C41 (fresh chemicals) resulting in dark film base

[brbo]

Double check that Rollei kit really has combined blix stage. Rollei/Compard Digibase C-41 kit sold in Europe is a "proper" C-41 kit with separate (developer, bleach, fix, stab) stages. Sometimes manufacturers seem to not count stabilizer stage (for example Tetenal E-6 kit is labeled as a 3-bath kit even though there are 4 baths (first developer, color developer, blix and stab)).

 

[mwoenv]

Freestyle briefly carried the Digibase separate bleach and fix kits but now they're blix kits as are the Tetenal kits (and of course Unicolor is blix).

Too bad Kodak Flexicolor C41 chemicals don't come in smaller quantities. After using Unicolor RA4 for color prints, I'm now using Kodak Ektacolor RA chemicals (developer and blix to make 10 liters) and they are significantly better and less expensive. Kodak could help stem the drop in film sales if they made kits for home developers available.

 

[Fotohuis]

The Rollei Digibase C41 kits have a seperate Bleach and Fixer. It is a Fuji Hunt minilab kit with additional Starter to be rippening the C41 developer for one shot use and not with a re-generation system.
The C41 kits are working very well. When re-using them you have to rinse between the steps with destilled water. In this way you have a pretty large capacity of C41 films.

 

[alienmeatsack]

Looking at the Rollei C-41 kit on Freestyle, I see this:

Kit Contains:

1 - Bleach Fix Part A - 200 ml
1 - Bleach Fix Part B - 200ml
1 - Color Developer Part A - 100ml
1 - Color Developer Part B - 50ml
1 - Color Developer Part C - 50ml
1 - Stabilizer - 50ml
Features

More stable formula
Develop at three different temperatures, 77°F , 100°F and 113°F
Makes 1 Liter working solution
Process up to 16 rolls of 35x36 films with 1 Liter of working solution

And then looking at the instructions, it talks about mixing the three parts for the developer. And mixing the 2 parts of the Bleach/Fix, making 3 total liquid steps. I don't see that as separate Bleach and Fixer unless there is another Rollei kit out there?

 

[Fotohuis]

http://www.fotohuisrovo.nl/documentatie/Rollei_Digibase_C41_InstructionManual.pdf

All info you need.

Robert

 

[sevo]

Looking at the Rollei C-41 kit on Freestyle, I see this:

They probably sell a different kit under the same name in the US (perhaps a matter of some component under different regulations in the two continents, or a locally sourced kit as shipping liquids tends to be complicated and expensive). Besides the blix, the quantities are different, too, by Maco's site the contents of the German/EU 1l kit would be:

Farbentwickler Part A 50ml Superkonzentrat
Farbentwickler Part B 50ml Superkonzentrat
Farbentwickler Part C 50ml Superkonzentrat
Bleichbad 140ml
Fixierbad 100ml
Starter 10ml
Stabibad 25ml

 

[alienmeatsack]

Robert, that is different info and instructions then what I am finding from Freestyle and their Rollei kit. Theirs is a Blix system.

I need to find the one you refer to as it might be a better option!

Ugh. So far, all the info I am finding says it's no longer made or available in the US. And since it contains OMD chemicals, I can't get it shipped from Germany or similar. I am seeing it online for purchase in other countries but not the USA. Freestyle has it listed but not for purchase.

 

[Fotohuis]

Well the small Rollei Digibase C41 kits are IATA approved so theoretically they could be shipped from Europe by plane. But I think it is a bit expensive for a small kit of 2 kg sending from Holland to Oklahoma. Around EUR. 25,60.

 

[alienmeatsack]

I'd happily order a few of these online if I knew they's ship here. I typically keep 2-3 C-41 kits and 2-3 Diafine kits and at least 1 D-76 or similar at the house for my needs.

And if these are as good as everyone says, I'd stock up. I just don't know if they'd ship overseas, well to the US anyways.

I've found a few places in the UK that have them and one in Germany, and have emails into them to see if they ship them here.

I did read that this kit was made by Fuji Hunt - and people online seem to think their stuff is the bees knees. So I am hoping to find a kit affordably to try!

 

[Fotohuis]

The original Fuji Hunt materials from Belgium are sold in 5 ltr. or 10 ltr. drums, too much for regular hobby use.
Compard KG in Germany is refilling them in the regular kits.

The kit is also suitable for re- generation. After using it up you can throw 1/3 part away and replace by new chemicals. Ommit the Starter then in the C41 developer because it is already rippened then. In this way you can use 1/2 year old C41 chemicals again without any problem.

 

[alienmeatsack]

Hopefully I will hear back from the companies I've written as to whether or not they can ship the kits here. If so I will buy a few and try them! 😀

 

[Photo_Smith]

You could try and find a Fuji X-Press 5L kit. These are available in Europe (made in Belgium) and are excellent.
http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/fuji-hunt-c41-x-press-kit-5l-680-p.asp

 

[alienmeatsack]

Now I know how frustrated people outside of the US are when trying to get Diafine powder. I cannot find either of these kits in the US or from anyone who will ship them here. :/

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

Ihave been using the Maco/Compard C-41 kit a lot. The best feature of it is, like robert/fotohuis said, is the possibility to replinsh it. The Bleach, which is the most expensive component, can be replinshed by "areating" it and also adding undiluted bleach to compensate the diluting of water carryover. The fix is basically B&W fix and normal hardening fix can be used. The developer is in three components in the Compard kit and the ageing process starts just after you mix the three developer components. When kept separate, the Digibase Compard C-41 developer components have an infinite lifespan.
When doing custom processing like "cross process" you have to extend the bleach and fix steps by 2x or 3x due to the large amount of silver in the positive color film stock. If you extend the developing time, you greatly increase the grain and contrast. I sugest you leave the color and contrast tweaking to photoshop done after you have scanned the negatives. The problem you were talking about, are dealt in detail when you google the phenomenon "Leuco Cyan Problem" It is the insufficent bleach step which results in silver still in the emulsion, that starts to darken and also eats up the color of the negative.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

Now I know how frustrated people outside of the US are when trying to get Diafine powder. I cannot find either of these kits in the US or from anyone who will ship them here. :/

For your Analog film & developer needs, try this:

www.macodirect.de say hello from "Duke of Hell"

 

[alienmeatsack]

I just got word back from Maco Direct that they will ship developing chemicals to the US. So I can try the kit mentioned above now.

I am hoping that having the seperate fixer and bleach steps will give me more flexibility especially when it comes to expired slide films. Those tend to give me the hardest time. (Oddly enough, it's almost always the expired 120 slide films, not the 135 ones that give me trouble)