Rollei Digibase C-41

[guyjr]

Regarding the Digibase stabilizer, the manufacturer states:
"Another question has been the working solution of the stabilizer. The stabilizer can be used twice. (Without agitation!)". This is from an email reply from Rolleifilm posted earlier in this thread.
But the instructions say that 1L of stabilizer working solution has capacity of 60 films. How can I stabilize 60 rolls in 1L of solution that can be reused only once???

------------
Also, dilution and capacity information on stabilizer bottle is very different from the instruction sheet. Which one is correct? What dilution & capacity are you using?

There must be a mistake either in the post or the instructions. That is the one real weakness that I see with the Rollei kit - you get far less stabilizer compared with the rest of the chemicals... and even less when you go to the 2.5L kit.

I've taken to just mixing less stabilizer and hoping for the best, increasing agitation time at the end of the process. I know from using Ilford Wetting Agent in a B&W process that just a tiny amount of that stuff will foam / suds up like crazy. My experience with the Kodak & Tetenal stabilizers for C-41 & E-6 processes indicates that those chemicals don't suds up as much, but I still tend on the side of caution and underuse rather than overuse the stabilizer... especially since I'm doing everything one-shot with the Rollei kit, and don't particularly like re-using chemistry unless it's replenished somehow.

 

[guyjr]

fyi, I finally returned from my trip, and had a chance this past weekend to mix up 200ml of chemistry from the Rollei 2.5L kit I got from Freestyle as a replacement for the defective 1L kit, as well as 200ml from a fresh Fuji E-6 6 bath kit. I took some test photos outside with a roll of Ektar 100, and Fuji Velvia 100 (both 120 format). Processed each in its respective chemistry in the Jobo CPE+, and after scanning the Ektar roll, have confirmed that everything is now working flawlessly. Should be an exciting weekend coming up - 20 rolls of slide & neg to process from vacation.

 

[Ottrdaemmerung]

About the stabilizer:
Stabilizer indeed can be reused many, many, many times (just see the sheet). Of course, I didn't realize they didn't provide much of it -- just enough for 60 rolls with the suggested amount of reuse -- until I had poured an underused batch of it down the drain!

To make sure I could use a smaller volume of stabilizer in tanks with a higher capacity of liquid, I agitated it like one would a JOBO: laid it horizontally and rolled it around for the suggested time. As long as the tank is half full, it'll work, and you don't have to worry about it not getting to the whole surface area of the film.

 

[Роберт]

Yes, slow agitation with the stabilizer. And not via the elevator because you will have contamination with foam.

But you can also make yourself in an easy way stabilizer:
A regular wetting agent plus Formalin 0,5%-1% is enough.

best regards,

Роберт

 

[madgardener]

Glad I read this thread before I did anything.

I am glad I read this thread. Otherwise I wouldn't have known any better and would have been very unhappy.

What a way to get somebody out of lurking and actually start posting.

For what its worth, hello everyone!

 

[Роберт]

At least: Welcome to APUG!

Greetz,

Роберт / Robert

 

[madgardener]

Freestyle is sending a new "part C", and it should arrive today!! I can't wait to try it out.

 

[sakisf]

So, what colour should the Developer C be? Yellow, Purple, Orange or Red? Mine was yellow and I didn't notice anything bad on my negs other than Portra 400 (new) and Ektar 100 coming out a bit pinkish (colour went back to orange after drying).

My working solution now changed colour to green-black after 3 films and the bleacher is full red. Are these normal? Haven't used another c-41 developer before, only done b&w's.

 

[jbl]

Mine is yellow. Purple is bad. I don't know about the other colors .

-jbl

 

[sakisf]

Thank you I have also confirmed it on Macodirect site, it was in small letters in the listing. I saw the previous comments and misunderstood that it should be close to red. But yellow is nicer!

Besides that, is anyone using a stop bath? I used the Kodak indicator stop bath I am using with b&w's and didn't notice any bad effect on the Portra 400. Haven't scanned it yet, but at least there were no defects on the mask. I know the bleach has the same effect, but I am trying not to contaminate the chemicals with each other, except for the stop bath, in order to prolong their life, so instead of doing a wash between developer and bleach I did stop bath and water bath (both at 38 degrees, then bleach at around 36).

 

[Роберт]

Yes, you can use a Stop bath after the C41 developer.
I am using a water rinse after the C41 developer and after the Bleach but I am using the 250ml concentration +20ml extra water for the 270ml 2523 rotary Jobo development and re-use it only once. (2x2 135-36 or 2x2 120 roll films). Due to the fact I am printing on RA-4 I want to have a minimum of color shift in the same type CN films. In this way it's a good compromize in using the C41 chemicals.

Best regards,

Роберт

 

[timlayton]

Wow... 32 page thread...

I just ordered the 50 roll kit from Freestyle but was wondering how much working solution that would make (1 liter, 2 liter, etc). Does anyone know? It does not state that on the Freestyle site at http://www.freestylephoto.biz/66016-Rollei-Compard-Digibase-C-41-Maxi-Color-Processing-Kit-50-roll

The reason that information is important to me is because I develop one of three ways: a.) 16 oz/500ml steel tank for 1 roll of 120 b.) 32 oz/1 liter steel tank for 2 rolls of 120 or c.) 6 sheets of 4x5 in the HP Combi tank that uses 1 liter.

Based on the Freestyle website I take the information to mean that 50 rolls of 35mm/36 exp OR 120 medium formal rolls can be developed with the kit. There is no mention of 4x5 sheets in an HP Combi tank.

