Quick reminder: Tetenal C41 is dead simple

[martin s]

Martin, great thread, thanks for sharing! I'm going to buy a kit and give it a go. Excellent colours in your results by the way. Now where did i stash that colour film...

No problem, and thanks. The images I posted were expired film by the way, so don't take that as a reference.

Would anyone want this thread as a sticky? I thing the how-to picture guide looks really useful. (Just a thought.)

This thread is a little messy, I'd nominate Petronius to write a tutorial and maybe have that as a Sticky, most of my writing was based on his (and the knowledge spread the video linked to in the first post). Only if Petronius wants to, of course.

martin

 

[Keith]

I develpoed two rolls of Fuji Pro 800Z with a Freestyle Tetenal kit last night. It was failry important film as it was shot at a friend's gallery opening so I was very conscious of not botching it and letting him down ... he wants the imgaes for his web site!

I stuck to the recommended three and a half and six and a half minute cycles for the developer and blix and I have to say the results after scanning have blown me away. I would normally use my D700 for a job like this but after seeing what the Fuji Pro 800Z can do in these challenging conditions and how fuss free the developing was (aside from the Paterson tank that leaks profusely with C41) I may go this route more often.

I've never developed high speed colour before and wasn't quite sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised to find that it's pretty well fool proof and no different to developing the Portra 160 and 400 that I've used previously.

 

[dazedgonebye]

Ok, my first negatives are hanging to dry.
Not sure if they'll look good or not, but there are images to be sure.

 

[martin s]

Keith, that picture really is nice. My negatives (c-41 / b/w) are drying as well right now. Looking good, and it's still the old chemicals. Something around roll 30, I did order a Fuji Press Kit though.

martin

 

[dazedgonebye]

Ok, looks like my "repair" of the focus on that Duaflex IV was a bust, so everything is very soft.
In any case, the color works.

Ektar cooked in my sink.

 

[marnicq]

Thanks Martin S. for bringing this up, opens up a whole new world.
Do you perhaps also know something about printing colour negatives in the darkroom?

 

[Keith]

Nice colours Steve ... shame about the focus but it is art after all! 😀

One of the things that has been an issue for me when processing colour is the gas expansion in the tank when using the blix ... it actually popped the lid off my paterson the other day as I was about to invert ... caught it just in time. The paterson also leaks quite profusley while processing generally with these chemicals ... it's fine with black and white though! 🙄

My small (one 35mm roll) Jobo with the flexible membrane in the press on cap doesn't leak a drop ... but the reel is damned hard to load. I'd quite like the Jobo that can process two rolls of 35 mm or one roll of 120 ... but they're not cheap! 😱

 

[dazedgonebye]

I'm pretty excited Keith.

I'll shoot a lot more color with this savings and convenience.

 

[Keith]

I'm pretty excited Keith.

I'll shoot a lot more color with this savings and convenience.

It's quite a buzz doing your first roll of colour at home because the perception is that it's difficult. The only remotely tricky part is temperature control. I don't bother with water baths etc, I just use a largish fan forced heater to get the room as warm as possible and also use the same heater to bring the chemicals up to temperature by sitting the beakers directly in front of it with thermometers in them. It only takes ten minutes or so to get them from 20 deg C up to the the required 39 and in the meantime the temperature has risen in the room. If the room is warm enough the temperature drop during processing is less than half a degree and I'm not messing around with heated water baths which I do find tedious!

 

[cnphoto]

Hi Keith, where did you source your C41 kit from? Aus or O/S?

 

[Keith]

Hi Keith, where did you source your C41 kit from? Aus or O/S?

Every now and then I get a heap of stuff from Freestyle in the US ... last time I bought three of the one litre kits. They actually used to be a little cheaper but even at this price they're good value considering you'll likely get at leat fifteen rolls developed.

The problem with buying from Freestyle is the freight charges require a decent sized order to justify the exercise so you come out ahead!

We have group buys here in Oz occasionally and it's always well worth while to jump in on one of these if you want to save some money.

 

[martin s]

Thanks Martin S. for bringing this up, opens up a whole new world.
Do you perhaps also know something about printing colour negatives in the darkroom?

I'm sorry, I have only theoretical knowledge of how it works. Based on that, I don't think it's worth it.


My last few rolls (somewhere around 25-30 with the 1l kit) still turned out fine exposure-wise, but the colors become increasingly difficult to get under control. Adjusting whitebalance doesn't work at all for a few of them, does anyone know if this is due to exhausted chemicals?

Petronius, you once wrote you use the blix for a few more minutes, what's the effect of that?

martin

 

[JamSee]

😀

I'd love to give this a go, thanks.

 

[petronius]

Martin, I increased the blix time more than recommended by tetenal when I developed more than 25 rolls in the 1l-kit at 38 deg C (up to 25 min).
For the last 15 rolls I changed the process completely: developing at room temperature (18-20 deg C) for 20-30 min, blix temperature and time the same.
I don´t mess around with the white balance button, I just change the colors in PS until the picture looks right.
Examples here, more will follow: http://classicameras.blogspot.com/2010/05/c-41-vi.html

 

[martin s]

Martin, I increased the blix time more than recommended by tetenal when I developed more than 25 rolls in the 1l-kit at 38 deg C (up to 25 min).
For the last 15 rolls I changed the process completely: developing at room temperature (18-20 deg C) for 20-30 min, blix temperature and time the same.
I don´t mess around with the white balance button, I just change the colors in PS until the picture looks right.
Examples here, more will follow: http://classicameras.blogspot.com/2010/05/c-41-vi.html

Thanks! Could you explain me what it is the bleach does? The '-ix' in Blix is the Fixer, correct?

martin

 

[petronius]

Martin, you´re right; I must confess that I use the chemicals but don´t really know what they do.
Look here: http://www.fotolaborinfo.de/fotolabor/fcnc41.htm This should explain it.

 

[Richard Ross]

The paterson also leaks quite profusley while processing generally with these chemicals ... it's fine with black and white though! 🙄

The trick with Paterson tanks is to "crack" the lid (i.e. lift the edge fractionally) after the first couple of inversions to release the pressure. Mine used to leak until I discovered this!

Regards
Richard

 

[rolleistef]

Hi there,

I get pretty excited to the idea of processing my own films at home, as it seems so easy. However, I cannot find any place to buy the chemicals. Did you get it at a regular photo lab equipment shop?
Thanks,
Stéphane

 

[batterytypehah!]

However, I cannot find any place to buy the chemicals. Did you get it at a regular photo lab equipment shop?

No idea about sources in France but shipping from Fotoimpex in Berlin should be only 10 euros. http://www.fotoimpex.de

As it has come up earlier in the thread, remember that Fotoimpex prices reflect Germany's 19% VAT. If you're outside of the EU, you pay net price, i.e. divide by 1.19 before you apply your currency conversion. Freight to the US is quoted as 20 euros plus 2.50 per kilo of weight.

 

[martin s]

I bought Tetenal from FotoImpexx and the Fuji-Kit from Macodirekt.

I'll mix 20% of the Fuji chemicals (1l of Dev., Bleach, Fixer, Stabilizer) for about 20 rolls of film, then I'll write a short summary. I'll both process with the Jobo and in the sink, I might try some color 4x5 as well.

I have another 40 rolls of Portra stored in the fridge (all in all 80 rolls for the whole 5l Fuji Kit) and after that I'll try E6; turns out it costs almost exactly the same.

martin