Is there a Canadian distributor for C-41 kits?

[David Nardi]

I remember about 5 years back when Henry's (the camera store) would carry a 1 litre C-41 kit. I fail to remember the manufacturer and now photo stores in Canada seem to be dissolving many obscure products, like the C-41 kits, from their inventory.

I contently process rolls and sheets of E-6 in my Jobo ATL-1000 using the Kodak 5L Kit and I do B&W from time to time. But now I have a small group of photographers who would like to process their colour negs through me.

I know Tetenal and Fuji Hunt make 1 and 5 litre kits for C-41 and can be found in the US and UK. Does anyone know of a Canadian distributor for these or similar manufacturers' products? It would be great to save on shipping and customs fees.

 

[Nick Zentena]

Kits really aren't your best choice if you have reasonable volume. But if you need a kit then fotochem makes one up. I don't know if she is still offering them on Ebay or not. Her shop is in the Montreal area.

I'd buy minilab chemicals. The bleach and fixer will keep quite a while. Buy smaller bottles of developer. Maybe try Treck-hall? Vistek Toronto I think used to stock these.

 

[Bobby Ironsights]

No, Claire Vrana at photochem doesn't make/stock the colour kits. I wrote her about this, not two weeks ago.

The old man did, but then he got even older, and sold to her, AFAIK.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Claire's dilema

Johnny used to stock the Agfa 500mL and larger kits. Claire now has someone make up kits - I bought an RA-4 kit from her last spring- I can't recall the mname of the outfit on the mixing instruction sheet.

I home brew my C-41; I will have to go looking for CD-4 again soon; my stocks are getting low.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Mondrian is a possible solution

Mondrian - formerly Treck Hall sold me a a few 5L and 10L RA-4 dev and blix kits last summer. Pleased to take my order over the phone, took my credit card detials, charged for the non-stock items, and flicked me an e-mail when the stuff was in stock about a week later.

I went to pick it up; $55 plus hazmat paperwork charge for shipping is a meaningful expense at my hobby level. One of my three 5L RA-RT dev kits on order was out of stock when I turned up, despite what the computer said, and they credited my credit card the next day.

 

[mabman]

A few months back I asked Photochem about c-41 kits as well - I was told that when they had them they didn't make them themselves, but got them from a local Montreal photo supply store who made up their own kits. This store no longer makes them, so they don't carry them either.

 

[David Nardi]

Thanks for the info!