Home c-41 film process kit for 120?

[ToddB]

Hey guys,
can anyone recommend a decent c-41 film process kit for 120 film? Tetinal seems to be good, but recipe is based 35 mm.

ToddB

 

[bvy]

As long as the kit makes at least 500ml of each solution, you can process 35mm or 120.

 

[ToddB]

Look like the kits come 1 and 2 liters. Should be OK.

 

[agfarapid]

Tetenal is a great kit and it comes in 1 litre and 5 litre sizes. I've been using the 1 litre kit for 120 as well as for 35mm lately, having used the Rollei Digibase product and Unicolor kits previously. For the purposes of any of these kits, 1 roll of 120 is equivalent to 1 36 exposure roll of 35mm in terms of film area being developed. The exception is that processing 400 iso films will decrease the overall number of rolls developed in the Tetenal product.

 

[ToddB]

Cool.. I see that Freestyle camera has press kits.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/c1001-Color-Chemicals-Color-Print

 

[RedSun]

I just took a look at the Tetenal C-41 1 liter kit. The total price is $39.99+$6.00 shipping to a total of $46. It says it can process 12 35mm-36 films. So the average cost is $3.85.

But I can get my 35mm films processed at Costco for about $1.60 a roll. The quality is fine and the film will be ready in an envelop.

So I just do not know if it is cost effective to buy the small quantify chemicals.

I understand that there is value to develop your film by yourself. But if you count the possible mistake you could make and the waste of some chemicals, the cost would be even higher.....

 

[bvy]

There's more to the equation than cost. If you need basic developing of non-critical work, then Costco (Target, whatever) is fine. If you need more control or just want the peace of mind knowing exactly how your film is being handled, then most of us are content to pony up the few extra dollars for the DIY kits. I'd much rather be in a postion to blame myself for messing up my film than an anonymous lab tech.

Anyway, the OP was asking specifically about 120 film. If your Costco even offers that service (I doubt it; mine doesn't) chances are they send it out, there's going to be a long wait, and it's going to cost more than a few dollars.

 

[RedSun]

I know very quickly some people would say that

If people only shoot 10 to 20 films a year, it is not cost effective at all. You may need to buy 2 or 3 of the 1-liter kits since the shelf life of working chemicals are 2-3 months the most. That is $150 to process 20 films. Then you need to add color processing equipment.

I'd say try to find one or two good labs that you can "trust". Sometime I drop a regular 35mm film from a trip at Costco and they always do a very good job. C-41 is very standard now.

The other thing is to have some photographer friends and get some free chemicals from them

 

[Sirius Glass]

Costco will do 135 for $1.60 per 36 exposure roll, but they do not do 20. I used Unicolor 1 liter from FreeStyle for 135, 120 and 4"x5". It says it will do 8 rolls of 135-36 but I have easily gotten 12 rolls from it. I do not know how many rolls the other sets from FreeStyle handle.

 

[RedSun]

Costco will do 135 for $1.60 per 36 exposure roll, but they do not do 20. I used Unicolor 1 liter from FreeStyle for 135, 120 and 4"x5". It says it will do 8 rolls of 135-36 but I have easily gotten 12 rolls from it. I do not know how many rolls the other sets from FreeStyle handle.

I know, I know. But you still made a mistake. The 1-liter kit can do 12 35mm-36 films....

I'd be happy with my 10 liter package case....

 

[Sirius Glass]

I know, I know. But you still made a mistake. The 1-liter kit can do 12 35mm-36 films....

I'd be happy with my 10 liter package case....

One of the salespeople at FreeStyle told me he gets 16 rolls of 135-36 film is he processes one batch after another leaving time for the reels and tanks to dry. I have not done that yet.

 

[ToddB]

I'm mainly going to use for 120. I know Costco doesn't do those, so I would have to take to speciality lab which charges 7.50 a roll. I scan the color negs in high end neg scanner. I'm thinking this going to work perfect.

ToddB

 

[Noble]

I'm mainly going to use for 120. I know Costco doesn't do those, so I would have to take to speciality lab which charges 7.50 a roll. I scan the color negs in high end neg scanner. I'm thinking this going to work perfect.

