Where to process sheet film?

CollinB

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Joined
Aug 2, 2007
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666
Location
Ohio, USA
Format
Medium Format
E6 and/or C41, preferably in central Ohio.
(I do my b&w myself.)
Any recommendations?
 

rjbuzzclick

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Joined
Jan 30, 2010
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379
Location
Minneapolis
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I'm considering doing it myself as well. It's getting too costly for me to send out. I've read several posts from people who've done it and it doesn't seem any harder than B&W. My biggest concern, obviously, was temperature control, but it sounds like this can be reliably done with a water bath in a cooler of some sort. One issue left seems to be that the mixed chemicals only seem to last for a week or so, and it would take me many months to shoot enough color film for even the eight roll kits I've seen.
 

anikin

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Nov 16, 2009
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Capital of O
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One issue left seems to be that the mixed chemicals only seem to last for a week or so, and it would take me many months to shoot enough color film for even the eight roll kits I've seen.

That's old wives' tale. Fill the chemistry in bottles to the brink and put them in a fridge. Lasts for months that way. Just finished some flexicolor developer that I mixed last February. All film look fine. Blix is the weakest link. Use real bleach and fix, and you'll have no problems with longevity.
 

hpulley

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Oct 6, 2010
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Guelph, Onta
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Yes and Ektacolor RA-4 lasts a long time too to make real optical prints. Honestly, moving back in the darkroom was the best thing for me about film popularity going in the toilet. I hope I'll be able to get film, paper and chems for years to come but dropping the use of labs has only been a good thing for me: better results, cheaper, faster turnaround time. Only downside is that it does take time and some days there is little left for the darkroom. Those days I still wish I could drop a roll off at the lab occasionally.
 

markbarendt

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Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
9,422
Location
Beaverton, OR
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Multi Format
I've seen a # of people do e6 themselves, but c41?

C41 is easier than E6 IMO.

Other than temp control it's nearly as easy as B&W.

RA is simple too.

The only trick is filtration.
 
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