in two weeks! doing the pre-planning at the moment....will keep you posted haha.....as I cant rent anything around here I have bought some ARRI lights and am looking forward to creating some cool scenes I hope!!!!!

...and yes.....Tetenal UK seem to be a friendly bunch indeed...I expect nothing less from UK customer service though....

 

[trendland]

Hey Trendland....will start filming with the Aaton XTR and Kodak 16mm film (Vision3 500T) in two weeks! doing the pre-planning at the moment....will keep you posted haha.....as I cant rent anything around here I have bought some ARRI lights and am looking forward to creating some cool scenes I hope!!!!!

...and yes.....Tetenal UK seem to be a friendly bunch indeed...I expect nothing less from UK customer service though....

Nice to hear this !
And with a bit of sentimenatal feelings.
Because of all my colleagues are (without exeptions) working with Alexa SXT and Mini Alexa.
Last week I remember we had a Sony System in Studio (just for demonstrating)
A technician informed about advantages.
4k filming with permanend synchroned multi signals for HDR filming...a.s.o.
Yeah - the good old (real) film times should come again.
with regards

 

[sperera]

My friend trendland I am putting together a retrospective website of my film photography....still in progress....scanning still and adding more images when I have gaps but would appreciate you have a look through it:
Dead Link Removed
the text in it is pretty crap its just what I think of in that moment in time....I will edit in full when the time comes I have the body of work I want in there.....I don't want it to be pretentious just an honest retrospective of just another drop in the ocean creative!

 

[trendland]

OK - I will have a look on the site.
ARRI light is more cheap today (in used condition) than one would expect.
Because they are changing the technique
at this time.(LED).
And bon chance with freezed c41.

with regards

PS : I have no more space in my freezer.
My approach is more with RAW chems.
But to each player his own play...

 

[sperera]

I bought an Arri L7-C and an Arri 650 plus both second hand! one from a lovely guy in England whom I have become friends with and the other from another great guy in Sevilla, Spain who is sending me the light today by courier!!!!

 

[pentaxuser]

OK forgive the sensationalist title to this thread but I contacted Tetenal about what THEY recommend as the process times and temp and technique using their Colortec C-41 Rapid 2-bath 2.5L kit with small Paterson tanks and this is what he said....of note the fact you can mix it all up and freeze it!

Hi Anthony,
As with all ‘hand’ processing people experiment and adapt to what the think is the ‘perfect’ result’
Fortunately the exposure latitude on negative film is large so small variation in processing makes no obvious difference.

Interesting. I don't think I have seen the advice of freezing without harm before. I take it that Tetenal advice to freeze leads to much greater shelf life but that's an assumption on my part based on my inference about why Tetenal might have said it.

It would be useful if we knew exactly what was meant by a small variation in processing making no obvious difference. It doesn't sound as if Tetenal elaborated on either of my questions sufficiently to provide specific answers but if it did then please let us know

Thanks

 

[halfaman]

As I stated before : Tetenal is indeed not the worst manufacturer of chems.

Tetenal has nowadays by far the widest selection of chemicals for B&W and color photography, and for film and paper. That deserves some respect and, why not, some gratitude in the digital times we are living.

 

[sperera]

It kind of sounds to me like they're saying we're all a bit too pedantic (hahaha) and the C-41 process coupled with colour negative and they Tetenal chemicals is actually more forgiving than we think.....

 

[halfaman]

Not only for Tetenal but for any good C-41 chemicals. You can get usable results even with some mistakes or errors.

When I send film rolls to a professinal lab the results are better than when I process it at home with a Jobo CPE2 and amateurs kit. The negatives are sharper and have more vibrant colors when they come from the lab, but home processing is fair enough with some care.

 

[sperera]

Kaixo halfaman, zer moduz? saludos desde Gibraltar......

 

[trendland]

Not only for Tetenal but for any good C-41 chemicals. You can get usable results even with some mistakes or errors.

