This video is one of the main reasons I prefer your work over most of the other photography channels. I have been a professional photographer and newspaper editor for 34 years and only recently started working with film again. I'm working on a book for my guide series about film and needed to shoot more than 400 images for it. Toward the end, I realized I needed color images for the covers. Frankly, I've been a little wary of developing color film. I rarely did it in the past, and it's been at least 30 years since I did it at all. Your video about developing color film really helped take the fear out of the process. The comfort level you have and express in this video (and all your videos) is, to me, the best way to teach and to learn. Your videos - especially your how-to work - really make it feel as though you and I are just sitting there talking about it. That's a rare thing on CZcams. I really appreciate your efforts. Thanks.
I mix the chemicals at above 120F in an old coffee pot then transfer it into the bottles. This solves the volcano issues with the Blix. You will get a lot of sandy stuff left in the pot at the end of the pour. I add a little bit of warm water to it, slosh it around the pot and finish transferring it to the bottle. I wait a day before using the Blix because it takes that long to fully dissolve. Slow down the agitation. I generally dispose of the developer after 2 rolls of b&w film. The kit you purchased for C-41 is good for beyond 8 rolls. However, you will get uneven development if you agitate as aggressively as you did on the video (only a real problem when going beyond 8 rolls). 2-3 inversions per 5 seconds is good. So the first 15 seconds, you invert about 9-10 times. I figured what shows up as issues when chemicals are being stretched are still (less visible) issues when they are not. When chemicals are stretched, the colors will shift meaning some channels will become more saturated than others. C-41 is an interpreted film, meaning its not really "color" in the sense like slide film. You are the judge when balancing the channels. Be warned that the grain will will look different and high contrast areas will start looking blotchy at 3200 DPI. This is really what they meant with the capacity warning on the instructions. I also keep all chemicals in clear bottles for easier inspection of the color and contaminants. I keep the chemicals refrigerated so they are kept in the dark. The developer has a tendency to oxidize over time and turn orange regardless of the use of dark bottles. Refrigeration slowed down this issue for me dramatically. It really helps to use filtered water. With the use of a tripod, Ektar should look sharp at 3200 DPI without software sharpening. If it doesn't, there is something in your water which causes everything to look soft. Hard water makes film look soft. :( I have done C-41 with over 500 rolls. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Little mistake at 9:13 If you are mixing reagents and heat is given off (ie. it gets hotter) then it is an EXO-thermic reaction. Endothermic reactions are ones which take in heat and hence feel colder as the reaction proceeds.
It's fun to see someone capture their first time with C41 development...I remember being VERY nervous, even after years of BW development. Good job! Two things I noticed: 1. I pre-burp all of my steps with the Patterson Tank. Basically pour, then when putting the lid on, squeeze the air out. Sometimes I have to burp the Blix as it's going along, but not as much if I get rid of the air in the beginning. 2. This will also help with the burping, but I see people invert WAY to aggressively and all the way upside down. I have found that you really don't need to do this. I never invert all the way upside down, and am very gentle, especially in c41 with my agitation. My grain, even with Kodak Gold, is waaay better with softer, gentler, less inverted inversions. Keep up the great work, loving the videos.
A tip for dissolving chemicals in general is to pour about 3/4 of the amount of solvent (in this case tap water) in your bottle, add your dry components, shake until they dissolve completely and then add solvent until you have the desired volume. This leaves more space in the bottle for gases to escape and makes sure that any powder sticking to the funnel or bottle neck is also dissolved in the end.
I did b/w developing years ago in college and only recently started C-41 by myself. It feels much more satisfying when you see the image and colours are spot on out of the tank.
Great job on the demo. Stablizer is old but pretty important. I wouldn’t skip that step if you wish, at any point, to archive the film. Basically, photoflo is for BW film but shouldn’t be used on color films. The stablizer already has an anti-spotting agent. So why is the stablizer important? It has a small amount of formaldehyde which stops any mold or fungus growth on the film. Film is simply gelatin which mold and bacteria love to consume. BW film has a high concentration is silver which is a natrual anti-bacterial agent. E-6 and C-41 has less silver and so the stablizer is important to add the extra level of protection. Also the main reason you never rinse after this step. For mixing the chemistry, I use chemistry lab beakers with a hotplate and magnetic stirrer. It’s not necesary, but does make the process go even faster and prevent the overflow problems you can run into. You can also use the hotplate to warm the chemistry up to the right temps. After the inversions, I would stir the film a bit just to break off any possible air bubbles that stick to the surface of the film. Inversions throw a lot of air bubbles into the solution which could cause problems.
Alex McKeever Just about any will do, they're not really complex to begin with. The ones with the magnetic stirrer capability are nice but cost a little more. They use a teflon coated bar that rotates on the bottom of the beaker to stir the solution. Ebay has several on sale.
Thank you for all of your work! I am just starting to develop my own films and prints. Even thou I've been shooting film for almost 2 years, your videos gave me courage to make the whole process myself :) Thank you, for your time that went into these videos, Greetings from Slovakia ♥
So I’ve been doing it 5yrs now I guess can’t believe it’s been this long of shooting film and processing. Just for any new people. #1 processing/ developing is way easier than some people try to make it. The other thing I’ve found the film is nowhere near as sensitive as it’s explained in some documents. I’ve experimented just to test the limits and found it’s incredibly difficult to screw up as long as you have your chemicals labeled right. And also once it goes bad then you have problems but it was a lot easier than I thought
I'm eager to give C-41 a shot, but I'm still slightly anxious about temp regulation. I love doing my own B&W, but you are absolutely correct about all the many chemical options, which can be overwhelming when it comes to B&W.
