just received my Trebla C=41 FilmPac kit

[stradibarrius]

I bought a Trebla C-41 filmpac kit and the starter. the kit makes enough solution for 475 rolls of film.

Is there any reason I cannot do some math and calculate how much of each part is required to make small batches?

 

[brucemuir]

Where on earth did you locate one?
I searched high and low to no avail.
PDI has stopped stocking them. A lot of places will have it listed on their websites only to inform you they no longer stock them when you try to give them money.

What is the break down in fluid ounces for each component?

 

[markbarendt]

Hi Barry,

That's exactly how I use it. The sticker with the directions on the outside of the box has the replenishment info.

I got various syringes at the local farm supply to measure with and use graduated beakers.

Here are my numbers.

For 250 ml of Developer, start with about 175ml water, add
A = 16ml, B = 2.66ml, C = 3.64ml, starter = 2.5ml
top up graduate to 250ml

Bleach and fix I mixed up 1 liter each per box instructions that I keep around and replenish per the numbers on the box as I run rolls through.

Stabilizer I only mix what I need for the day using the box replenishment number to make 250ml.

 

[zj3002]

Trebla Film Pac purchase

Curious as to where you purchased your Film Pac. Was it with this company?:
http://www.libertyphotoproducts.com/product/Trebla-Trelux-FilmPAC-Kit,3150,304.htm

Thanks

 

[zj3002]

Sorry..another question about your Film Pac

The info is very sparse about this kit. What is in the box? What are the quantities and what other chemical(s) is required to start developing C-41 that is NOT included in the kit? Again my thanks...Zj

 

[stradibarrius]

I got my kit from Photographic & Digital Imaging supply in Rochester, NY 800-869-8004. I was helped by Art. Very nice guy and was very helpful.
The kit has a 3 part developer, a bleach, a fixer and a stalilizer. the only other thing you need is a 32 oz. bottle of Developer starter. the starter was $3.25.

Mark Thanks for your numbers!!! That helps a bunch. By mixing it up in small batches am I correct that I will not have the oxidation problem and my chemicals going bad as if I were to mix the whole thing at once???

 

[stradibarrius]

Mark, was "Monument Valley Mitten Shadow" developed with this trebla chemistry? That is a terrific image by the way.

 

[zj3002]

Thanks about Trebla

Hi...Thanks for the info about Trebla. I was on the phone with Liberty in San Clemente (they also ship out of Minneapolis and back east too). They sell to anyone apparently and everything is right now in stock.

The Kit sells for $71.43; item # 20419

The Starter sells for $3.42; item # 17773

Happy to have stumbled across your post. I just read through the EK Z131 info and had just about given up when I realized that EK stuff is difficult at best to come across in complete form via Adorama, B&H et. al. I reviewed the info about Tetanol and Arista and became wary of the Bleach/Fix combo question and then I saw your post. This may well be the answer to doing C-41 120/220 in the volumes I do. By the way, I will be using a Jobo CPE-2+ w/lift so hopefully between this and Trebla I might have a winning combination.

By the way, to determine what small quantities are needed to mix less than full volumes of chemistry, EK's Z131 info around about page 1-12 gives a good example of how to proceed with the math. Near the front too it addresses the questions about how to store partially used chemicals to ward off oxidation. And yes, oxidation will occur if the product(s) are open but it is very controllable. Would that this stuff had the shelf life of Rodinal!

 

[zj3002]

OK more Trebla Info...

I was just on the phone with Liberty. They ship out of their Minneapolis warehouse, there is a $20 hazard shipping charge over and above the ground shipping charge and yes, they will sell to anyone who can buy. You can order via telephone or on-line. The chemistry will develop 475 rolls of 135-24 so you have to figure out what your capacities will be from there.

Here is the web address for the Trebla FilmPAc:
http://www.libertyphotoproducts.com/product/Trebla-Trelux-FilmPAC-Kit,3150,304.htm

Hope all this rambling helps someone out there!

 

[zj3002]

Hi...what are the mL sizes of each bottle? I'm surprised that they would say it will develop 475, 135-24 rolls of film. It seems like a lot especially when Tetanal kits make 5-liters which would be good for about 60 +/- rolls and sells for about $70 at B&H. I have pounding around trying to find spec sheets and volumes on this stuff and NOTHING is listed anywhere! Thanks again...Zj

 

[Jerry Thirsty]

The 475 rolls of 24 exp is if you're running a replenishment line. If you don't have enough throughput to justify that and instead are using it single shot, you won't get that much. I mix up 2/3 liter to develop six rolls at a time, and the developer (which is the limiting component) mixes up to a total of 12.5 liters IIRC. In other words, with single-shot I expect to develop (12.5/.66)*6=112 rolls max. Nowhere close to 475, but it's still less than $1 a roll and the teenager at the minilab isn't scratching my negs or getting fingerprints and dust all over them.

