DIY C-41 update.

DaireQuinlan

Well, a couple of people wanted to know how this worked out so here we are.

Developed a roll of 35mm and a roll of 120 the other night, got the 35mm scanned and a couple uploaded yesterday. Quality is pretty good as far as I can tell given there was a bit of a screw up ...

I ended up getting the Fuji X-Press 5 litre kit from Gunns, 47 euro. My plan is to make it up in 500ml batches and do a couple of films each time (I've only got the two tanks) because I have no way of storing the stuff. If I get my hands on a bunch of brown glass bottles I might try making up a litre at a time and storing it. So essentially I'll get 20 films out of the kit assuming the chemicals last long enough (It'll probably take me 3/4 months to shoot 20 films) which is about 1/3rd price of dev only (about 6.50 I think is the cheapest I've found it), plus there are the advantages that the two rolls I did were absolutely scratch free, and I can push, XPro, and accelerate to my hearts content If the fancy takes me :-)

The screw up was that my thermometer gave in half way through. Yeeks. Luckily it was after I'd done the developer step for both tanks, and the fix/bleach/stabiliser is a lot more tolerant. I think I under-fixed the 35mm though, it looks faintly milky if I hold it at a particular angle. Incidentally the developer ordinarily has to be kept to 37.8c +- 0.15 degrees. HAHAHA ! not a chance, mine were all *around* the 38 degree mark. The colors in general are ok I think, reds are maybe a little hot.

here are the two I've gotten around to uploading. Both 35mm. Fuji 400h.





yeah yeah, this is me, taken by Ljiljana. Bit of flare on it, crummy russian lens taken almost directly into the sun. Also can't decide whether or not there are odd adjacency effects going on here with the development. Seems to be a lot of local contrast.

i_am_dogboy

I too do hand development, and I mix 500ml at a time, with the same kit. I store the mixes in sealed glass jars and I usually get 6-8 decent rolls (mostly 120 in my case) from a single jar of developer.

And I don't even come close to getting the temperature bang on, I use a water bath to heat the chemicals, and to try to maintain the developer's temperature, but there have been pretty decent resutls from it. I'm not a perfectionist, and I'm definitely not dedicated enough to get it exactly right, and anyway, some of the most interesting picture's I've gotten since I started working with film are from botched negatives, though I wouldn't dare show any of them off...

DaireQuinlan

i_am_dogboy wrote: »

I too do hand development, and I mix 500ml at a time, with the same kit. I store the mixes in sealed glass jars and I usually get 6-8 decent rolls (mostly 120 in my case) from a single jar of developer.

Interesting ! Have you got figures for how long the concentrates last for ? The guys at gunns reckoned probably around 6 months in a sealed environment (I have a can of that tetanal protectan spray) before they go off.

And I don't even come close to getting the temperature bang on, I use a water bath to heat the chemicals, and to try to maintain the developer's temperature, but there have been pretty decent resutls from it. I'm not a perfectionist, and I'm definitely not dedicated enough to get it exactly right, and anyway, some of the most interesting picture's I've gotten since I started working with film are from botched negatives, though I wouldn't dare show any of them off...

Amen to that

DaireQuinlan

This is a shot from the roll of 120 I dev'd at the same time. The chemicals for this were further diluted (500ml working solution -> 550ml). This was also a double exposure but what can you do :rolleyes: Kodak Portra 400, the grain is almost non existent when the 6x6 negative is scanned at 1200 or 2400 DPI.

Rojo

first one of the babby is lovely! Really nice colours going on in all the shots. Well done!

Vitoldus

I've been planning to do my own C-41 for a good while. Finally i have all necesarry bits and pieces together and I think i'll do some developing on saturday. I've got around 40 rolls (mostly MF) to do. I am going to use Jobo CPA-2 with lift and Fuji x-press kit. I can't store the chemicals as i am moving houses soon and want to have as little to move as possible.
I think I'll have some chemistry left, so if anybody want to try doing their own c41 on saturday, feel free to call in. Just pm me first.
And I'll keep you folks posted on the results.
V

DaireQuinlan

Vitoldus wrote: »

I am going to use Jobo CPA-2 with lift and Fuji x-press kit. I can't store the chemicals as i am moving houses soon and want to have as little to move as possible.

Where did you get the CPA-2 & for how much If you don't mind me asking ? I've been looking at them and the CPE-x processors aswell. Very interesting, particularly if I want to do E-6 where I'd be actually concerned about trying to get my colours spot on.

Vitoldus

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Where did you get the CPA-2 & for how much If you don't mind me asking ? I've been looking at them and the CPE-x processors aswell. Very interesting, particularly if I want to do E-6 where I'd be actually concerned about trying to get my colours spot on.

No worries, I actually have two of them, one with the lift. It was around €150 euro or so. I bought the other one because it came with a big print drum, and the whole set was cheaper than the drum alone (new). I think i paid around €100 for it.
I haven't done any e-6 so far, but I'm thinking of doing RA-4 prints soon enough. Providing I can get my darkroom back up and running after moving houses.

Vitoldus

Just a quick update - did 10 rolls of MF fuji reala today in my jobo. I definitely got something. Waiting for the negs to dry now. I hope to do some 35mm tomorrow. Once they are dry I'll scan a few and post here.