Hi, I'm a photography lover and a long time ago I use to develop my own films, (of course there was not digital photography them), I remember I loved to develop color films, specially I used E-6 process largely, and sometimes C-41, one of the things I see is that you use top water to prepare your chemicals, That's fine if you have a soft water on your area, nevertheless top water usually have chemicals in it or tend to be very hard. Notice the comment from Mark Blumer he got water spot on the film when he uses the stabilizer as final, maybe if he uses Distilled water (which is the most recommended for this chemicals) probably he wouldn't get those spots. also the stabilizer is kind of crystal, it most be well diluted. I love your show. I'm tying to go back to photography using films I love it, but I need to learn more about art and photo techniques that's where this videos got me hook up. Thank you.
Go with Kodak's SM "Small Tank" Flexicolor chemistry since the Bleach is a separate and stand alone solution, not formulated as a BLIX, allowing for process variations of Bleach Bypass or Partial Bleach Bypass where you can skip or cut short the Bleach process time.
@@theartofphotography I was wondering about how you are doing C41 these days??? I ask because I am about to set up shop on the west side of FTW with film processing. My house is getting remodeled and that's really all that stands in the way for me. By mid March, I should be ready, until then, I can process smaller batches and should be ready to go next week.I realize you are a DIY'er and that's why I love your channel. I had a thought that was keeping me up late last night thinking. As the nature of photographic chemicals is to go bad before you can use them up.... I should be in the business also of selling them to make sure they get used up before they go bad. So I wanted to ask, as a local to me... as it pertains to this video. If I could hook you up with real deal Kodak Flexicolor chemistry for C41 would you be interested??? The same can be said for BW chemicals.... If you want a liter of fresh XTOL, Rodinal, HC-110, Stop Bath, Hypoclear, Rapid Fixer, Photoflo, etc as a working solution.... If the price was right, would that be of interest to you? The right price is $1 for photoflo, stop bath, hypoclear per L in your container.. $4.50/L XTOL (15 film capacity), about the same for fixer...I would get someone set up with full BW chems for around $10-12 in their own containers. I reckon it might broaden your horizons? Allow for more experimentation? It could allow access for new film photographers without all the clutter. I will be staying in Lakeside for about the next 4 weeks. After that in White Settlement about a mile from Ed over at Camera Repair Center.
Howdy, I've seen a number of your videos, but this is the one that finally got me to subscribe. I really like your broad interest and passion for the "hobby" and your really easy to listen to. I recently procured a Nikon FM and hope to learn from the ground up. I can't tell you how helpful you've been. Keep up the good work!
Hi Ted, That all looks good. It hadn't occurred to me that C41 would be simpler than black and white. They look great on Flickr, too. Thanks for another superb video!
Hm... I'm not really sure that it is simpler (I suppose it depends on what technique you're using). The whole process as shown by Ted here looks almost exactly like B&W development (I'm using Ilford liquid chemicals, btw).
Thanks Ted, again for a wonderful episode, in which you made me think again on all those beautiful film camera's I have in a nice glass case...an old contaflex, a Voitländer Vitessa, A bronica sq-a.... one way or another, it feels for me as if the consciousness of shooting film is adding a lot to the photographic joy, that you haven't digitally. But... I'll have to wait to get more time 'once' !
I use Anova sous-vide device, with Klean Kanteen bottles (for water bath), 3 Platypus hydration bottles (for storage), and Paterson Tank for 120. It takes 12 minutes to heat tap water to 102 degrees F. Squeezing out the air, and putting the chemicals in the fridge helps prevent chemical breakdown.
I would recommend distilled water, tap water can vary in quality around the country, and your plumbing, and various contaminates can effect film processing results.
Excellent video. Thank you for making this video. Now I have almost enough knowledge to start/attemp my own first c 41 developing and I will not forget that I learned enough from you to do it.
Great tutorial Ted ^^ One note: Personally I stopped inverting the tank during blix after I have had two separate instances of "burp-outs" while inverting the tank, made a mess over my bathroom. (yes, I made sure to vent the tank after each agitation/inversion) Using the stick on the blix is totally ok, as long as the Blix cover your film, I did give the tank a little swirl as well (horisontal) without the lid, just to mix it up a little during the blix stage.
Thank you so much for this video! I was looking around to find an all in one video showing what to buy, and the process of how to develop with those chemicals and this one is perfect!
Such a GREAT video, I've done Black and white but always wondered about how colour is done, Thanks
Před 10 lety
Great video as usual Ted. I think storage should be brought to attention too. I bought freestyles liquid Rollei kit in November, the 5 litre one, and I am still using it. I have done 2x500 litre mixes and one 1 litre mix. Everything seems to work perfect. But for skeptics out there, I can vouch for the liquid (unmixed) solution to last for over 8 months.
Glad you got results from that Ted. Like you, I was aware there were/are a lot of bad things written about processing C-41 at home - mostly by people from 30 years ago. All who warned about all sorts of complications and trouble. I didn't get any of those issues from my own processing. I too was very pleased the first time I did C-41 myself and nearly all of those historical warnings are unfounded. That said, the blix once mixed is a bit 'nasty'. Leaving that to one side, I get perhaps a dozen rolls through each of those kits now so they are good value, especially now that so many labs are closing or charging huge amounts ($15 or so) to do ONE ROLL. Walmart in North Texas now won't even return the negatives, just junky scans at 1024x768 size on a CD. By the way, I also develop 120 film through the same process - works a treat too. If anyone doesn't think you can get good results from doing all this yourself, I have two photographs on display that I home processed - one is color C-41 and is a first prize winner of a North Texas Business Council of the Arts contest. If you are in the same area that Ted and I are, check out the "UNT on the Square" Gallery in Denton this week as it closes next Saturday. C-41 using the SAME gear, chemicals and gear that Ted is using. Do it. You'd be surprised just how easy it is.
how many rolls of 120 film can you average out of one box of this developer? i'm running into the same issue of not wanting to pay $15 for a roll of film to be developed.
sorry to bother you again: what is the average life span of this kit? and do you push your film with this kit? if so, do you leave it in longer, heat the chemicals more than average?