I scanned most of the pages but didn't seem to find clear answers on the following:

1.) Anyone figure out a reasonable calculation for how many sheets of 4x5 can be developed in the HP Combi tank using 1 liter of working solution before dumping?

2.) The PDF instruction sheet on the Freestyle site says 6 rolls of 35mm/36 exp or 120 films per 500ml or working solution. Based on this thread that seems very conservative. Anyone have advice based on experience for a realistic number of 120 films per 500ml?

Excellent thread, thanks.


Tim

 

[jbl]

I believe it's a 2.5 liter kit. I think they say 3-5 rolls per 250ml solution, but their math is for 5 rolls per 250ml, hence 2.5 liters does 50 rolls. If you look on the Maco Direct website (http://www.macodirect.de/digibase©-midi-literbrfor-films-40027°brfor-films-10021°-p-2340.html), it seems to imply that the math is for 6 rolls at ISO 100, 5 at ISO 400.

I've only tried 4 rolls in a given 250ml, the first three were fine, the fourth was not, but I messed up on that, it wasn't the chemicals. They were about 2 months old, though, but I'm certain it was my fault.

-jbl


-jbl

 

[timlayton]

Anyone have tips on how I can tell when to discard my C-41 chemicals and make a fresh batch?

 

[jbl]

I've been looking for that too. I don't think there's a way to know. The last batch I had was just fine for 2 months in a half-filled glass bottle sitting in a cabinet.

-jbl

 

[timlayton]

Im getting ready to crank a bunch of 120 rolls and some 4x5 sheets in a HP Combi tank this week.

I don't know if my assumptions are right or not, but I am going to start with the assumptions that I can do at least 10 rolls of 120 with 500ml/16 oz.

I am making a rough guess that a sheet of 4x5 film is approximately equal to 4 frames of 6x6 120. In other words 2 4x5 sheets is equal to a roll of 120. Based on that assumption I am guessing I should be able to get 20 sheets per 500ml or 40 sheets per liter.

Based off of this thread I am guessing I may get a lot more, but I will use this logic as a starting place and then watch the results a lot closer.

Sending out my 4x5 sheets gets expensive really fast, so I am hopeful things go as planned!

Tim

 

[jbl]

It should be calibrated around 80 square inches of film, so 1 roll of 135-36 = 1 roll of 6x6 120 = 4 sheets of 4x5 = 1 sheet of 8x10.

500ml is rated for 6-10 rolls of 135-36. I guess I'd recommend doing the important stuff first and letting us know how the remaining work .

-jbl

 

[MattKing]

One 36 exposure roll of 135 = one 120 roll = one 8 x 10 sheet = four 4 x 5 sheets - all based on surface area.

Others will be better able to say whether you need to take into account factors other than surface area.

EDIT: just too slow, I guess

 

[guyjr]

Just wanted to report back on a suggestion someone made earlier in this thread regarding the unmixed Part C developer. I too now store my Part C in the refrigerator, and it seems to be keeping very well. I'm using the original container it comes in, not displacing the air, and the lower temp seems to be keeping the degradation of that particular chemical at bay for at least a couple of months. The other chems (Part A / B, starter, bleach, fix, and stabilizer) all seem to keep just fine at room temp.

 

[postalman]

My first batch of digibase arrived in the mail yesterday; the box was beaten around and there was a small amount of liquid in the protective bag (also a graduate was smashed - how rough do you have to be to a package labelled "Fragile" to smash a plastic tube?)

I suspect the stabiliser leaked as the bottle (100ml bottle, 2.5L kit) is about 80-90% full. Can't be sure if anything else has leaked or if the stabiliser has contaminated any other chemicals. Am I boned?


Seriously Rollei, if you're going to cut corners, don't do it on the bottle caps. Saved half a cent on bottle lids and possibly ruined the entire $100 shipment.

I've contacted Maco asking their advice, but MY advice to anyone reading this thread to get started is don't ship digibase. Local pick-up from a nearby store or buy something else.

ps, DHL can go to hell (hey, that rhymes! Might make that a new chant or something)

 

[timlayton]

I received my Digibase chemicals via Freestyle just a few days ago without any issues. I have the chemicals all mixed up and ready to go. I will post again after my experience.

Tim

 

[mikecnichols]

I love Xmas time...I'm getting a Maxi kit from the parentals.

 

[pentaxuser]

There is something strange happening here in the U.S. postal service or maybe in the packaging used when exporting to the U.S. although it seems unlikely that the way Rollei woud pack for the U.S. market would be any different. AgPhotographic in the U.K. sells this kit and sends out to customers. I have yet to hear of any problems. In my own case I picked up the kit from Ag itself but looking at the packaging it seemed to be perfectly OK.

pentaxuser

 

[postalman]

The problem is the child-proof caps. They are a freely rotating cap that has to be pushed down to engage the actual spill proof cap. If there is no strong force between the two the child proof part spins but the sealing part doesn't.

The problem is that they're so cheaply made the same also applies when doing them up. If you don't squeeze the cap sides tightly the child proof bit rotates but the spill proof part doesn't so it doesn't properly seal the bottle. Hence finger tight bottle that would be fine normally is not as tightly sealed against leaks as you (or me, or the factory) think.

 

[Tony-S]

OK, if I have an extra bottle of the Part C developer, can it just be added to the bottle that was made with the original (purple) Part C?