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View Full Version : My new DIY "C-41" Developer



Athiril
19-08-2010, 3:42pm
I'm moving down to Melbs soon.

I'm currently working on a colour developer (for colour negs, but it could be used in an "E-6" process as the colour dev substitute step).

If anyone already processes colour, or is set up to process b&w at home in hand tanks or whatever, I would like a couple of people to give a free sample to, or anyone that wants to register interest.

So far it looks like it'll come in 2 parts.

And the working dilutions are planned to be 1+1+50/1:1:50, and x+1+100/1:1:100 etc (Part A may be more or less than 1 for x in that ratio to get the correct pH level, I'll figure it out when I get to that testing level), like Rodinal dilutions, I'm also working on making it compatible as a split bath developer, by making it dilutable like this while maintaining quality, you can make it both economical and one shot, and eliminate unnecessary components adding to economy.

Also... because of its one-shot nature, there is a supermarket chemical you can add to the developer (that slowly kills it - not appropriate for reusing developer) that increases saturation :)

So you use 1+y of Part A for first bath, 1+z of Part B for second bath.

I don't think I can make a good quality colour negative developer at 20c, all my experiments show thin denisty range (dMax - dMin) even if dMax is good. There are a few experiments left to try, but I'm not entirely optimistic, I've only found one way to process colour negs at 20c to a good quality.

Anyway it'd be 30c+

shaunj
19-08-2010, 9:29pm
I am looking for a decent solution for processing either c41 or e6 (looking primarily for e6 for sheet film) in a daylight development kit. At the moment I have an AP drum that I use to process 4x5 using the 'taco' method. I've only done monochrome using LC29 thus far, but definitely aiming toward e6 at a later point.

Anyway, happy to trial whatever you have going. I'll probably do it for medium format to begin with - much easier to find 120 negative film in Australia.

Let me know what further details you'd like!