3 months or so once mixed up and there is (was?) a short guide in the instruction sheet about pushing - perhaps 2 stops and you are into heavy grain and the start of color shifts.
great job. This has been the best in-depth instruction on C-41 I've seen so far. Keep up the good work, and maybe we'll see an E-6 Vid soon, too? Cheers! :)
One of the method to avoid the reacting blix solution to overflow is to do the mixing in a large measuring pitcher, that way the gas generated from the reaction can escape easily instead of pushing through the tiny opening of the bottle, mix it with a stirrer in the big pitcher and then pour the finished soluiton to your bottle. These pitchers can hold up to 2 liters
This is the exact process that Ive used for a year now and it works great Scanning wise, Ive found that some films work better than others ...or rather, some are easier to color correct for the base layer. I use CFSystems' ColorPerfect plugin and that gets me closer than auto levels does in PS.... but scanning and correcting film images when color is critical is a bear all on its own.
Good point Ted, do not use the reel when it is wet , it has to be completely dry. I encountered many issue when there is water in the ball bearing where the film catches on. Thanks for sharing Ted
Great video, Ted. This is the most demystifying tutorial I have seen on C-41 development. I've been sitting on my Tetenol Press Kit for a while. I guess I thought I didn't have everything I needed to get started. But it turns out I did. I was wondering what kind of scanner you're using. Do you scan negatives? Maybe you can make a quick vid on the subject. Keep 'em coming. Cheers
So glad you did this...I've done b&w developing at home since I was 13 years old. I've ALWAYS been intimidated by color though...from seeing you do this...I'm thinking that I may just jump into the color boat! Luckily, having done b&w, I have all of the equipment, I just need the chemical kit ;-)
umm just a thought, If you have well water and or softened water, it might be best to use distilled, well water/soften water will have heavy minerals or salt in it and that might be bad for the film.
Just bought the JOBO c-41 press kit and I'm honestly a bit nervous about developing at home. I have no problem at all with BW film [hp5] but from what I've heard, this should be a breeze since BW is no problem now. Also, watching through, you have everything I have so now I can follow this to the T!
Wonderfully explained "How-to" video, and your images look very nice. You just gained a new skill and have earned your C-41 badge! Isn't it just fun too?
Just to be a pedant, at 9:15 if it feels hot it's an exothermic reaction. Endothermic means it's absorbing heat (so will feel cold). That said, great video and fantastic channel; the best photography videos I've found on youtube by far! Thanks.
I hear its 8 rolls of film, but then you just add 5-10 seconds dev. time per roll for both developer and blix to get more rolls. so if you're doing your 9th and 10th roll respectively at the same time (assuming you're using 2 roll canister), you add about 5 seconds of additional dev time. so 3:30 minutes becomes 3:40 minutes, so on as you develop more rolls. Some people do upwards of 25-30 before they get new kits.
I know how to process C-41 but these days I have a nagging question. A friend of mine wants to do his own processing, B/W + Color and he is afraid of the Environment impact he will leave if he tosses his chemistry down the drain. Is there a way to avoid this and what is your method of disposal of used up Chemistry?
Environmental impact? Smh. All the water runs out of your house won't go straight to the river or the sea. There's a septic tank, sewer system and everything. Those systems have plenty of strong chemicals in it themselves designed to deal with human waste and any chems people pour down the drain. They'll take care of your disposed chems so just pour them down the drain. You can even pour them straight into a river or sea and they won't leave any lasting damage since there are so much more water out there. The only way to damage the environment with these is if you pour them onto a tree or grass for some weird reason.
One thing that I'd like to add is to make sure you keep up on darkroom "housekeeping." Which means to make sure you wash your tank after each use, along with your funnel, and anything that comes into contact with the chemistry to prevent cross-contamination. Also I'd recommend a graduated beaker for measuring chemistry.
Very nice walktrough! I've wanted to start developing some rolls. I have *all the equipment, but since the chemicals cost a bit, I haven't been sure enough about how to store and treat them. After use, do you poor them back, and if so, what about the different ones? I would guess it's fine for the developer since it starts with a dry tank, but won't the fix get weared out quit fast? Also, what to do with the chemicals when they're ready for disposal? Love you're shows. Ted!
these podcasts are great, and so usefull with all of the tips and walkthrough, will say this though as you were loading the film, the hasselblad in th background with no les on and the lens upside down.... dust JS
for heating the chemistry get a sous vide cooker like the ones available from Anova ... the anova Nano works for me. easy to set it to whatever temp you need and it holds temps well.
Hey Ted, Thanks for the tutorial. Could you please show how you scanned and processed the colour negative film into photoshop to get the correct colour? Regards
I'm not sure what he uses, but in my opinion the best option for for making a negative positive in photoshop is the cfsystems colorperfect plugin. My school has hasselblad flexlight scanners so I scan in 3F raw then open these files as tiff in photoshop, crop to image borders, then use colorperfect. In colorperfect I select the type of film i shot, make some white and blackpoint corrections, and then i have a nice open editable image. As for other scanning methods you can wet mount lerge negs and scan with a flatbed like the epson v700 orjust use the provided trays. Or you can scan the negs with an slr using a macro lens and stitching together multiple exposures in photoshop.
Hi ! thanks for this video thanks to witch I discovered this kit. I do feel lucky because Here in Europe we have liquid kits much more easier to use. (no volcano effect) I process C41 and E6 in my lab but with a processor. Your way of doing things is Ok for C41 but wouldn't work for E6 which demands much more precision. I hope that a lot of people will try home processed C41. I do agree when you say that it is easier than black and white, C41 is a process black and white is a kind of "cooking" everybody has his own recipes habits and ingredients. I also love Ektar 100 that I use in 35mm, 120, and 4x5. Film is not dead and Kodak keeps making my favourite films !
Thank you,seems easy enough someone gave me a Kodak 35 with some film .now all I got to do is figure out what all the buttons are for n how to get infrared to come out.....
