C-41 at home in a can

joram · 2009-05-22T07:47:32+00:00

Hallo! Ich spiele mit dem Gedanken mir C-41 Chemie anzuschaffen, um Dias zu crossen und hin und wieder einen Farbfilm zu entwickeln. Ich möchte dabei keines...

joram

Hello! I’m thinking about getting some C-41 chemicals so I can cross-process slides and develop colour film every now and then. I’m not looking to achieve ultra-precise or colour-accurate developments – which is irrelevant for cross-processing anyway. As I don’t have a programmable thermostat for a hotplate or similar, I’ll probably have to use a large hot water bath and wanted to know if anyone has experience with this and whether it’s even possible to keep the temperature more or less constant at home. Oh, and does cross-processing E-6 films in C-41 chemicals mess things up? I heard something like that somewhere, though I don’t know how true it is. Regards joram

Wolfgg

Hello Joram! You can also process C41 at 20°C; for me, the times are CD 18 to 20 mins BFX 30 mins with constant agitation. For E6 films, however, the Bleach bath must be stronger, otherwise residual silver will remain in the emulsion; so use one from an E6 kit or prepare it yourself using red potassium ferricyanide. Regards, Wolfgang

Wolfgg

On the subject of messy chemistry: This isn’t an issue with CD, as it’s used as a single-use developer at a rate of 200–250 ml per film, and BFX or BL and FX have to be prepared separately for C41 and E6 films anyway (different formulations and concentrations). Using the wrong BFX with C41 affects mask density! Regards, Wolfgang

joram

Right then. I’ve now got the Tetenal kit at home and started off by developing an Elite Chrome roll straight away. The results were good, though the film should have had some underexposure; as it is, the negative is already quite overexposed. It has to be said that the development in the sink as a water bath is far less complicated than expected. The temperature is easy to control, though you should avoid smashing the thermometer on the edge of the sink, as I did. All in all, C41 at home isn’t a big problem; if you can handle black-and-white, you can also process C41 at 38 degrees and get away with it almost as cheaply as with a bulk developer. Here’s a good video to help you plan the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB8qXU7dkNk