DIGIBASE C-41
- Thread starter Kouki
- Start date
Hahaha!! And I thought we were talking about the film...
losheng
New Member
Both C41 and E6 are highly standardized processes, and chemical systems from Kodak and Fujihunt, and possible guys like Tetenal, are all fully calibrated against the standard. So there's unlikely any issue with the quality of the chemicals themselves. The biggest challenge is process control and monitoring. Both Kodak and Fujihunt have very in-depth technical documentation describing how to spot and correct process issues.
The biggest benefit of the hobby kits is that the chemicals are packaged in smaller volumes, and also apportioned in a way that all the chemicals will be expanded at the same rate. Since shipping liquids is expensive, it might be cheaper to just buy one bottle of each chemical from the minilab.
Last edited:
thanks losheng. my lab over here has really been annoying me the last few months...so i'd really be pleased to get rid of them for all purposes by doing my own color film too. i have quite a few other questions, i'l figure it all out and maybe post another thread without hijacking this one 
actually, i dont have many questions. just one point im curious about (and maybe its pretty obvious) is - well, im thinking of getting powder developer.. should be easier to ship. so, say i get the 1L tetenal etc.. and mix it.. i'll end up with 1L each of the three baths.. these are all reusable, right? they say that the 1L kit can do like 10-20 rolls.. so that means each of these solutions can be used 10-20 times?
and my tank doesnt hold 1L, so just split it into smaller bottles? i saw a youtube vid where this guy has his solutions mixed up in 1L bottles, and he pours to fill the tank, but i doubt he pours the entire 1L into the tank.. then he pours the used solutions back..and thats ok?
wouldnt u be able to get more use out of it by splitting into say 2x 500ml.. and then using each 500ml 10-20 times? im not sure how this C41 kit thing works, so i thought i'd ask. sorry if this hijacking TS thread already!
and my tank doesnt hold 1L, so just split it into smaller bottles? i saw a youtube vid where this guy has his solutions mixed up in 1L bottles, and he pours to fill the tank, but i doubt he pours the entire 1L into the tank.. then he pours the used solutions back..and thats ok?
wouldnt u be able to get more use out of it by splitting into say 2x 500ml.. and then using each 500ml 10-20 times? im not sure how this C41 kit thing works, so i thought i'd ask. sorry if this hijacking TS thread already!
losheng
New Member
Hey, while i have been getting my hands dirty with E6, I have not started work on C41 at the moment. You may want to ping sweat100, who has done C41 and ECN with his jobo.
That aside, the basic principles of replenishing is the same. You can re-use chemicals, but depending on the scenes that you shoot, it's hard to estimate when the chemicals will be exhausted. Some amount of compensation can be made by extending the processing time. However, there's no reliable way of knowing how much compensation is to be made.
A more robust method of replenishing is:
1. check the recommended replenishment rate from the data sheet, say 40 ml per each 135 roll.
2. mix 40ml of fresh working solution, and top up the rest of the working volume with used chemicals. For example, the Jobo 1510 tank needs 140 ml of working solution for each roll of 135 films, so you add 100ml of used solution to this 40ml of fresh solution for the processing.
3. after processing, save the used chemical for the next round. If the used chemical bottle is about full, first discard 40ml of used solution before pouring in the used solution from this round.
In this way, you keep the chemicals strength constant to minimize roll to roll variation.
You might not be able to do this with the hobby kits, because it might not have sufficient technical documentation to provide you with the replenishing rates. If you are able to get the minilab to just sell you one bottle of each chemical, it might be cheaper and easier. Good luck and have fun!
hey thanks bro. very useful info. but ur right, i just went thru a pdf of the tetenal c41 kit (powder) that i plan on getting..doesnt give info on replenishing etc. so i think i'll just split the 1L of working solution into 2x 500ml to suit my developing tank, and reuse each one 10-20 times.. that should work, right? cheers!
cheers!for 35mm and 120mm, why not just send to the labs? if you do it yrself, you have to
1. deal with getting the chemicals
2. deal with developing at 38 degrees.
3. deal with the shelf life of chemicals
4. can you do it better/faster/cheaper than the labs? (maybe yes for vietnam where i know heshanj is)
I have only tried the liquid chemicals of the tetenal c41 kit for my 4x5. the shelf life of the opened but unmixed chemicals is probably about 4 months. Once mixed into working solution it will probably last much shorter. The instructions booklet that came with the kit has the information but I had threw that away.
Therefore to maximise the usage of the chemicals, it is better to accumulate all yr rolls and then do the processing.
1. deal with getting the chemicals
2. deal with developing at 38 degrees.
3. deal with the shelf life of chemicals
4. can you do it better/faster/cheaper than the labs? (maybe yes for vietnam where i know heshanj is)
I have only tried the liquid chemicals of the tetenal c41 kit for my 4x5. the shelf life of the opened but unmixed chemicals is probably about 4 months. Once mixed into working solution it will probably last much shorter. The instructions booklet that came with the kit has the information but I had threw that away.
Therefore to maximise the usage of the chemicals, it is better to accumulate all yr rolls and then do the processing.
yeah..its not easy i guess..but i bet it'd be a lot of fun at least! and yes, although the labs over here are pretty cheap, negs are often scratched a bit, got some dust.. not to mention the unfriendly you-need-us-we-dont-need-you attitude of these guys..so its definitely beneficial for me
wat i cant seem to find online is.. once i mix my powder chemicals..i end up with 1L..do i need to use all of that when i develop..or can i split it up into two parts, and do different batches to be more economical? i am confused over this. haha
wat i cant seem to find online is.. once i mix my powder chemicals..i end up with 1L..do i need to use all of that when i develop..or can i split it up into two parts, and do different batches to be more economical? i am confused over this. haha
u using a paterson kind of tank? then you use what is needed. how to know the chemical is unusable is a bit tricky. for me, 4 of my sheets turned up transparent so that when i threw out the chemicals.
here a few scans from negatives developed using the tetenal kit.
nice shots! 
ektar is a very nice film. yup im using patterson type of tank, sorry didnt mention that before. so can split the chemicals into 2 or 3 bottles each, and use? coz i need like 350ml in the tank for 1 roll, and 650ml for 2.
and i know there is probably no certain answer for this, but by experience, how long can i safely keep the working solution? i can store it in full airtight plastic bottles. and yeah, it'd be good to know a safe number of times to reuse it, i dotn wanna mess up one roll to find out that the solution is spent! haha
ektar is a very nice film. yup im using patterson type of tank, sorry didnt mention that before. so can split the chemicals into 2 or 3 bottles each, and use? coz i need like 350ml in the tank for 1 roll, and 650ml for 2. and i know there is probably no certain answer for this, but by experience, how long can i safely keep the working solution? i can store it in full airtight plastic bottles. and yeah, it'd be good to know a safe number of times to reuse it, i dotn wanna mess up one roll to find out that the solution is spent! haha
you can refer to the instructions that came with whichever kit you are going to buy.
Keep it within the specifications and they will be alright. beyond that, it seems that everyone has different experiences on how many rolls and how long to keep. This is because it really depends on how fresh yr chemicals are , any contamination etc.
Keep it within the specifications and they will be alright. beyond that, it seems that everyone has different experiences on how many rolls and how long to keep. This is because it really depends on how fresh yr chemicals are , any contamination etc.
Similar threads