Awesome to see folks using film!! Great video and makes it look like very straightforward. It's been an age since I've processed film/prints and speaking of 'anal' I used to keep my chems in the old collapsible bottles to prevent oxidation. Whether it mattered one iota I haven't a clue. ☺ Going to check your channel in hopes of finding some darkroom/enlarger/print processing work. My kit has been boxed up and hasn't seen the light of day for many a year but I just haven't been able to part with it. I'll have to look into scanning film into a format compatible which facilitates using Lightroom/Photoshop as well as RAW does. Perhaps that's somewhere within your playlists. Very inspiring and thank you for taking the time to demonstrate the process! ps: sub'd
Hey Ted, I want to first of all say thank you. I've been following you channel for awhile and it has been immensely helpful. In fact I have you to thank for giving me the knowledge and confidence to develop my black and white film at home. More recently I've embarked in C-41 development. The results have been pretty good, but I do have a question. At the beginning I would follow the directions to the letter and use the stabilizer as a final rinse. Often this would result in ugly scaled water spots appearing on my negs after drying. Recently I was developing a roll and decided to do another rinse after stabilizer using tap water with LFN wetting solution just like I use on my B&W film. Voila, no more water spots. However, after reading some of the comments here I understand the importance of the stabilizer being the final rinse in order to preserve the negative. My question: do you think it might be reasonable to add the LFN to the stabilizer rinse? Or could this possibly cause more headaches than solutions? Alternatively maybe I could try doing an LFN rinse before the stabilizer and get a similar result. Thanks!
could you maybe do a video about C-41 stand development? I've read online a few places that talked about it. I haven't tried it out yet... maybe I'll shoot a test roll and try it out.
So weird. I was always under the impression that color development was a pain in the ass. I remember in my Highschool Photography class we had a color room that I never saw anyone use, so I was under the impression that it was difficult. Maybe it's color print making that's difficult? I really don't know anymore.
do you have another video on how to get the film on the reel? I got confused pretty fast, but maybe because I don't have my kit and stuff yet, from the mail
Awesome video! Thanks a ton for the upload. I think I'll move on to color developing today. Just out of curiosity, what scanner did you use for these images? Thanks!
Ted, great video. I might have missed it, but after each step, did you pour the chemical back into the appropriate bottle and rinse the Paterson tank before going on to the next chemical?
Does the Tetenal kit generate any severe odor? I've been processing black and white for years without any problems and I've just ordered my first C-41 kit. I live in an apartment and am concerned about strong smells from the chemicals. Any advice would be appreciated.
I don't know if it was a mistake, but on Kodachrome's very detailed WikipediA-page it says with scanning it would get a blue cast to it. - Well, either way, it was known to have issues with scanning then.
Great video, thanks. One question I have is related to the amount of film 1 litre of chemistry will develop, there is plenty of information saying how many rolls of 35mm/120 that can be correctly developed, but I can't find any information relating to 4x5! Are the calculations based on the total surface area that comes into contact with the chemistry? Anyone with any experience on this would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks
Hello Mr. Forbes, very informative video, as always. I am considering taking up film photography as well. However, I would like to know if any precaution is to be taken while using the chemicals. Are the fumes harmful to the health in some way ?
I just developed my first BW film and it was great. Going to try this next. Just had a quick question on the last step. You said we can substitute this step with photo-flo. When I did the BW film, I used photo-flo and I just mixed it with water. Is that what you meant by using photo-flo? If I don't use photo-flo and just use the stabilizer and not use photo-flo, will it leave water streaks? Sorry for all the dumb questions but I want to make sure I don't mess it up. Thanks
The Tetenal C-41 Press Kit on B&H will not be shipped, I assume for safety reasons. The developer contains Trisodium NTA, which is on California's Proposition 65 list of known carcinogens. In order to purchase the chemicals, I would need to go to their store in New York, but there is no way that is going to happen. Did anyone find a place online where the needed chemicals could be purchased and shipped? Thanks.
This video is one of the main reasons I prefer your work over most of the other photography channels. I have been a professional photographer and newspaper editor for 34 years and only recently started working with film again. I'm working on a book for my guide series about film and needed to shoot more than 400 images for it. Toward the end, I realized I needed color images for the covers. Frankly, I've been a little wary of developing color film. I rarely did it in the past, and it's been at least 30 years since I did it at all. Your video about developing color film really helped take the fear out of the process. The comfort level you have and express in this video (and all your videos) is, to me, the best way to teach and to learn. Your videos - especially your how-to work - really make it feel as though you and I are just sitting there talking about it. That's a rare thing on CZcams. I really appreciate your efforts. Thanks.
+Shawn Tomlinson thanks Shawn!
Shawn Tomlinson o
I mix the chemicals at above 120F in an old coffee pot then transfer it into the bottles. This solves the volcano issues with the Blix. You will get a lot of sandy stuff left in the pot at the end of the pour. I add a little bit of warm water to it, slosh it around the pot and finish transferring it to the bottle. I wait a day before using the Blix because it takes that long to fully dissolve.
Slow down the agitation. I generally dispose of the developer after 2 rolls of b&w film. The kit you purchased for C-41 is good for beyond 8 rolls. However, you will get uneven development if you agitate as aggressively as you did on the video (only a real problem when going beyond 8 rolls). 2-3 inversions per 5 seconds is good. So the first 15 seconds, you invert about 9-10 times. I figured what shows up as issues when chemicals are being stretched are still (less visible) issues when they are not.
When chemicals are stretched, the colors will shift meaning some channels will become more saturated than others. C-41 is an interpreted film, meaning its not really "color" in the sense like slide film. You are the judge when balancing the channels. Be warned that the grain will will look different and high contrast areas will start looking blotchy at 3200 DPI. This is really what they meant with the capacity warning on the instructions.
I also keep all chemicals in clear bottles for easier inspection of the color and contaminants. I keep the chemicals refrigerated so they are kept in the dark. The developer has a tendency to oxidize over time and turn orange regardless of the use of dark bottles. Refrigeration slowed down this issue for me dramatically.
It really helps to use filtered water. With the use of a tripod, Ektar should look sharp at 3200 DPI without software sharpening. If it doesn't, there is something in your water which causes everything to look soft. Hard water makes film look soft. :(
I have done C-41 with over 500 rolls. Hope this helps.
