# Is it really that hard to develop c-41



## TarterTurtle (Dec 31, 2019)

Hi guys, I am thinking ahead to when I will need to get my film developed, and I am thinking about doing it at home, but I heard that c-41 is kind of hard to do at home because of the temperature control, and I was wondering if it really is that hard, and if it would be recommended to do it at home, also I was wondering if there was some sort of Caffinol that would develop in color,
Thank
-Nathan


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## 480sparky (Dec 31, 2019)

It's been a few decades since I souped C-41, but back when I did consistent temperature was paramount. Otherwise, I'd spend endless hours getting multiple rolls from the same shoot to 'look alike' on paper.


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## Derrel (Dec 31, 2019)

I am not even sure that it pencils out economically to develop fewer than 15 rolls at a time. I don't know what the c-41 chemistry cost in these days, but I doubt you can approach the reasonable developing costs provided by hundreds of labs across America.


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## srgpeppers (Dec 31, 2019)

I have used this kit https://www.adorama.com/cs800341.html. A few times, and it is pretty easy to maintain the temps.  I've gotten great results with it .






Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## 480sparky (Dec 31, 2019)

Derrel said:


> I am not even sure that it pencils out economically to develop fewer than 15 rolls at a time. I don't know what the c-41 chemistry cost in these days, but I doubt you can approach the reasonable developing costs provided by hundreds of labs across America.



Just make sure you get the actual negs back.  Many labs are going to soup/scan/destroy.  They process the film, digitize the negs, then destroy the film and you end up with low-resolution scans.


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## compur (Dec 31, 2019)

TarterTurtle said:


> I was wondering if there was some sort of Caffinol that would develop in color,



You can develop color film with Caffenol (or any other B&W developer) but you will only get a B&W negative.


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## TarterTurtle (Dec 31, 2019)

compur said:


> TarterTurtle said:
> 
> 
> > I was wondering if there was some sort of Caffinol that would develop in color,
> ...


Yea, that is what I thought


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## Derrel (Dec 31, 2019)

I kind of think you should start your film Journey shooting color slide film, which is a color positive. You can use a smartphone and a macro lens attachment or a digital camera to snap a photo of the picture, and in that way get a digitized image for use on social media or on the web. Black and white negative film is easy to shoot and develop but of course it is a negative image, however it is quite easy to invert and make into a positive using even basic software that is provided with many editing applications.


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## Derrel (Dec 31, 2019)

100 foot long rolls of bulk black and white film and a 25-pack of reloadable 35 mm cartridges would be my suggestion. You of course need a bulk film loader. This loader holds the film. You load the 100 foot roll into the bulk loader, then you disassemble each cartridge and using a piece of tape tape the film to the spool, and then slip the spool into the cartridge housing, and then replace the removable end cap and then slip the cartridge into the film loader, close the door, open the light trap door, and then crank in 12 or 20 or 24 or 36 exposures, then close the light trap door, open the main door, and snip the film. You  then cut a leader tongue on to the end of the film, and you have a bulk-loaded roll of film  !

If you have enough cartridges to roll 100 feet of film into individual rolls, then you only need one bulk loader. I forget but I think it is roughly 18 rolls or 19 rolls of 36 exposures per 100 feet of film. The last time I bulk loaded, Ronald Reagan was President, so it was probably around 1987.


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## webestang64 (Dec 31, 2019)

I have never done C-41 manually but I've worked in photo labs with C-41 processors since 1985 so I never had too. Currently at the lab I work at we use a control strip monitored Noritsu V-50 C-41 for perfect development every time. And YES....we give you your negatives back......cause they are yours after all.......LOL


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## Derrel (Dec 31, 2019)

I really think if you want to shoot  color negative film, that you should send your film to a lab for developing. If you shoot color slide film the film costs more, but there is no need for a print to be made. The last I checked, color slide film was mostly what is called E6 processing.


