How Long C-41 Developer Can Last (Opened Concentrate)

[RedSun]

Say kodak Flexicolor liquid concentrate, opened, then stored in cool basement. Will that last more than a year? I know the part C can go bad rather quickly. Just wonder how quick that is.

 

[wildbill]

yes

 

[tnabbott]

How can one tell when the part C goes bad? I have some and its blue, does that mean it's gone bad?

 

[lhalcong]

if you just opened them for no reason and then closed them, you let air(oxygen) in. In that scenario they will go bad rather quickly. I have a bottle of Part A, B, and C in my hands right now but Part C is a small dark container so I cannot tell the color of the liquid, but I will prepare my batch tonight. If you haven't gotten an answer by then, I will post my follow up. I don't think it would be blue at all though... These are rather clear substances.

 

[polyglot]

You must store it under a non-reactive gas if you want it to last. I use the Rollei and fill the bottles with butane after each use, it lasts a year no problems.

If it's gone blue, it's bad. Ditch it.

 

[tnabbott]

You must store it under a non-reactive gas if you want it to last. I use the Rollei and fill the bottles with butane after each use, it lasts a year no problems.

If it's gone blue, it's bad. Ditch it.

It's gone blue, so i'll ditch it. Where do you get butane from?

 

[Dr Croubie]

It's gone blue, so i'll ditch it. Where do you get butane from?

Lighters, and refills.

Do it outside and don't smoke.

 

[tnabbott]

Okay, so before I chuck this: is there anything I can do to salvage part c?

 

[polyglot]

Nope. Sorry. If it's the Rollei, at least you can buy that part separately.

 

[Oxleyroad]

Lighters, and refills.

Do it outside and don't smoke.

Oh man. Where is your sense of adventure...

 

[Dr Croubie]

Oh man. Where is your sense of adventure...

It probably landed in the same place as my roof. If you see it let me know.

 

[polyglot]

Oh man. Where is your sense of adventure...

Well, there's a bit over here, and the legs over there and I think you can find most of its hair behind the shed.

 

[anikin]

Okay, so before I chuck this: is there anything I can do to salvage part c?

I would at least try to mix a small amount and test it. In my experience, when part C goes bad, it goes real black like tar. I have not seen it going blue. But I use Kodak's chemistry and not Rollei.

Eugene.

 

[tnabbott]

I would at least try to mix a small amount and test it. In my experience, when part C goes bad, it goes real black like tar. I have not seen it going blue. But I use Kodak's chemistry and not Rollei.

Eugene.

This is encouraging, it's kodak chemistry. I did mix one up and tried it. The film developed but I cannot tell how good it is because I just started optical wet printing too. Basically, I have no baseline from which to judge results.

 

[mklw1954]

This is encouraging, it's kodak chemistry. I did mix one up and tried it. The film developed but I cannot tell how good it is because I just started optical wet printing too. Basically, I have no baseline from which to judge results.

If you can't scan some of the negatives, check the orange base against some negatives you know were well developed, to see if the density is there. Also, you can generally tell if there's decent contrast in the negatives just by looking at them. As far as color balance, if you know some of the colors in your shots, you can check that the complementary color is present in the negative, e.g., green in the negative for red in the image and vice versa, blue in the negative for yellow in the image and vive versa.