Good luck.
Aaron Xavier great tips! Thanks, wow 500 rolls is a lot
Little mistake at 9:13
If you are mixing reagents and heat is given off (ie. it gets hotter) then it is an EXO-thermic reaction. Endothermic reactions are ones which take in heat and hence feel colder as the reaction proceeds.
It's fun to see someone capture their first time with C41 development...I remember being VERY nervous, even after years of BW development. Good job!
Two things I noticed:
1. I pre-burp all of my steps with the Patterson Tank. Basically pour, then when putting the lid on, squeeze the air out. Sometimes I have to burp the Blix as it's going along, but not as much if I get rid of the air in the beginning.
2. This will also help with the burping, but I see people invert WAY to aggressively and all the way upside down. I have found that you really don't need to do this. I never invert all the way upside down, and am very gentle, especially in c41 with my agitation. My grain, even with Kodak Gold, is waaay better with softer, gentler, less inverted inversions.
Keep up the great work, loving the videos.
you seem very wise lol do you have a blog or something? Im just getting into film photography
The first thought that came to mind after this video ended was, why haven't I done this sooner?
A tip for dissolving chemicals in general is to pour about 3/4 of the amount of solvent (in this case tap water) in your bottle, add your dry components, shake until they dissolve completely and then add solvent until you have the desired volume. This leaves more space in the bottle for gases to escape and makes sure that any powder sticking to the funnel or bottle neck is also dissolved in the end.
I did b/w developing years ago in college and only recently started C-41 by myself. It feels much more satisfying when you see the image and colours are spot on out of the tank.
Great job on the demo.
Stablizer is old but pretty important. I wouldn’t skip that step if you wish, at any point, to archive the film. Basically, photoflo is for BW film but shouldn’t be used on color films. The stablizer already has an anti-spotting agent. So why is the stablizer important? It has a small amount of formaldehyde which stops any mold or fungus growth on the film. Film is simply gelatin which mold and bacteria love to consume. BW film has a high concentration is silver which is a natrual anti-bacterial agent. E-6 and C-41 has less silver and so the stablizer is important to add the extra level of protection. Also the main reason you never rinse after this step.
For mixing the chemistry, I use chemistry lab beakers with a hotplate and magnetic stirrer. It’s not necesary, but does make the process go even faster and prevent the overflow problems you can run into. You can also use the hotplate to warm the chemistry up to the right temps.
After the inversions, I would stir the film a bit just to break off any possible air bubbles that stick to the surface of the film. Inversions throw a lot of air bubbles into the solution which could cause problems.
What is a good hotplate to use?
Alex McKeever Just about any will do, they're not really complex to begin with. The ones with the magnetic stirrer capability are nice but cost a little more. They use a teflon coated bar that rotates on the bottom of the beaker to stir the solution. Ebay has several on sale.
That is why after the inversions, I tap the film canister 3 times on the table to knock the bubbles loose.
Thank you for all of your work!
I am just starting to develop my own films and prints. Even thou I've been shooting film for almost 2 years, your videos gave me courage to make the whole process myself :)
Thank you, for your time that went into these videos,
Greetings from Slovakia ♥
So I’ve been doing it 5yrs now I guess can’t believe it’s been this long of shooting film and processing. Just for any new people. #1 processing/ developing is way easier than some people try to make it. The other thing I’ve found the film is nowhere near as sensitive as it’s explained in some documents. I’ve experimented just to test the limits and found it’s incredibly difficult to screw up as long as you have your chemicals labeled right. And also once it goes bad then you have problems but it was a lot easier than I thought
I'm eager to give C-41 a shot, but I'm still slightly anxious about temp regulation. I love doing my own B&W, but you are absolutely correct about all the many chemical options, which can be overwhelming when it comes to B&W.
Hi, I'm a photography lover and a long time ago I use to develop my own films, (of course there was not digital photography them), I remember I loved to develop color films, specially I used E-6 process largely, and sometimes C-41, one of the things I see is that you use top water to prepare your chemicals, That's fine if you have a soft water on your area, nevertheless top water usually have chemicals in it or tend to be very hard. Notice the comment from Mark Blumer he got water spot on the film when he uses the stabilizer as final, maybe if he uses Distilled water (which is the most recommended for this chemicals) probably he wouldn't get those spots. also the stabilizer is kind of crystal, it most be well diluted. I love your show. I'm tying to go back to photography using films I love it, but I need to learn more about art and photo techniques that's where this videos got me hook up. Thank you.
excited to see this post. can't wait for you to work with it a bit more and collect a handful of useful tips and tricks you may find to share.
Just ordered my first kit of C41 developer! Can’t wait to start messing with it! Great video!
This is great.. I have my chemicals on the way from B&H so watching this was perfect timing.
Go with Kodak's SM "Small Tank" Flexicolor chemistry since the Bleach is a separate and stand alone solution, not formulated as a BLIX, allowing for process variations of Bleach Bypass or Partial Bleach Bypass where you can skip or cut short the Bleach process time.
Ted, your channel is so dang helpful. Thanks for it all... and thanks for turning me on to Matt Day. Between the two of you - well it's just awesome.
Thanks Kevin!
@@theartofphotography I was wondering about how you are doing C41 these days??? I ask because I am about to set up shop on the west side of FTW with film processing. My house is getting remodeled and that's really all that stands in the way for me. By mid March, I should be ready, until then, I can process smaller batches and should be ready to go next week.I realize you are a DIY'er and that's why I love your channel.
I had a thought that was keeping me up late last night thinking. As the nature of photographic chemicals is to go bad before you can use them up.... I should be in the business also of selling them to make sure they get used up before they go bad.
