How to develop your own colour film?

[emollientcolt]

Hi everyone. this question of self developing our colour film just came to me.
Anyone here self develop their own colour negetives or slides?
What are the differences between developing colour and black and white film?
Anyone with any experiences to share?

Thanks

 

[chaotic]

not possible without owning some serious stuff/chemicals... troublesome, unlikely to be worth the effort for an amateur. stick to the labs or bnw.

 

[Kit]

Yeah, don't bother.

 

[emollientcolt]

Okay.
Seems like a tedious process.

How about developing Colour Prints from negetives or slides?
is it as troublesome.
I know some enlargers have colour heads.

 

[Ansel]

Colour processing in general is not as satisfying as b/w processing. Colour processing is VERY temperature sensitive and you need some sophisticated (read expensive) temperature control system both for film and for prints. Moreover for prints you have to work in complete darkness and use drums instead of trays. Can't see the image appear before your eyes like b/w prints do. Really, DONT bother with colour, especially at this digital age. You want to try your hand at printing in the darkroom, try b/w -- much more satisfying.

I suggest you join one of the many photo clubs in Singapore such as Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS) or the SAFRA Photo Club and enroll in their many excellent b/w photography courses, pretty inexpensive really. You will be taught by fully qualified and very experienced trainers that will put you thru a formal programme, not haphazardly like you would if you try try on your own.

 

[sriram]

Also some of the chemicals used in colour slide processing (E6) are highly corrosive and must be handled with extreme care. Not worth the effort IMHO. Still, you get (used to, 5-6 yrs back?) slide processing kits at Cathay if you really want to try. I doubt they still stock them, after digital went mainstream.

 

[Ansel]

Also some of the chemicals used in colour slide processing (E6) are highly corrosive and must be handled with extreme care. Not worth the effort IMHO. Still, you get (used to, 5-6 yrs back?) slide processing kits at Cathay if you really want to try. I doubt they still stock them, after digital went mainstream.

Yes CP still sell the kit for E6 slide processing. The cost works out to $6 per roll of film processed. Not worth doing yourself. Cheaper to send out.

 

[Minoxman]

The primary question is not to see if it is worth doing it but how to do it.

I for one, would like to learn it one day. It makes the photographic process so much more complete and satisfying.
I think some of the shops are still selling the development kits.

 

[emollientcolt]

thank you everyone for reading and replying.
Will definitely try out black and white film and print development.

 

[StreetShooter]

Aiyah... black and white more ARTISTIC mah....

 

[maxby]

Don't bother with the C41 or E-6 process. Cheaper to send it to the lab.

However, colour printing is a different story. It is as easy as B&W printing. In order to have consistency, you need to get a temperature controlled print processor like the Jobo or Nova print processor. Actually the same goes for B&W.

Jobo is a daylight processor, that is once the print is exposed and loaded into the processor, the rest of the process can be done with the lights on....much easier than B&W. Nova slot processors are not daylight processors...you need to work in the dark....not difficult once you get the hang of it.

Processing time is very critical here...that is why the more variables you can control during the developing process the better consistency is your print.

IMHO, I prefer to set the development time on the developing, stop bath and fixing process instead of trying to judge the density of the print in the tray as in B&W....

I have a Nova Quad print processor and I find that printing from colour negatives are the same as B&W. Have not tried slide printing yet. Will be trying soon.

 

[emollientcolt]

hi maxby, thank you for your info.
i think for the time being i will be developing my own prints from BW negs.
However, your Jobo & Nova processors sounds interesting. I will look up info on that.

Thanks again

 

[sumball]

The primary question is not to see if it is worth doing it but how to do it.

I for one, would like to learn it one day. It makes the photographic process so much more complete and satisfying.
I think some of the shops are still selling the development kits.

Yes, satisfying is the word!

 

[Yjx]

E-6 and C-41 Kit Set by Tetenal can be obtained from Ruby.
And price is quite ok at $24 per kit for 6 rolls of 35mm...
But Temp is quite crucial at 38degrees.

Same Temp for C-41, but being able to cross process with E-6 film, can be quite fun.
I've done about 2 dozens of my own slides couple of years back, and quite happy with it. and about 4 rolls of cross-process, and yeild satifcatory results.

but printing is an issue, as it is done in total darkness.
My old JC uses an Orbital by Paterson, which is used like a developing tank, i.e. light-proff once the paper is in and locked.
You still can find them at Cathay, about $100++, and RA-4 kit set is the chemical from Ruby, plus RA-4 paper from Kodak. Temp is not the issue, at room temp is fine with tetenal RA-4 Kit, but then the colour calibration with enlargers are huge issue...