Home C-41 kit

[Mainecoonmaniac]

It's been over 30 years since I processed C-41 and that was with a dedicated C-41 machine in a lab. But doing it in the kitchen sink. I not a chemistry expert, but I think stabilizer has formaldehyde in it so I would guess it not a good idea.

http://petapixel.com/2016/06/28/developing-color-film-need/

I also don't know how good the kit is.

 

[MattKing]

I think stabilizer has formaldehyde in it so I would guess it not a good idea.

Not any more, at least as far as the Kodak stuff ("final rinse") is concerned.

IIRC, you do need the formaldehyde based stabilizer for old film.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Not any more, at least as far as the Kodak stuff ("final rinse") is concerned.

IIRC, you do need the formaldehyde based stabilizer for old film.

Thanks! I didn't know that. So stabilizer is now just Photoflo?

 

[MattKing]

Thanks! I didn't know that. So stabilizer is now just Photoflo?

No. The final rinse includes both Photoflo and additional ingredients that inhibit bacteria and other nasties. Those ingredients perform the same or similar roles as formaldehyde used to. As I understand it, the films were changed as well, in order to permit the change.

PE has a bunch of posts on this, including this "definitive" APUG sticky thread: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

No. The final rinse includes both Photoflo and additional ingredients that inhibit bacteria and other nasties. Those ingredients perform the same or similar roles as formaldehyde used to. As I understand it, the films were changed as well, in order to permit the change.

PE has a bunch of posts on this, including this "definitive" APUG sticky thread: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Thanks for the information. I've been thinking about shooting color neg film again and printing on RA again. I haven't done that in decades. I've fallen into the inkjet printer trap. I've also been using Shutterfly for color silver halide printing. RA paper is sure cheaper silver gelatin paper.

 

[mtjade2007]

Thanks for the information. I've been thinking about shooting color neg film again and printing on RA again. I haven't done that in decades. I've fallen into the inkjet printer trap. I've also been using Shutterfly for color silver halide printing. RA paper is sure cheaper silver gelatin paper.

Welcome back. Well, at least back to shooting films. Optical printing was something I tried before. Still have all the equipment. But I am with inkjet printing for now.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Welcome back. Well, at least back to shooting films. Optical printing was something I tried before. Still have all the equipment. But I am with inkjet printing for now.

I never left The bulk of my analog photography has been silver gelatin printing. I used to be pretty proficient at RA printing. There are limitations on print manipulations. I was primarily frustrated by the color shifts with dodging and burning printing on RA. Nothing beats the beauty of RA other than a good Cibachrome print.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Dear Maniac, there is a whole "sticky" thread on this subject. You might want to read it.

PE

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Dear Maniac, there is a whole "sticky" thread on this subject. You might want to read it.

PE

Looked at it. Wow a lot of information. My how things changed since the 80's. My questions now is how safe is the C-41 kit used in a home kitchen? As for me, my wife would kill me if I processed C-41 in the kitchen since there's a sink in the garage

 

[Rudeofus]

It's not only the final rinse which contains stuff you don't want in your food. I wouldn't want my photochemistry in my kitchen anyway, but so far I have survived using it in the bathroom sink.

 

[mshchem]

Dear Maniac, there is a whole "sticky" thread on this subject. You might want to read it.

PE

What was the deadly poison in E-4 kits back in the day? The stuff would come as a powder in a small brown glass bottle. If I recall correctly instructions called for adding very hot water directly to the bottle to dissolve. Concern was breathing any of this chemical powder. As a kid I thought that was pretty cool!
Best regards Mike

 

[Photo Engineer]

t-butyl amine borane!

PE

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

What was the deadly poison in E-4 kits back in the day? The stuff would come as a powder in a small brown glass bottle. If I recall correctly instructions called for adding very hot water directly to the bottle to dissolve. Concern was breathing any of this chemical powder. As a kid I thought that was pretty cool!
Best regards Mike

I remember mixing E-6 kits too. It came in a yellow box with bottle and packets. I remeber one chemical when mixed smelled like artificial grape flavor.

 

[mshchem]

I remember the E-4 Hobby Kit yellow box. Almost shaped like a shoe box. Seems to me that it was yellow corrugated cardboard with a hinged lid?? Wasn't there two separate pints (1/2 pints)?? of the developers that had a very short shelf life?? I can't remember.
First time I processed Ektachrome I was in 8th grade. I bought a gallon batch of E-3! I remember being careful to not explode the hot photo flood for reversal exposure with the wet reel. I had no decent bottles. I used 1/2 gallon Mason jars! Couldn't afford a Gra-Lab timer so I just counted the minutes on my Timex watch. Kodak Ready Mounts sealed with my Mom's steam Iron, (That made her happy) I had a pretty decent darkroom, started with refrigerator box cardboard and moved up to masonite. Had a sink we made from a dishpan with a garden hose drain to a gutter in our basement floor that went to a drain.
Eventually in High school I had a Kodak Rapid Color Processor model 11 with a Simmon Omega temp. control I still use it. Best, fastest, easiest way to make color prints. First prints with that machine was on Ektacolor Professional FIBER base color paper, and it made beautiful prints. CP-5 chemistry. The fiber base paper didn't really absorb much chemical on the model 11 as you presoaked the paper in water and the print floated on the chemistry.

RA-4 is an unbelievable technology. Modern paper and chemistry so easy to make a print. I hope it stays around because for me it's a heck of a lot easier than messing with inkjet.
Best Regards, Mike

 

[Photo Engineer]

Mike, that sounds just like my life story except that I started with E1, C22 and P122 for chemistry. I was about 12 at the time. I even used my mom's steam iron but she was so unhappy that I went to glass/metal mounts.

PE

 

[RattyMouse]

t-butyl amine borane!

PE

I am going to try to develop my next film in N-Butyl lithium. I just got in a fresh bottle!

 

[Photo Engineer]

That is quite unstable at room temp IIRC. We used t-Butyl Litium at about -50C in anhydrous solvents. It looked like grape juice and burst into flames when exposed to air or water. It caused severe skin burns.

Be very careful.

PE