So I wanted to ask, as a local to me... as it pertains to this video. If I could hook you up with real deal Kodak Flexicolor chemistry for C41 would you be interested??? The same can be said for BW chemicals.... If you want a liter of fresh XTOL, Rodinal, HC-110, Stop Bath, Hypoclear, Rapid Fixer, Photoflo, etc as a working solution.... If the price was right, would that be of interest to you? The right price is $1 for photoflo, stop bath, hypoclear per L in your container.. $4.50/L XTOL (15 film capacity), about the same for fixer...I would get someone set up with full BW chems for around $10-12 in their own containers. I reckon it might broaden your horizons? Allow for more experimentation? It could allow access for new film photographers without all the clutter.
I will be staying in Lakeside for about the next 4 weeks. After that in White Settlement about a mile from Ed over at Camera Repair Center.
This is the best video on your channel Ted, I'd love to see more about film developing, color or B/W films, push and pull processing.
Howdy, I've seen a number of your videos, but this is the one that finally got me to subscribe. I really like your broad interest and passion for the "hobby" and your really easy to listen to. I recently procured a Nikon FM and hope to learn from the ground up. I can't tell you how helpful you've been. Keep up the good work!
Hi Ted,
That all looks good. It hadn't occurred to me that C41 would be simpler than black and white.
They look great on Flickr, too.
Thanks for another superb video!
Hm... I'm not really sure that it is simpler (I suppose it depends on what technique you're using). The whole process as shown by Ted here looks almost exactly like B&W development (I'm using Ilford liquid chemicals, btw).
Thanks Ted, again for a wonderful episode, in which you made me think again on all those beautiful film camera's I have in a nice glass case...an old contaflex, a Voitländer Vitessa, A bronica sq-a.... one way or another, it feels for me as if the consciousness of shooting film is adding a lot to the photographic joy, that you haven't digitally. But... I'll have to wait to get more time 'once' !
I use Anova sous-vide device, with Klean Kanteen bottles (for water bath), 3 Platypus hydration bottles (for storage), and Paterson Tank for 120. It takes 12 minutes to heat tap water to 102 degrees F. Squeezing out the air, and putting the chemicals in the fridge helps prevent chemical breakdown.
I would recommend distilled water, tap water can vary in quality around the country, and your plumbing, and various contaminates can effect film processing results.
All good and great, but is your tap still leaking?
Excellent video. Thank you for making this video. Now I have almost enough knowledge to start/attemp my own first c 41 developing and I will not forget that I learned enough from you to do it.
Great tutorial Ted ^^
One note: Personally I stopped inverting the tank during blix after I have had two separate instances of "burp-outs" while inverting the tank, made a mess over my bathroom. (yes, I made sure to vent the tank after each agitation/inversion)
Using the stick on the blix is totally ok, as long as the Blix cover your film, I did give the tank a little swirl as well (horisontal) without the lid, just to mix it up a little during the blix stage.
Thank you so much for this video! I was looking around to find an all in one video showing what to buy, and the process of how to develop with those chemicals and this one is perfect!
Such a GREAT video, I've done Black and white but always wondered about how colour is done, Thanks
Great video as usual Ted. I think storage should be brought to attention too.
I bought freestyles liquid Rollei kit in November, the 5 litre one, and I am still using it. I have done 2x500 litre mixes and one 1 litre mix. Everything seems to work perfect.
But for skeptics out there, I can vouch for the liquid (unmixed) solution to last for over 8 months.
This is great! I have developed B&W film in school but never color film and as you said it looks easier.
Thanks Ted you continue to expand my horizons!
Glad you got results from that Ted. Like you, I was aware there were/are a lot of bad things written about processing C-41 at home - mostly by people from 30 years ago. All who warned about all sorts of complications and trouble.
I didn't get any of those issues from my own processing. I too was very pleased the first time I did C-41 myself and nearly all of those historical warnings are unfounded. That said, the blix once mixed is a bit 'nasty'.
Leaving that to one side, I get perhaps a dozen rolls through each of those kits now so they are good value, especially now that so many labs are closing or charging huge amounts ($15 or so) to do ONE ROLL. Walmart in North Texas now won't even return the negatives, just junky scans at 1024x768 size on a CD. By the way, I also develop 120 film through the same process - works a treat too.
If anyone doesn't think you can get good results from doing all this yourself, I have two photographs on display that I home processed - one is color C-41 and is a first prize winner of a North Texas Business Council of the Arts contest. If you are in the same area that Ted and I are, check out the "UNT on the Square" Gallery in Denton this week as it closes next Saturday. C-41 using the SAME gear, chemicals and gear that Ted is using.
Do it. You'd be surprised just how easy it is.
how many rolls of 120 film can you average out of one box of this developer? i'm running into the same issue of not wanting to pay $15 for a roll of film to be developed.
I get 10 to 15 per kit of chemicals.
sorry to bother you again: what is the average life span of this kit? and do you push your film with this kit? if so, do you leave it in longer, heat the chemicals more than average?
3 months or so once mixed up and there is (was?) a short guide in the instruction sheet about pushing - perhaps 2 stops and you are into heavy grain and the start of color shifts.
Temp needs to be as steady as you can keep it for the developer phase, even if film is left in for longer.
great job. This has been the best in-depth instruction on C-41 I've seen so far. Keep up the good work, and maybe we'll see an E-6 Vid soon, too? Cheers! :)
Really great info thank you.. I''m an artist/screen printer and I'm done with digital.. your results are exactly what I'm looking for.
super grateful for this video
One of the method to avoid the reacting blix solution to overflow is to do the mixing in a large measuring pitcher, that way the gas generated from the reaction can escape easily instead of pushing through the tiny opening of the bottle, mix it with a stirrer in the big pitcher and then pour the finished soluiton to your bottle. These pitchers can hold up to 2 liters
Thanks Ted... next up. "intro to developing color prints"!!
This is the exact process that Ive used for a year now and it works great Scanning wise, Ive found that some films work better than others ...or rather, some are easier to color correct for the base layer. I use CFSystems' ColorPerfect plugin and that gets me closer than auto levels does in PS.... but scanning and correcting film images when color is critical is a bear all on its own.
