Your recommendation for a C-41 kit?

[fidget]

To date I run home developed B&W in my MF cameras. I would like to try some colour film but suspect that the development of the film will be expensive here.
Can you recommend a home dev C-41 kit? I guess that my usage will be intermittent with one to four films per run, so will need a good shelf life.

Dave..

 

[wblynch]

I have used the Arista liquid kit from Freestyle and it works great. I also have the Rollei kit but haven't opened it yet.

Being in the UK you should be able to procure the Fuji Hunt kit (Rollei is based on this) which is highly regarded and well priced.

If shipping is a problem there are a few powder based kits that are good too. (I think Tetenal is one)

--
I should add that I mixed the Arista chems almost a year ago and have done about 12 films in it already. It was still working great 3 weeks ago when I last used it. There may be a tiny bit of color shift but easily correctable in my scans.

I use a small tank in a basin of hot water so it's very simple. I reclaim and reuse all the chems.

 

[ully]

Tetnal is good.

 

[martin s]

Both Tetenal and the Fuji Press Kit work for me.

martin

 

[Keith]

Another vote for the Tetenal kit ... I buy them from Freestyle in the US and get around fifteen rolls of film from each one before I ditch them.

 

[Edward C. Zimmermann]

Except to try it out a few times I would suggest that you don't get kits but instead get colour developer (Tetenal, Champion, Fuji/Hunt, Kodak or whatever), bleach (same vendors) and C-41 fix.
C-41 fix is very inexpensive. You can also use it for B&W film and paper--- its much cheaper, has longer shelf-life and better (neutral pH) than the stuff typically sold for B&W.
The bleach is the most expensive component but it has a very long shelf-life and and its reusable and reusable. With Blix (Bleach+Fix), by contrast, you are limited by the capacity of the fix.

 

[nikon_sam]

I bought a Rollei Kit but it's still in the closet and hasn't been used...I got it at Freestyle...I have some Fuji Pro 160s I need to push quite a bit...

 

[Pirate]

I've used the Unicolor from Freestyle. It's simple and quick in powdered form.

I'd like to try a Tetenal kit but I don't see them at Freestyle. The Rollei kit will be my next try if I can't find the Tetenal. I've used Tetenal Neofin Blau for black and white and I love it. It's a very contrasty developer for B&W so I'm curious to see what the Tetenal does with C-41.

 

[bwcolor]

Except to try it out a few times I would suggest that you don't get kits but instead get colour developer (Tetenal, Champion, Fuji/Hunt, Kodak or whatever), bleach (same vendors) and C-41 fix.
C-41 fix is very inexpensive. You can also use it for B&W film and paper--- its much cheaper, has longer shelf-life and better (neutral pH) than the stuff typically sold for B&W.
The bleach is the most expensive component but it has a very long shelf-life and and its reusable and reusable. With Blix (Bleach+Fix), by contrast, you are limited by the capacity of the fix.

I use dilute white vinegar.. to make 3% acetic acid.. with the Tetenal kit. I would assume that you could do the same with separates.

 

[Edward C. Zimmermann]

I use dilute white vinegar.. to make 3% acetic acid.. with the Tetenal kit. I would assume that you could do the same with separates.

You should not use a stop bath with C-41.
Its develop->bleach->rinse->fix->wash->final rinse (stabilizer).
If you include a rinse between the develop and bleach it should be a sulfite bath (acetic acid+sulfite). The use of this is to prevent carry-over into the bleach thus affording it a significantly longer lifespan.
The 2-bath kits do:
developer->blix (bleach+fix)->wash->final rinse (stabi).
A rinse between developer and blix is without any merit as the capacity of the blix is typically determined by the fix and of very limited capacity. That's why these are typically used only one-shot.
But why? Fix is cheap. Bleach is expensive. Bleach has a nearly unlimited shelf-life. Neutral fix has a good shelf-life. Mono-blixes tend to provide good but lesser shelf-lives. If one also separates them out one also has less problems with potential retained silver. So its cheaper, provides better shelf-life, is more cost efficient and produces results that are as good as or better than one-shot 2-bath.

 

[bwcolor]

The Tetenal C-41 kit instructions suggest the use of Stop Bath (Tetenal Indicet 1+19, or 3% acetic acid: 20s) when the Blix is to be reused, but you are saying that it does extend the Bleach component, but not the Fix component, so no real value when using Blix.

 

[Edward C. Zimmermann]

The Tetenal C-41 kit instructions suggest the use of Stop Bath (Tetenal Indicet 1+19, or 3% acetic acid: 20s) when the Blix is to be reused,

Blix can be re-used but not terribly much and the risk of retained silver is high. That's why the capacity of 1 litre chemistry is given by Tetenal as 12-16 films. In a rotary processor (such as the Filmlab-one/Filmetta) it was 320ml for 4 films (one-shot). In other tanks using more solution (e.g. 1 liter for 4 films) one could re-use the chemicals a few times but one need also adjust times. In a rotary process one can re-use once by adjusting times.

but you are saying that it does extend the Bleach component, but not the Fix component, so no real value when using Blix.

Yes. 2-Bath is fine and dandy one-shot and ideal for those only developing small numbers of film at infrequent intervals. For more throughput--- and to dramatically lower the cost-per-film--- one should use 3-bath. Its also a good way to go when one is also doing E6 and B&W as it allows for a more rational use of chemicals.

 

[Pirate]

Where can I find the Tetenal C-41 kit in the US? I don't see it at Freestyle or any B&H.

 

[xwhatsit]

Another vote for the Tetenal kit ... I buy them from Freestyle in the US and get around fifteen rolls of film from each one before I ditch them.

How much is shipping, Keith?

I'm keen to do C41. Macodirect has kits but I only order from them when I need a lot of stuff and I have paper and B&W film coming out my ears. I would like to get a couple of bulk rolls of C41 film too but Macodirect has crap prices on colour stock, Freestyle was much better from memory.