Colour film Processing

Barney

Barney

Suspended / Banned
Messages
3,043
Name
Wayne
Edit My Images
No
Can anyone recommend a colour film processing kit?

Simple as possible with a bit of latitude on temperature that gives reliable results.

I have PLC that I wrote for temperature control but its on my homebrew fridge/heater and don't want to dismantle it all at this stage if I can be a bit more relaxed about the temperature.
 
I used the Bellini kit, but it's temperature latitude is tight for the developer (+/- 1 degree), the other chems can be less critical.

I'd reccomend a Sous Vide cooker and a big plastic tub, can be bought quite cheap and also have many uses in the kitchen. It has its own regulation controls, just set and forget.
 
I use the Bellini chemicals too. (y)

I use a Jobo rotary system, but another cheap way to start is with a small fish tank and heater/s - they cost peanuts . . .
 
@MikeLAshman welcome to TP Mike! Interesting first post, we shall be interested to heart how this goes for you and for @Barney (using the Royal We there as it's actually me personally that is very interested! I've only done B&W before but have a desire top do colour neg development, as a more practical means of processing colour LF negs than sending them off.)
 
lindsay said:
@MikeLAshman welcome to TP Mike! Interesting first post, we shall be interested to heart how this goes for you and for @Barney (using the Royal We there as it's actually me personally that is very interested! I've only done B&W before but have a desire top do colour neg development, as a more practical means of processing colour LF negs than sending them off.)
Click to expand...
How much do they charge Lindsay for a LF develop and scan?
 
MikeLAshman said:
I was given a sous vide and container for Xmas with the intention of moving into colour developing (only done B & W upto now), I'll report back as soon as I have results to report. I'll be using the Cinefilm C41 kit from Analogue Warehouse.
Click to expand...

Hello Mike, that kit looks like it is one of the simplest. googling results they look ok.
 
Barney said:
How much do they charge Lindsay for a LF develop and scan?
Click to expand...
I've seen prices of £15 per sheet / negative for C41 at 4x5 size. So DIY is the only sensible option. Never mind the hassle factor of having to ensure exposed sheets are kept in the original blackout bag etc when sent off. Not practical, that's why I already do my own B&W dev and scan.
 
I noticed filmdev has put up their price for c41 dev and small scan by 20% and now £6 (compared to price sheet sept 2024)...but they must be making a good profit on medium and large scan as prices haven't changed.
 
Well I had a crack with the C41 kit, no temperature control as such, conducted an anecdotal method where the water temperature in my sink dropped one degree in two minutes 20 seconds, so at 2 minutes sloshed a in a bit of boiling water from the kettle to keep things about right.

Three different scene types, I am incident metering these so your automatic cameras could give much more consistency on the exposure front



Fence to nowhere-5.jpg










Fence to nowhere-3.jpg












Fence to nowhere-6.jpg




I don't think that the colors are that far off from what you would expect on Kodak Gold 200
 
I have just developed a second film in the same developer and fixer,

Some observations,

Colour film feels a lot softer than B&W when loading onto the spools
When inverting my Patterson tank the higher temperature heats up the air inside, pressurises the tank and forces the lid open a touch causing leaks and hissing,
At completion the surface of the film feels "fatty" and greasy and doesn't respond well to the water dispersal solution in final rinse.
 
You need to squeeze as much air out as possible by pushing the lid down before sealing. The dimple on the lid should allow for a little more expansion too.

I changed to Jobo tanks as they have a better system - you can push the cap right in to cause a lower pressure inside.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top