When I send film rolls to a professinal lab the results are better than when I process it at home with a Jobo CPE2 and amateurs kit. The negatives are sharper and have more vibrant colors when they come from the lab, but home processing is fair enough with some care.

That might be - because of what ?
C41 (as a process) is optimized to machines. And it isn't optimized to home development.
Remember a machine should be easily able to hold constant temperatures with a precision of more than 0,1 degree C.
To find a thermometer with scales 0,1 degree is not so easy.
Often the precision of those 0,1 degree thermometers is max. O,5 degree.......!
The exact 3:15 min. is the next problem.
Remember the old proceses. They had more bath, they had lower temperature,
the duration was longer.
At last agitation. If you have a Jobo machine the constantly agitation (and the more precise temperature control) will help you to optimize your home development so far that you may REACH respectable results.
With a simple drum in c41 processing - all parameters differed a little more - so the impacts to c41 quality may be mixed.
(I also have no Jobo machine and so my workflow is hand made as yours )
But with respect to some remaining labs today, I have to state - I remember some bad comercial labs from the past with less quality.

So a good lab should be able to work much better than your home development with c41 allways is able.

In bw it is the opposite because of standard bw chems.

A professional bw lab is not able to start development with a dozent of best developers to different films as you made at home.THE task of such labs is to reach good quality to every film and not best quality to some films (and less quality to the others).
The exeption is drum development with the developer you advice - from proffessional labs.But (if you may find such a lab) it is real expensive ( min. $20,- each 35mm roll).
So home processing with bw may cause
outstanding results much cheaper in comparison to comercial labs.
In color your home made processing should be little cheaper with
R E S P E C T A B L E results if you have fulfilled your task in an optimized workflow.
That all is looking much great to me !

with regards

 

[halfaman]

It is not only about temperature control. Time, agitation, replenishment, and a whole of chemicals variables that are controled though periodic control strips. All to guarantee not only a correct process but also reliable with predictable and repetitive results. I am lucky enough to know an excelent and very professional lab that doesn't have any problem to show their customers how they work and it has nothing to do with what we all do at home.

Of course there are also horrible labs out there, the reason why I have a Jobo and develop color at home was because one of them that ruined my film. It is important to choose carefully a good one.

Kaixo halfaman, zer moduz? saludos desde Gibraltar......

Ondo!... And that's it. I really don't speak basque, sorry...

 

[pentaxuser]

Well it simply sounds as if Tetenal are saying that temperature to an accuracy of 0.1C as opposed to say 0.5C and a time of 3mins 15 secs as opposed to a few seconds more or less make no appreciable difference. Based on sperera's reply it sounds as if Tetenal didn't specify the range within which no appreciable difference can be seen but I'll bet that the range is within the compass of a home enthusiast taking reasonable care

sperara, you no doubt have the Tetenal instructions. Do they give a temperature range over which film can be developed with time compensation? It has been a few years since I used a Tetenal kit but I seem to recall that once upon a time it did give a range of temperatures with appropriate times.

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[Sirius Glass]

I am chuffed that the OP got a direct response from the manufacturer.

 

[trendland]

It is not only about temperature control. Time, agitation, replenishment, and a whole of chemicals variables that are controled though periodic control strips. All to guarantee not only a correct process but also reliable with predictable and repetitive results. I am lucky enough to know an excelent and very professional lab that doesn't have any problem to show their customers how they work and it has nothing to do with what we all do at home.

Of course there are also horrible labs out there, the reason why I have a Jobo and develop color at home was because one of them that ruined my film. It is important to choose carefully a good one.


Ondo!... And that's it. I really don't speak basque, sorry...

Aha I see : A lab ruined one of your films.
Yes - thats indeed one film ruined to much.
But I helped you to decide to advance in home processing.
And thats the point.
Respect !

with regards

 

[BMbikerider]

One word of caution. Don't use glass bottles if you intend to freeze the developer - in all probability they will crack - Ice expands as we all know!

 

[sperera]

all good advice.....thanksssssss