Good point Ted, do not use the reel when it is wet , it has to be completely dry. I encountered many issue when there is water in the ball bearing where the film catches on. Thanks for sharing Ted
I absolutely love this ''film series'' Thank you so much, greetings from Czech republic :)
Great video, Ted. This is the most demystifying tutorial I have seen on C-41 development. I've been sitting on my Tetenol Press Kit for a while. I guess I thought I didn't have everything I needed to get started. But it turns out I did.
I was wondering what kind of scanner you're using. Do you scan negatives? Maybe you can make a quick vid on the subject. Keep 'em coming. Cheers
You have a great radio voice.
And a face for radio as well..
So glad you did this...I've done b&w developing at home since I was 13 years old. I've ALWAYS been intimidated by color though...from seeing you do this...I'm thinking that I may just jump into the color boat! Luckily, having done b&w, I have all of the equipment, I just need the chemical kit ;-)
umm just a thought, If you have well water and or softened water, it might be best to use distilled, well water/soften water will have heavy minerals or salt in it and that might be bad for the film.
What is your process to dispose of the chemicals when they are exhausted?
Corey Welch I’d call your town for chemical pick up dates.
Just bought the JOBO c-41 press kit and I'm honestly a bit nervous about developing at home. I have no problem at all with BW film [hp5] but from what I've heard, this should be a breeze since BW is no problem now.
Also, watching through, you have everything I have so now I can follow this to the T!
Wonderfully explained "How-to" video, and your images look very nice. You just gained a new skill and have earned your C-41 badge! Isn't it just fun too?
Just to be a pedant, at 9:15 if it feels hot it's an exothermic reaction. Endothermic means it's absorbing heat (so will feel cold).
That said, great video and fantastic channel; the best photography videos I've found on youtube by far! Thanks.
I was about to ....
I hear its 8 rolls of film, but then you just add 5-10 seconds dev. time per roll for both developer and blix to get more rolls. so if you're doing your 9th and 10th roll respectively at the same time (assuming you're using 2 roll canister), you add about 5 seconds of additional dev time. so 3:30 minutes becomes 3:40 minutes, so on as you develop more rolls. Some people do upwards of 25-30 before they get new kits.
I know how to process C-41 but these days I have a nagging question. A friend of mine wants to do his own processing, B/W + Color and he is afraid of the Environment impact he will leave if he tosses his chemistry down the drain. Is there a way to avoid this and what is your method of disposal of used up Chemistry?
Doesn't look like any answers about disposal of these items. Down the drain apparently
drink it
Fill it in a plastic water barrel and deliver it when full to a certified waste manager? Not expensive.
Environmental impact? Smh.
All the water runs out of your house won't go straight to the river or the sea. There's a septic tank, sewer system and everything. Those systems have plenty of strong chemicals in it themselves designed to deal with human waste and any chems people pour down the drain. They'll take care of your disposed chems so just pour them down the drain.
You can even pour them straight into a river or sea and they won't leave any lasting damage since there are so much more water out there.
The only way to damage the environment with these is if you pour them onto a tree or grass for some weird reason.
One thing that I'd like to add is to make sure you keep up on darkroom "housekeeping." Which means to make sure you wash your tank after each use, along with your funnel, and anything that comes into contact with the chemistry to prevent cross-contamination. Also I'd recommend a graduated beaker for measuring chemistry.
Informative and very clear. Thank you, I'm ready to have a try!
Very nice walktrough! I've wanted to start developing some rolls. I have *all the equipment, but since the chemicals cost a bit, I haven't been sure enough about how to store and treat them. After use, do you poor them back, and if so, what about the different ones? I would guess it's fine for the developer since it starts with a dry tank, but won't the fix get weared out quit fast? Also, what to do with the chemicals when they're ready for disposal?
Love you're shows. Ted!
these podcasts are great, and so usefull with all of the tips and walkthrough, will say this though as you were loading the film, the hasselblad in th background with no les on and the lens upside down.... dust JS
Thanks for this c41 tutorial! you made it seem easy, I think ill try it, thanks!
10:00 Really useful information! Thank you so much
for heating the chemistry get a sous vide cooker like the ones available from Anova ... the anova Nano works for me. easy to set it to whatever temp you need and it holds temps well.
Just got my supplies! Thanks for the info!
Thank you so much! I found this video is very helpful!
Hey Ted,
Thanks for the tutorial. Could you please show how you scanned and processed the colour negative film into photoshop to get the correct colour?
Regards
I'm not sure what he uses, but in my opinion the best option for for making a negative positive in photoshop is the cfsystems colorperfect plugin. My school has hasselblad flexlight scanners so I scan in 3F raw then open these files as tiff in photoshop, crop to image borders, then use colorperfect. In colorperfect I select the type of film i shot, make some white and blackpoint corrections, and then i have a nice open editable image. As for other scanning methods you can wet mount lerge negs and scan with a flatbed like the epson v700 orjust use the provided trays. Or you can scan the negs with an slr using a macro lens and stitching together multiple exposures in photoshop.
Hi ! thanks for this video thanks to witch I discovered this kit. I do feel lucky because Here in Europe we have liquid kits much more easier to use. (no volcano effect) I process C41 and E6 in my lab but with a processor. Your way of doing things is Ok for C41 but wouldn't work for E6 which demands much more precision.
I hope that a lot of people will try home processed C41. I do agree when you say that it is easier than black and white, C41 is a process black and white is a kind of "cooking" everybody has his own recipes habits and ingredients.
I also love Ektar 100 that I use in 35mm, 120, and 4x5. Film is not dead and Kodak keeps making my favourite films !
thats easier than I thought! Thanks Ted :)
Well done! Now, it is time to order come C-41 control strips and start fighting for a consistency ;-)
Mluv pomalu ,děkuji
You answered all my questions. thx..
Thank you,seems easy enough someone gave me a Kodak 35 with some film .now all I got to do is figure out what all the buttons are for n how to get infrared to come out.....
Great video, Ted. Thank you!
Awesome to see folks using film!! Great video and makes it look like very straightforward.
