Eureka! It worked!

[underlord]

Sorry to get your excitement up but tonight I gained a new skill. After many years developing my own black & white film, this evening I developed my first roll of C41.
I had of late, had a hankering for colour developing but was always worried I might mess it up. I need not have been concerned.
For Xmas this year I received from my two fine sons, the Tetenal C41 kit. A good starter pack, probably aimed at people like me.
I shouldn't be surprised it worked out, I remember the thrill of seeing my first black & white negs many years ago (I still get that thrill) but temperature was a big concern. I read about colour shifts etc. It turned out that temperature was important but not as crucial as I thought.
The only 'downer' on this whole affair was that the photographs I took prior to the 'big leap' were less than average. Still, I dipped my toe and would like to encourage fellow RFF'ers to take the plunge! Those of you who are many pages ahead of me I welcome your questions on the actual process I took.

This is the actual first frame of the first roll I shot: (Yashica 124G/Superia 400-expired 2012)


Church Street, Liverpool by Philip McAllister, on Flickr

 

[gb hill]

I'll soon be doing my own C-41 also. I have my kit just need a few more gadgets like a funnel to pour my developer back in it's container. You did a fantastic job. From the tutorials I've seen on YouTube I think it will be easier than B&W.

 

[underlord]

I found that a lot of my black & white equipment was handy. I didn't need anything else, just more room to 'spread out'.

 

[Timmyjoe]

That's really cool. I've been processing B&W since the mid-1970's, but have always been afraid to try color. This looks really promising. May have to give it a go.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[underlord]

Yeh, thanks. I reckon it's fairly simple if you have experience with B&W (says the guy who did just ONE roll of film ;-) )

 

[lynnb]

Congratulations, nice result! I must do this...

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

I've been doing my own C-41 and E-6 for years. They are so simple, I tell everyone that. It is so satisfying, too. Good job!

 

[johannielscom]

So how does one go about when it comes to less critical temperature then? I've been having these dreadful dreams of Jobo processors, frightfully red and black and big as the whole kitchen😀

 

[znapper]

It's basically easier than B&W.

Heat everything in the sink with a water-bath, until the developer is 38 degrees celcius.

You can drop your tank with your film ontop of that bath as you heat everything up as well.

Develop for 3 min 15 seconds (continuous agitation), then pour in blix (within +-5 degrees celcius, remember to burp the lid every 30 seconds, or you will have a brown blowout as CO2 builds), 4 minutes later, pour out blix, rinse very well in 38 degree tempered water, then blix for 1 minute (+- 10 degrees celcius), shake off and hang up.

I spend less time developing color than b&w for some reason, probably because the development-and blix processes are so short.

 

[AZPhotog]

Nice job, underlord! Better than an average lab.

(No dirt or scratches) ;-)

 

[ReeRay]

Excellent result. Well done

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Nice work! It's not as hard as it seems. Try E6 next!

 

[underlord]

Thanks guys. I used my kitchen sink with more or less the same method as described above by znapper. The less than critical temperature was just that. I aimed for a 30 degree C development, I don't know why, maybe the dev. time was similar to my B&W dev. times (8 mins) Maintaining this temperature was tricky as I tried to get it as close to 30 as possible.

I would urge anyone thinking about it to give it a go. I hadn't shot MF colour film for around two years or more because of the lack of processing facilities around where I live.

E6 next, eh mabelsound? I'm not sure about that but then I said the same of C-41 just yesterday!

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

Thanks guys. I used my kitchen sink with more or less the same method as described above by znapper. The less than critical temperature was just that. I aimed for a 30 degree C development, I don't know why, maybe the dev. time was similar to my B&W dev. times (8 mins) Maintaining this temperature was tricky as I tried to get it as close to 30 as possible.

I would urge anyone thinking about it to give it a go. I hadn't shot MF colour film for around two years or more because of the lack of processing facilities around where I live.

E6 next, eh mabelsound? I'm not sure about that but then I said the same of C-41 just yesterday!

E6 is just an extra step, so it is just as easy. And let me tell you, pulling E6 out of the tank is so satisfying.

 

[charjohncarter]

I did E-6 way back in the 70s, but never C-41. It is getting to be a hassle to send it to an out of state lab (+postage and shipping materials). Maybe in the future: Tetenal.