OK I'm terrified of C-41

RattyMouse · Sep 7, 2016

dpurdy said:
I processed C41 for awhile by hand in a commercial lab. I didn't use any gloves or any other protection, just dipped my hands and forearms into the tanks to lift out baskets of film reels for agitation. Didn't take very long to become very allergic to the developer and get scarlet colored rash everywhere my arms and hands had touched it. Pretty stupid but it was how I was shown to do it by my boss. So my advice is just to keep it off your skin... though I am sure not everyone would develop the reaction.

Wow, that's horrible. Chemical contact should be avoided at ALL costs. You were really not trained well.

RattyMouse · Sep 7, 2016

Wolfeye said:
The most critical part, temperature-wise, is development. Blix is more forgiving and can be redone if not sufficient. But even so, you need to keep the temp stable for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Pretty easy to do.

I've been doing almost all my own C-41 for years now. If you really get into it, get a water bath and your cares are reduced.

But that's just for the first roll right? Time needs to be increased for every subsequent roll developed. That's my understanding although I have not actually done C41 yet.

rpavich · Sep 7, 2016

bvy said:
Most of the literature here and elsewhere involves people hooking up fish tanks to temperature regulators and doing all sorts of MacGyvering, the extent of which makes the layperson think it's hopelessly complicated. It doesn't take much more than a Playmate cooler half filled with hot water to maintain solution temperatures in a small tank for three minutes. You'll have to experiment of course, but the developer temperature is the only thing that's critical, and your skies aren't going to turn orange if the temperature drops a few degrees.

Exactly!

Trust me when I say that if I can do it then you can too.
Measure out the chems and nuke them to bring them to temp then sit them in the water bath.
Its not as touchy as folks make it out to be. You can do it!

RPC · Sep 7, 2016

dpurdy said:
I processed C41 for awhile by hand in a commercial lab. I didn't use any gloves or any other protection, just dipped my hands and forearms into the tanks to lift out baskets of film reels for agitation. Didn't take very long to become very allergic to the developer and get scarlet colored rash everywhere my arms and hands had touched it. Pretty stupid but it was how I was shown to do it by my boss. So my advice is just to keep it off your skin... though I am sure not everyone would develop the reaction.

Did you wash your skin thoroughly with soap and water afterwards or just wipe it off with a towel?

dpurdy · Sep 7, 2016

RPC said:
Did you wash your skin thoroughly with soap and water afterwards or just wipe it off with a towel?[/QUOTe

RPC said:
Did you wash your skin thoroughly with soap and water afterwards or just wipe it off with a towel?

I am pretty sure I didn't wash thoroughly though we are talking 40 years ago. Also other people where I worked did not get the allergy. Still I think the developer of C41 is not healthy for your skin..

darkroommike · Sep 7, 2016

I've been in the C-41, RA-4 and E-6 up to my armpits and never had the rash, just lucky I guess. The important thing though is to wear glove, wash if you get some on you and clean up any spills ASAP. Getting back to OP, the best way to find out if C-41 is for you is to do some C-41. Just do it. (And get back to us, we really want to share your adventure.)

Arctic amateur · Sep 8, 2016

RattyMouse said:
But that's just for the first roll right? Time needs to be increased for every subsequent roll developed. That's my understanding although I have not actually done C41 yet.

There's a table in the Tetenal kit instructions (http://www.tetenal.de/imaging_shop/images/390137.pdf page 5), but it's for rotary processing with 4 films at a time in 1 l solution. I followed this table and did hand agitation when I did C-41, but I'm not equipped to do proper color and density tests so I can't say how well it worked. I think the "1-16 films" thing is for developing more than 4 films at a time in the same drum with fresh solution, but it's not well written.

RattyMouse · Sep 8, 2016

This thread has convinced me to try to do my own C41 at home. My backlog of color film that needs developing is growing rather fast due to not finding a good lab. I am so tired of getting back heavily scratched negatives. I need to shoot a few rolls of color film for practice, nail down the process, and then start developing the serious film.

This thread is great!

rpavich · Sep 8, 2016

RattyMouse said:
This thread has convinced me to try to do my own C41 at home. My backlog of color film that needs developing is growing rather fast due to not finding a good lab. I am so tired of getting back heavily scratched negatives. I need to shoot a few rolls of color film for practice, nail down the process, and then start developing the serious film.

This thread is great!

You can do it!

If i can, anyone can

LAG · Sep 8, 2016

Excuse me Chadinko

Remember to use the common sense when dealing with chemicals and remember to use the appropriate disposal methods for them, when the time is right.

Go and do it for yourself, no matter what mistakes you make! And for the rest of the C-41 thing, in my opinion, this is the best advice:

klownshed said:
But bear in mind that this forum, like all others on the inter webs, exhibits Newton's Third law of the Internet. For every opinion, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Jeff L · Sep 8, 2016

I am usually happier with the results by doing it myself. I got very tired of scratched negs, being told the scratches are from my camera, and of course the scarcity of C41 developing now.
I will mention again that the addition of a stop bath improved my results. I was getting some streaking- adding the stopbath solved this for me.