It's been an age since I've processed film/prints and speaking of 'anal' I used to keep my chems in the old collapsible bottles to prevent oxidation. Whether it mattered one iota I haven't a clue. ☺
Going to check your channel in hopes of finding some darkroom/enlarger/print processing work. My kit has been boxed up and hasn't seen the light of day for many a year but I just haven't been able to part with it.
I'll have to look into scanning film into a format compatible which facilitates using Lightroom/Photoshop as well as RAW does. Perhaps that's somewhere within your playlists.
Very inspiring and thank you for taking the time to demonstrate the process!
ps: sub'd
Although this was made in 2014 its helping me today in 2017!
Dan Stewart hey dan can you help me?? Is is possible to reuse the chemicals several times?
@@1jarrais Yes. 1 liter of C41 developer can develop like 16 rolls of film.
And in 2020
In 2929
Miles Williams damn for real?
Do color first?! It's less involved!?! I wish I'd have seen this a week ago haha. Good stuff.
If you're on a tight budget and can't afford the equipment then the way to go is to join a camera club with dark room facilities!
The plumer fixed the leak?
Well done Ted! I've been on a B&W lately but I think I'm going to go off now and do a few rolls of color after this video. Ready to try E6 now? :)
An E6 video would be sick.
Hey Ted, I want to first of all say thank you. I've been following you channel for awhile and it has been immensely helpful. In fact I have you to thank for giving me the knowledge and confidence to develop my black and white film at home. More recently I've embarked in C-41 development. The results have been pretty good, but I do have a question. At the beginning I would follow the directions to the letter and use the stabilizer as a final rinse. Often this would result in ugly scaled water spots appearing on my negs after drying. Recently I was developing a roll and decided to do another rinse after stabilizer using tap water with LFN wetting solution just like I use on my B&W film. Voila, no more water spots. However, after reading some of the comments here I understand the importance of the stabilizer being the final rinse in order to preserve the negative. My question: do you think it might be reasonable to add the LFN to the stabilizer rinse? Or could this possibly cause more headaches than solutions? Alternatively maybe I could try doing an LFN rinse before the stabilizer and get a similar result. Thanks!
You probably don't need LFN, but if you think you'll have spots you could try it - won't hurt.
Thanks!
could you maybe do a video about C-41 stand development? I've read online a few places that talked about it. I haven't tried it out yet... maybe I'll shoot a test roll and try it out.
So weird. I was always under the impression that color development was a pain in the ass. I remember in my Highschool Photography class we had a color room that I never saw anyone use, so I was under the impression that it was difficult. Maybe it's color print making that's difficult? I really don't know anymore.
do you have another video on how to get the film on the reel? I got confused pretty fast, but maybe because I don't have my kit and stuff yet, from the mail
Great video thanks a lot for your work! I have a question, What about disposal of the chemicals? and re using ? which ones are okay to pour back ?
You’ve just convinced me to try and develop my first roll of film. I wonder... do you develop film differently now than you did in 2014?
Hi Ted. First, i love your videos, I really do. I have a question for this video: can we keep the chemicals for re-using purpose?
Yes - the sheet that comes with it details exactly how much.
Awesome video! Thanks a ton for the upload. I think I'll move on to color developing today. Just out of curiosity, what scanner did you use for these images? Thanks!
Ted, great video. I might have missed it, but after each step, did you pour the chemical back into the appropriate bottle and rinse the Paterson tank before going on to the next chemical?
Does the Tetenal kit generate any severe odor? I've been processing black and white for years without any problems and I've just ordered my first C-41 kit. I live in an apartment and am concerned about strong smells from the chemicals. Any advice would be appreciated.
Just one question. How you would wash for 3 minutes from a bottle with warmed water?
I found it to be easy just take your time
I don't know if it was a mistake, but on Kodachrome's very detailed WikipediA-page it says with scanning it would get a blue cast to it. - Well, either way, it was known to have issues with scanning then.
Great video, thanks. One question I have is related to the amount of film 1 litre of chemistry will develop, there is plenty of information saying how many rolls of 35mm/120 that can be correctly developed, but I can't find any information relating to 4x5! Are the calculations based on the total surface area that comes into contact with the chemistry? Anyone with any experience on this would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks
This is excellent :)
Did my first two rolls today (Ektar 100)… well roll 1 was a disaster but roll 2 came
out dissent. But it was an interesting experience.
Great video! I'm going to try it soon. :-)
Hello Mr. Forbes, very informative video, as always.
I am considering taking up film photography as well. However, I would like to know if any precaution is to be taken while using the chemicals. Are the fumes harmful to the health in some way ?
How many times the chemicals can be used? For example can i develop a film with an already used developer, blix or stabilizer?
I just developed my first BW film and it was great. Going to try this next. Just had a quick question on the last step. You said we can substitute this step with photo-flo. When I did the BW film, I used photo-flo and I just mixed it with water. Is that what you meant by using photo-flo? If I don't use photo-flo and just use the stabilizer and not use photo-flo, will it leave water streaks? Sorry for all the dumb questions but I want to make sure I don't mess it up. Thanks
Great video, Ted. What are your thoughts on daylight developing tanks?
What size are the amber jars? How much liquid do they hold? I have seen different size jars on Amazon and don’t know what size to get.
do the 34 oz amber bottles fit all 1000 ml of the solutions?
in the same roll, some of my photo turn out with purple tint and some with orange tint, and some loosk normal... what could be wrong..?
are there extra steps to "push" film using this home kit or would you just develop for double the amount of time?
They're pricier than aquarium heaters, but for those who want precise temperature control, would a sous vide cooker work?
Yes
The Tetenal C-41 Press Kit on B&H will not be shipped, I assume for safety reasons. The developer contains Trisodium NTA, which is on California's Proposition 65 list of known carcinogens. In order to purchase the chemicals, I would need to go to their store in New York, but there is no way that is going to happen. Did anyone find a place online where the needed chemicals could be purchased and shipped? Thanks.