 

[Jerry Thirsty]

I've posted a pic of the box label here:

http://thirsty.smugmug.com/Other-Stuff/Forum-Examples/9030118_WnwSB#689434647_W8qYC

The thing you have to keep in mind when working out your proportions for the color developer is that they tell you to dilute the concentrate once to make a replenishment solution, then you dilute it a bit more with the starter and more water to make working strength solution. That's why the color developer actually makes 12.5 liters, not 10.

 

[markbarendt]

Mark Thanks for your numbers!!! That helps a bunch. By mixing it up in small batches am I correct that I will not have the oxidation problem and my chemicals going bad as if I were to mix the whole thing at once???

Correct, keep the individual chems tightly capped and get rid of all the air you can in the bottle.

 

[markbarendt]

Mark, was "Monument Valley Mitten Shadow" developed with this trebla chemistry? That is a terrific image by the way.

I had not gotten my chems at that point, Wal-Mart. Print scanned.

It was a fun time getting the shot too.

 

[markbarendt]

Hi...what are the mL sizes of each bottle? I'm surprised that they would say it will develop 475, 135-24 rolls of film. It seems like a lot especially when Tetanal kits make 5-liters which would be good for about 60 +/- rolls and sells for about $70 at B&H. I have pounding around trying to find spec sheets and volumes on this stuff and NOTHING is listed anywhere! Thanks again...Zj

The math really works. I'm just hoping to get into the low hundreds doing one shot, not as efficient as a big machine. If I need to develop 4 sheets of 4x5 it still takes a full liter to fill the tank even though 250ml would develop the film. I'm generally not using the developer to capacity.

 

[mark]

What are you guys using to process? Jobo/other rotary machine type thing?

 

[markbarendt]

What are you guys using to process? Jobo/other rotary machine type thing?

Plain old Nikor SS tanks.

 

[mrmekon]

What's the shelf life like on this stuff when kept as a concentrate?

 

[Photo Engineer]

What's the shelf life like on this stuff when kept as a concentrate?

Once opened to use, about 2 months or so. Maybe up to 6 if you use an inert gas header.

PE

 

[Jerry Thirsty]

I think I'm at about 10 months since I opened mine, and no problems so far.

 

[stradibarrius]

Hi Barry,

That's exactly how I use it. The sticker with the directions on the outside of the box has the replenishment info.

I got various syringes at the local farm supply to measure with and use graduated beakers.

Here are my numbers.

For 250 ml of Developer, start with about 175ml water, add
A = 16ml, B = 2.66ml, C = 3.64ml, starter = 2.5ml
top up graduate to 250ml

Bleach and fix I mixed up 1 liter each per box instructions that I keep around and replenish per the numbers on the box as I run rolls through.

Stabilizer I only mix what I need for the day using the box replenishment number to make 250ml.

Mark, why 250 ml??? That is not enough to process a roll of film. My handheld tank uses 550ml for a single roll of 120 or 35mm

 

[markbarendt]

Barry,

It is the ratio that is important here, you need to create the right strength of solution, it is not not 250ml specifically. I actually did the math originally to get the numbers for a full liter but in my Nikor tanks, 250ml covers one roll, 500-2, 750-3, so I just use/kept those numbers.

The place where 250ml is important is that it is the smallest amount of the normal working solution needed to develop a 36 exposure roll of 135 or 1 roll of 120.

Much depends on your tank but your number sounds too high. The tank does not need to be full. In fact I purposefully leave at least one reel out and only fill the tank enough to cover the reels. This leaves a significant air space at the top which I think helps the replenished bleach work better, it needs aeration. Given that the developer is typically mixed moments before use and then immediately discarded, maybe 15-minutes total exposure, the air doesn't have time to affect it.

To find your real numbers throw a reel in your tank and then fill until the reel is just covered/submerged, dump this into a graduate, remember that number; that is the minimum amount of chemicals I would use.

 

[stradibarrius]

Thanks Mark, I am going to try my hand soon. I need to finish up one more reel of color film.

 

[B&Wpositive]

This sounds like a separate bleach and fix solution (not "blix") is that correct?

I've been looking for something along these lines.

And what was the total cost of everything for one batch including shipping charges?

 

[markbarendt]

Yes.
Mine was about $85-90 as I remember.