GotCakes · Sep 10, 2016

C-41 really is quite simple. Developing B&W gave me a headache the first few times, C-41 really didn't.

Something like Portra 400 tends to be quite flexible so maybe give that a go.

I just fill an old metal tub with hot water, put the bottles in there and wait until they hit 38c (or whatever you want to develop at), keep adding hot water if it doesn't hit 38c.

Between changing chemicals do give your lid a quick rinse btw.

Add the CD to your tank, agitate for the first 15 seconds, and 3 gentle inversions every 30 seconds
Remove and add BLIX, agitate/invert same as above for 4 minutes
Remove and rinse in running WATER at roughly 38c for 3 minutes- just keep adding water wait a bit and throw it out again and repeat.
Remove and add STAB and agitate for 15 seconds and leave for another 45 seconds.

Put the used chemicals back in their bottles.

Don't bother rinsing, swipe the negs a couple of times with your glove or er.. swiper (whatever its called) to even out the stab and dry.

After drying if you get any residue left over then just gently wash off with water and dry again.

Now.. someone will say what I said isn't right as we all probably do different things, which is quite okay and personally I'm always up for trying different methods, but hey give it a shot, try variations on it yourself, or do what someone else says until you start getting results you like.

Consistency is everything... eventually, but for your first roll just get it done and fist pump the air when it comes out okay, which it will.

In fact I say consistency is everything, scanner set up is everything too

As for pushing, the instructions hint at adding 30 seconds per stop but I'm not sure that's clear, it says something along those lines. I've developed Portra 400 @ 1600 for 4m15s without issue, again though.. Portra is quite flexible. Maybe 3m15s would be enough.

Meyer Trioplan · Sep 14, 2016

As a fairly casual developer of BW film using stand type methods, the extra attention I needed to pay in order to develop color was not something I was interested in.

A couple months ago, I saw a special on the FPP store and bit, figuring what do I have to lose, while equally terrified of what I was about to embark upon.

21 rolls later from this one kit, I'm VERY glad I overcame my hesitation and fear. I developed color film for under a dollar a roll. and it was a great way to experiment not only in learning the process, but in using films and formats I'd have likely skipped otherwise simply because of the hassle of finding someone to do it, or fearing the results would not be worth the money spent.

A sampling of this first timer's results are posted here:
http://quirkyguywithacamera.blogspot.com/2016/09/20-21-rolls-color-celebration.html

miha · Sep 14, 2016

What agitation sheme should be used to mimic rotation / continuous agitation ?

rpavich · Sep 14, 2016

miha said:
What agitation sheme should be used to mimic rotation / continuous agitation ?

I've heard of folks rolling the canister back and forth on a surface but I've always just followed the Unicolor kit instructions for agitation.

miha · Sep 14, 2016

Can you share the instructions?

rpavich · Sep 14, 2016

miha said:
Can you share the instructions?

They are in every C41 kit and on the web.
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/stati...unicolor-c-41-powder-1-liter-instructions.pdf

miha · Sep 14, 2016

Thanks.

Larry the sailor · Sep 14, 2016

You guys are gonna end up costing me money

Is it recommended to use dedicated tanks/reels for C-41? Or, is a good wash up OK if switching back and forth from C-41 to B&W?

rpavich · Sep 14, 2016

Larry the sailor said:
You guys are gonna end up costing me money

Is it recommended to use dedicated tanks/reels for C-41? Or, is a good wash up OK if switching back and forth from C-41 to B&W?

I just the same tanks for everything.

Larry the sailor · Sep 14, 2016

Thanks, and by the way, I am very happy with my RB67.

John51 · Sep 15, 2016

It's the rinsing with running water at X degrees that I'm having trouble figuring out. I can sort out a tub of water at the required wash temp and use a small aquarium pump but what flow rate should I be aiming for?

bvy · Sep 15, 2016

John51 said:
It's the rinsing with running water at X degrees that I'm having trouble figuring out. I can sort out a tub of water at the required wash temp and use a small aquarium pump but what flow rate should I be aiming for?

This is still gospel, as far as I'm concerned. There's detailed information about rinsing.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

John51 · Sep 15, 2016

Thanks for that.

As the washing can be done lights on, once I've poured out the bleach can I take the top off the developing tank and scoop up the water from the water bath?

bvy · Sep 15, 2016

John51 said:
Thanks for that.

As the washing can be done lights on, once I've poured out the bleach can I take the top off the developing tank and scoop up the water from the water bath?

Yes. After about a minute in the bleach, the film can be exposed to light. You should test this (and actually any advice you get on the internet) just to confirm for yourself.

OK I'm terrified of C-41

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