Colour Development at Home

[Gid]

Any of you guys do this?

I have acquired a jobo CPE-2 with lift and want to try my hand at colour - negative and maybe transparency. Any advice would be appreciated regarding how difficult this is, how expensive, best products etc.

Regards

Gid

 

[al1966]

I did colour printing (from negs) years ago it was very long winded and very wastefull of paper, but good fun and very satisfying when I finaly got a good print. You will have to do a set of prints to get the filtration right for the paper and another for each batch of film. Its not cheep but you do feel good when you get a good print

 

[jaapv]

I did both negative and transparancy at home years ago. Negative was the most complicated. One needs a good colour head for the enlarger and a colour-analyzer, but you can get by using filters and the Kodak viewing-filter set. The main thing is exact temperature control of the chemicals. You will use up a lot of paper experimenting to get it right, but the control over the results gives a lot of satisfaction in the end. Transparancies using the (then) Cibachrome system are a lot easier to do and spectacularly beautiful, well worth doing and in the end better than enlarging from negative. Have fun! (I'm sure you will.)

 

[Gid]

Thanks Guys. Sadly I won't be trying printing at home for a while - don't have the space for a darkroom until we move back to our refurbished house later this year. However, its developing I want to try so I don't have to rely on a lab.

Regards

Gid

 

[jaapv]

I never had the nerve to try that, but I did read it is possible.

 

[Gid]

I never had the nerve to try that, but I did read it is possible.

Nobody said anything about needing nerve - now I'm worried. Maybe I'll just stick to B&W 🙂

Gid

 

[Ronald M]

I did E6 because I wanted a 1 stop pull for low contrast tranny to be used for Cibachrome printing. Done it with both a single stainless tank, 6 tanks w/o lids in a 16x20 tray water bath, and lastly with the Jobo. They all work fine.

Chemical contamination is to be avoided or you will get problems that can not be solved.

Buy the 6 step gallon kit and extra developer. Use a fish aquarium bubbler to aeriate the bleach. Stay away from the 3 step kits.

RC 37 and 74 papers worked well in the Jobo. Current RA4 process in a Jobo is a real pain in the ...

I use a Nova slot for color prints now. It is as easy as black/white. Buy extra clips

35mm C41 works best with the larger 2500 film drums about 6 inch in diameter. Keep the speed up high for 30 sec, then slow to film speed. As with all film, you need to wet it evenly and as fast a possible to avoid marking from initial contact. C 41 is extra sensitive due to the short process time.

Post more specific questions when you decide how to proceed.

 

[Finder]

I do the current RA4 color print process in my Jobo CPP-2 and it is easy. I will most likely try color film later this year.

 

[Gid]

Thanks guys. This is sounding more complex that I thought, but you have to try don't you?

Gid

 

[Gid]

I do C-41, both colour and monochrome. It's quite straightforward (it'd have to be for me to do it 🙂 ).

I'll take a look at the C-41 process, that might be a way forward.

Nice shot of the dog BTW.

Gid

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Tried E-6 a few years ago, it takes lots of practice to get it right, and most importantly, consistent.

In the end, I found E-6 more trouble than it was worth. A lot less room for error than b/w.

 

[wdenies]

Gid,
The remark about high and low speed does not apply for the CPE-2 processor.
The two most important factors in film developing are time and temperature.
I measure time with a cheap digital chronometer and temperature with a medical thermometer. The required temperature (38C) is in the range of the human body temp.
In a darkroom thread I propose 2 cheap modifications for the CPE-2 to have a better temp. control.
I use the Jobo for the C41 (colour and BW) process.
Used chemicals: Amaloco Negacolor 4x0.5l kit. Price 21 euro. Capacity 24 rolls.

Im still waiting the delivery of a Tetenal E6 kit to start experiments with the E6 process. Here in belgium the development of slides became a little bit too expensive: 5 euro for one 4x5 sheet!

Wim

 

[Gid]

Wim,

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

Gid

 

[wdenies]

Gid,
Some more CPE2 tricks.
1.
Calibrate the thermostat!
2.
Preheating.
In wintertime inside my darkroom it is rather could (no central heating). The normal C41 preheating procedure (rotate with water of 38C for 1-2 min) is not efficient: the water comes out at a temp. of 33C.
My solution:
a. Load rolls/sheets in the tank
b. Heat the tank from the outside with a hair dryer until the inside temp. reaches 30-35C (measured through the fill opening)
c. The normal preheating procedure

Wim

 

[Gid]

Wim,

Many thanks. I'm still shooting HP5 at the moment, but when I get the Hexar RF from laptoprob I'll try out some XP2 before colour.

Regards

Gid

 

[Trius]

Gid: I did E6 at home years ago, and I was pretty nervous. However, it worked really, really well. I used the Tetenal 3 solution kit, and I got the best Agfachromes I'd ever seen. I used stainless steel tanks and reels, worked carefully with temperature control, and was rewarded.

I've never done C-41, so I can't really comment, but I wouldn't hesitate to try it.

Go for it. You'll soon be known as the Colour Man of Aberdeen!

 

[Gid]

Earl,

Thanks. I have just got to try it. I'll let you guys and gals know how I get on.

Gid

 

[Doug]

I used to do C41 at home, in the same Kindermann tanks and reels I use for conventional B&W. Ilford offered their own C41 variant for their XP1 film, and I used the Unicolor K2 kit for regular C41. It works like B&W except that temperature is 100 degF and development is only 3.25 min, making precision a little trickier. I'd do it again, but the local lab is so cheap and consistent it's hardly worth doing it.

 

[amateriat]

Im still waiting the delivery of a Tetenal E6 kit to start experiments with the E6 process. Here in belgium the development of slides became a little bit too expensive: 5 euro for one 4x5 sheet!

Ouch...my main lab (in Manhattan) charges US$1.75 a sheet, with a 90-minute standard turnaround.

For me, it's enough of a challenge to have enough running room for b/w film development. I'll leave the color stuff (mostly C41, with a bit of E6 on occasion) to the lab.


- Barrett

 

[wdenies]

Trius,
Within a few days (I hope) I will start experimenting with the Tetenal E6 kit.
Could you give me some tips and tricks via email.
Is it true that for Fuji films one needs to deviate from the standard processing times?

Wim