What developer to use for Porta

[Jaime Marin]

Hi All,

I want to start developing my own kodak porta film but dont know if its similar to the same process as black and white. Im guessing you dont need anything more than developer, stop, and fixer? If so what "recipes" or chemistry do you guys use. Im looking for something as simple as a developer that needs 1 + 1 dilution and will make porta look its best.

Thanks guys!

 

[Photo Engineer]

Jamie, you need C-41 chemicals for Portra. This includes a color developer, a bleach, a fix and a stabilzer. An optional Stop is suggested depending on how you process it.

PE

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Kodak Portra is developed using the C-41 color process. It is a problem to print because the color mask causes long exposure times with BW papers. It is intended primarily for those who have their film developed and printed commercially.

 

[polyglot]

Indeed it is not B&W. As for specific recommendations: Fuji, Tetenal and Rollei all make small affordable C41 chemistry kits; have a look in the "colour chemicals" section of an online photo store like B&H, freestyle or Ag Photographic. For best results you want a kit with separate bleach and fix, not "blix".

You also need to control processing temperature pretty close to 38C.

 

[pentaxuser]

This is not aimed to be a put-down or be condescending but if you are moving to film photography for the first time it might be worth getting any one of the very good and nowadays very cheap secondhand books on film photography. They usually cover the range of necessary knowledge on B&W and colour including both kinds of film processing, giving a useful broad brush coverage the subject.

It is worrying and sad how quickly all knowledge of analogue photography has "died"

pentaxuser

 

[derwent]

Agreed on getting an old book!
I've been scouring secondhand bookshops and flea markets for old photography books and they are a mine of good info...
Just sad when they tell you how to use things you can't buy anymore...

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Portra negatives have the same orange mask that color negative films have. This is because the film is designed to be printed on color paper. If you wish to make your own prints on BW paper then you cannot use a VC paper because the mask will intefere with grade selection. Therefore you must use a single grade paper.

Ilford makes a similar film called XP2 which has a lighter colored mask and so is a bit easier to print on BW papers.