Reversal Processing of C-41

DarkroomExperimente · Mar 18, 2009

A few years back I used to have fun doing reversal processing of C-41 film using this method:

develop in whatever B&W developer I had lying around

wash

re-expose to light

develop in C-41 normally (tetenal or other )

The results weren't anything special, but it was fun

yesterday I decided to try a new twist:

developed the C-41 film in HC110 dil B

acid stop, then wash

re-expose to light

dry

re-spool into film cassette & drop off at local one-hour photo place

Well, the film was a positive with the usual orange-ish tint & the prints were negatives....but they were all blue/cyan with no other colors

So...what prevented colors from forming?

was it my acid stop or something else?

Ian Grant · Mar 18, 2009

The Computerised Digital Mini lab probably couldn't co[e with the colour balances. Also your first dev may have been to strong.

Ian

DarkroomExperimente · Mar 18, 2009

negatives don't seem to have any color except the orange filter layer

some of the photos were shot through a variety of colored gels...but all the frames have exactly the same tint

it must be my developer choice, the acid stop, or aliens messing with me

I do recall reading that a component of B&W developers can inhibit dye formation...but don't remember what it was....I DO think I've used HC110 before....but I never used an acid stop

loaded up the camera with fresh film to try again

unless I have some epiphany I'll do it again with a water stop

Photo Engineer · Mar 18, 2009

The stop should make no difference. It was the printing process that was faulty. Also, use of HC-110 vs most any other B&W developer should make no difference unless you didn't develope all 3 layers equally and this is often difficult due to the thickness of the film.

The best first developer for this type of situation is E6 first developer at 100F for the required E6 development time. That will evenly (pretty much) develop all of the layers in C41 film as far as any cross process is able to.

PE

Terrence Brennan · Mar 18, 2009

Photo Engineer said:
The stop should make no difference. It was the printing process that was faulty. Also, use of HC-110 vs most any other B&W developer should make no difference unless you didn't develope all 3 layers equally and this is often difficult due to the thickness of the film.

The best first developer for this type of situation is E6 first developer at 100F for the required E6 development time. That will evenly (pretty much) develop all of the layers in C41 film as far as any cross process is able to.

PE

When I worked in a pro lab some years ago, to make a B&W internegative directly from a colour negative, I would expose the colour neg onto a sheet of Ilford XP2 film, and push-process it two stops in E-6 chemistry. That saved me having to first make a B&W interpositive on Super-XX or T-Max, and a B&W internegative on Pro Copy. Dust was always a problem, and the one-step method gave reasonably good prints.

The reason was to make a large run, like 2000 5x7 prints, for press kits and the like.

DarkroomExperimente · Mar 18, 2009

Photo Engineer said:
The stop should make no difference. It was the printing process that was faulty. Also, use of HC-110 vs most any other B&W developer should make no difference unless you didn't develope all 3 layers equally and this is often difficult due to the thickness of the film.

PE

Since the negatives also have a monochrome look...perhaps it was uneven development of the layers...

it was HC110 dil B @ 78F for 6 min

Photo Engineer · Mar 18, 2009

Geez Louise!

C41 is 3.25' at 100F and C-22 used to be about 20' at 75F! E6 MQ is about 7' at 100F. I think you seriously underdeveloped the film. Looking at those figures and some for different developers in the Kodak B&W handbook, I would say that 12 - 14 minutes would be more in order for HC110B. The E6 MQ is a fogging, high solvent (relatively so) developer and much more active than HC110B.

PE

DarkroomExperimente · Mar 18, 2009

D-76 @ 100F for 7.5 min looks much better....so far

Photo Engineer · Mar 18, 2009

The final negative image should look distinctly foggy!

PE

nickandre · Mar 18, 2009

I tried that a while back and considered doing what you did. I got low contrast gross looking color image and said yay! and that was that.

Photo Engineer · Mar 18, 2009

C-41 films in E6 should give a low contrast positive color image with a mask.

Kodak actually made a film for E6 processing that did that. It gave a masked, low contrast, positive intermediate film.

PE

DarkroomExperimente · Mar 18, 2009

yup, that's what I got before...low contrast color positive w/mask

DarkroomExperimente · Mar 20, 2009

OK...got the results I wanted on 2nd try

prints with color negative images w/o the weird mask

nothing super amazing, but it was a fun way to use up the old film that was sitting around

DarkMagic · Aug 11, 2016

Maybe Kodak D19 will be the best first developer? http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/kodak-d19-38l-930-p.asp

Rudeofus · Aug 11, 2016

Photo Engineer said:
The best first developer for this type of situation is E6 first developer at 100F for the required E6 development time. That will evenly (pretty much) develop all of the layers in C41 film as far as any cross process is able to.

E6 FD is an incredibly concentrated and powerful B&W developer, and using it for 6:15 at 38°C/100°F would certainly completely blacken any B&W film. You need quite a strong soup to replicate its behavior with typical B&W developers.

Did you use HC-110 dil B at room temp, or at 38°C/100°F ?

Reversal Processing of C-41

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