ToddB

Walmart does 120 and 220 through their send out service. Walmart seems to have stopped returning negatives for 35mm C-41 film in various regions of the United States, but I still get my 120 and 220 C-41 and E-6 stuff processed there no problem. For 120 and 220 C-41 rolls developing only is $0.84. I develop all my own B&W, but I can't beat the cost of Walmart's send out service when it comes to C-41. E-6 at Walmart is something like $4.88. That's for 120 and 220. I have the bulk of my stuff done through Walmart's send out service. If I have something really special like a once in a lifetime trip I use NCPS. I believe the Walmart stuff goes to Dwayne's. It takes two weeks to come back depending on the day you drop it off.

 

[RedSun]

$0.84, unbelievable. It barely covers the cost of the envelop.

Since most people scan the negative, the demand for custom film processing is not very high. This is certainly one of the best alternatives if you only shoot few rolls of films a year.

 

[destroya]

walmart E-6 for 35mm goes directly to fuji for them to develop. I've had nothing but great results from fuji.

 

[jm94]

If you can shoot plenty, consider going for the 5L kit. I had to do this with E-6. I got the 1L kit first, quickly exhausted it (although I was learning E-6 materials for the first time, and found i loved them, so the 5L kit was worth it).

I home process because
A. I know how the film is being handled
B. I fine-tune my process for what I shoot
C. No waiting for days, i can get home, and develop my film in less than an hour. A good workflow.
D. I use the chemicals to capacity. At £60 for a 5L kit I find with 4 S8 cartridges and 7 - 8 films per litre i get the full value, especially as S8 can be £12 a roll, MINIMUM in the UK to be processed, works out at £5 per cart taking into account the cost of an empty spool), film works out at just over a quid a roll. Concentrates keep well if an inert gas is sprayed into their bottles before screwing on the lid)

Sorry this is not C41, but with E6 i get considerable cost saving : - ) The Fuji 5L chemicals though are expensive for E6, but for C41 they offer good value as well. considering the Tetenal gives me the same yield. With the added convenience of a 3-bath process (plus stabiliser)

I cannot see the point of using a 6-Bath kit, as tetenals includes a formalin stabiliser... I use the FD to fine tune my process, if there are any other advantages of a 6 bath minus separate bleach and fix let me know, at the moment 3 bath does me just fine and gives lovely results.

 

[TooManyShots]

This is going to be a loaded question. I have gone through half of the Digibase C41 kit thread. The one with over 400 pages.... It seems the over all view is that these smaller working solution is capable of processing over 10 rolls of films with reusing them. I am still trying to sort out which kit is better and easier to develop. I am thinking about the Unicolor C41 kit because it is cheaper and only with 3 steps. It appears the 1L portion can do 12 rolls. And the Digibase kit with the leaky bleach bottle issue and having too smaller portion for the stabilizer (250ml and I have a 500ml tank processing 120 film).

 

[10speeduk]

I use the Fuji Hunt 5L kit. making up 1L at a time.

 

[StoneNYC]

Walmart does 120 and 220 through their send out service. Walmart seems to have stopped returning negatives for 35mm C-41 film in various regions of the United States, but I still get my 120 and 220 C-41 and E-6 stuff processed there no problem. For 120 and 220 C-41 rolls developing only is $0.84. I develop all my own B&W, but I can't beat the cost of Walmart's send out service when it comes to C-41. E-6 at Walmart is something like $4.88. That's for 120 and 220. I have the bulk of my stuff done through Walmart's send out service. If I have something really special like a once in a lifetime trip I use NCPS. I believe the Walmart stuff goes to Dwayne's. It takes two weeks to come back depending on the day you drop it off.

Does Walmart return your 120? That a huge fear of mine, the scans they make from film are USELESS so not getting your film back is just unbelievably bad and a huge fear, what if the person taking your film doesn't realize when the policy changes and you get a package back with a CD and no film. Even the savings doesn't seem worth the risks.


~Stone

The Noteworthy Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

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