First C-41 self developing
- Thread starter petronius
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petronius
Veteran
maddoc
... likes film again.
Do I understand this correct, you used the same working solution since September 9 th (your first post in this thread) and developed 29 rolls out of it ?? The colors from your last roll still looke very good ! How do you store the chemicals ?
petronius
Veteran
You are right. I used the same working solution (1 litre Tetenal Colotec kit) and the chemicals were stored in black plastic bottles in my bathroom at normal room temperature.
petronius
Veteran
Update!
After using the first working solution for 29 films, I decided to go as far as possible with the second one. Yesterday I reached the end. I had developed 34 rolls in the same solution with no problems over some weeks, so I put four other rolls in my tank and ... All four rolls showed extremely erratic colors. So I think 34 rolls from a Tetenal Colortec 1-litre-kit is the highscore. The normally orange base was blue-green after developing, so I think the bleach bath has died. (I used a tested camera with no leaks)
After using the first working solution for 29 films, I decided to go as far as possible with the second one. Yesterday I reached the end. I had developed 34 rolls in the same solution with no problems over some weeks, so I put four other rolls in my tank and ... All four rolls showed extremely erratic colors. So I think 34 rolls from a Tetenal Colortec 1-litre-kit is the highscore. The normally orange base was blue-green after developing, so I think the bleach bath has died. (I used a tested camera with no leaks)
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petronius
Veteran
Updated information to the Tetenal C-41 kit:
In December 2008 I developed 23 films with a 1l Tetenal kit. I had decided that 2009 should be a B&W year, so I stored the C-41 baths on my bathroom shelf. Today I felt the need for color and took the chemicals down to develop two films.
Here is an example of what I got with more than a year old chemicals:
The first one is straight out of the scanner (Canoscan 8400F, Canon software)
The second one is after PS:
In December 2008 I developed 23 films with a 1l Tetenal kit. I had decided that 2009 should be a B&W year, so I stored the C-41 baths on my bathroom shelf. Today I felt the need for color and took the chemicals down to develop two films.
Here is an example of what I got with more than a year old chemicals:
The first one is straight out of the scanner (Canoscan 8400F, Canon software)
The second one is after PS:
like2fiddle
Curious
So, if I understood properly, this shot is from roll #24 and developed in Tetanol a little over one year old that has just sat on a shelf for the entire year?
petronius
Veteran
You are right. I found that the Tetenal advice for 12-16 rolls from 1l is far too low. I got good results when developing 30 rolls and more as I stated above. The two rolls today show imo that a long, warm (bathroom) storage can bring useable results too.
squirrel$$$bandit
Veteran
Wait, Zeno, these were diluted chemicals?!? That you mixed and stored in airless containers? I've been assuming a shelf life of maybe two months. This is excellent news.
petronius
Veteran
Yes, diluted chemicals, mixed and stored in black containers with little air above. I had expected blank negatives or way bigger color aberrations.
like2fiddle
Curious
I've got to try this. My birthday's coming up and my family never knows what to get me...I'm asking for a few chemicals!
robklurfield
eclipse
wow. great results Petronius. Thanks for sharing. I am planning a visit to B&H, possibly tomorrow, to return after a 25+ year break to souping my own film. I hadn't considered C-41, but you make it look doable. Thanks for putting up those images, etc. on your blog. I haven't done this in so long, and wasn't very good at it when I last tried, so I think I'll be starting with b&w in xtol first. But, this definitely gives me something else to look forward to later.
Lovely images, btw. You continue to impress.
Lovely images, btw. You continue to impress.
petronius
Veteran
Thank you all for the feedback. I will continue using these outdated chemicals and keep you updated.
Lance
Established
Hi,
I am reviving this thread with a question. It seems through your findings, that youcan easily develop double the amount of film with good results. But how are those negs holding up a couple of years later? I am particularly interested to know about the few last rolls developed from a kit. Are they any darker than the first rolls? If the stabilizer was weak I would think that the film would keep cooking.
I am ordering my first C41 kit soon and would like to know how far I can go with it. Have anyone tried replenishing the blix or stabilizer? Is that possible?
I am reviving this thread with a question. It seems through your findings, that youcan easily develop double the amount of film with good results. But how are those negs holding up a couple of years later? I am particularly interested to know about the few last rolls developed from a kit. Are they any darker than the first rolls? If the stabilizer was weak I would think that the film would keep cooking.
I am ordering my first C41 kit soon and would like to know how far I can go with it. Have anyone tried replenishing the blix or stabilizer? Is that possible?
zauhar
Veteran
My tank takes 600 ml for two reels, so I am trying this: I divided the 1 liter volumes of developer and blix into 600 + 400 ml, the 400 kept aside as a replenisher of sorts. I had planned on eventually throwing out 400 ml of the used developer and blix and replacing with the "fresh" stuff.
I will probably do that after 15-20 rolls (hey, given Petronius' data, maybe the limit is 40!)
Randy
Gereonb
Gereonb
On my 20th roll with the Tetenal C-41 kit and the blix and dev are decidedly darker now than they were out of the kit, they also have a stronger smell. Films still look same as on roll 1.
jan normandale
Film is the other way
Your comment about "diluted" has caught my attention. Did you mix the chemicals differently from the recommendations of Tetenal Instructions?
they suggest
1000 ml of water including the Developer chemicals
1000 ml of water including the Blix A and B
1000 ml of water including the Stabilizer
what "dilutions" did you use to store the chemicals?
Did you just add water to top up the containers to 1000 ml after running the film thru the process and then store?
Or did you add water to have dilutions in excess of 1000 ml of solutions?
Lance
Established
I am not sure if this will bring you more developed rolls. It is the one liter solution that will give you your total amount of rolls, so just pouring the used chemicals back into the fresh after every developing will give the same result.
The film might look good and OK now, but how does it look after several years in archive? My guess is, that it will be darker than the rolls developed in fresher chems.
petronius
Veteran
Sorry, with diluted I meant the working solutions according to the manual!
zauhar
Veteran
No, I meant holding the 400 ml in reserve, using the 600 ml for say 20 rolls, then discarding 400ml of the used solutions and replacing with the fresh 400 ml. So the final mix is 400 fresh + 200 used.
Randy