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## TarterTurtle (Dec 31, 2019)

Ok thanks for the help
-Nathan


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## Sharpshooterr (Jan 1, 2020)

srgpeppers said:


> I have used this kit https://www.adorama.com/cs800341.html. A few times, and it is pretty easy to maintain the temps.  I've gotten great results with it .View attachment 184498View attachment 184499
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk



Yes, but it looks like if you do it at home, some of the shots develop upside down!!! That could be a real problem when viewing them! 
Some of us are getting too old to stand on our heads anymore!!! LoL LoL
SS


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## 480sparky (Jan 1, 2020)

Sharpshooterr said:


> .......
> Yes, but it looks like if you do it at home, some of the shots develop upside down!!! That could be a real problem when viewing them!.........



ALL cameras create images that are upside-down.


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## srgpeppers (Jan 1, 2020)

It requires a Penta prism to view properly!

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## 480sparky (Jan 1, 2020)

srgpeppers said:


> It requires a Penta prism to view properly!
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk



My RB-67 and my 4x5 don't have one.  I still manage to use them though.


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## Rick Waldroup (Jan 1, 2020)

I processed color negative film in C-41 for several years for a very small mom-and-pop publishing company.  This was back in the '80's.  I built my own processing system using Patterson 8-reel tanks and constructed temperature water baths from large Rubbermaid tubs (available at Wal-Mart).  I lined the tubs on the outside with household insulation.  Once I got the water bath up to the desired temp,  I found that it would keep the desired temp steady all the way through the developing process.  This system worked for a couple of years.  It was primitive, but it worked and I got good and predictible results.  Later, I would use the same system to develop Ektachrome in E6 chemistry.  It worked just as well for that, too.


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## smithdan (Jan 1, 2020)

Just for fun I tried a three solution Tetinal (brand name) kit.  As others have mentioned, keeping the correct temperature of the solution and keeping temps stable while in with the film in the developing tanks was very important but not overly difficult.  The kits were pricey,  they are good for I think around 10 rolls, store guy said some get more.  biggest problem was that once mixed, the solutions have a limited shelf life so to make the most of it one would have to shoot at least 10 - 12 rolls then have the time to develop them over no more than two days, one day being better.  I don't shoot colour film as a rule and if I do in future will most likely search out a reputable lab.


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## star camera company (Jan 6, 2020)

Think Black and White and Shoot Black And White.


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## TarterTurtle (Jan 6, 2020)

star camera company said:


> Think Black and White and Shoot Black And White.


Thanks, Was thinking that I should buy some HP5-400 when I run out of the Fuji Xtra 400,


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## kaiserschmarrn (Dec 1, 2020)

I used to do color film at home when I was a student, and poor.  I used a Unicolor kit.  I made a "water jacket" from an electric frying pan.  I then meticulously adjusted the water from the tap, then prayed nobody flushed the toilet or took a shower.  I got good results.

Danny


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## Scott Murphy (Feb 18, 2021)

Honestly, processing C-41 process film is really not that difficult but it _is_ more critical than B&W when it comes to temperature. I built a thermostatically controlled water bath to keep the chemistries ±1/2ºF but it is possible do the same manually. Get a deep tub and fill it with water at the temperature you will be using. Stick an accurate and calibrated darkroom thermometer into the water and add hot water as needed to maintain the temperature. You could also try using an aquarium heater but I have found that they are not particularly repeatable and you need a small submersible pump to keep the water evenly mixed. I did this for many years with great success. Modern day C-41 chemistries have a wider temp latitude (most are ±1/2ºF) than the ones I first started with, which were usually ±1/4ºF which was pretty difficult to maintain.


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## Mike Siegert (Mar 9, 2021)

Derrel said:


> I am not even sure that it pencils out economically to develop fewer than 15 rolls at a time. I don't know what the c-41 chemistry cost in these days, but I doubt you can approach the reasonable developing costs provided by hundreds of labs across America.



So I'm brand new to all of this but yea definitely, if you're planning to develop 15+ rolls it's honestly a steal to develop on your own. Of course there's some upfront costs like the tanks and possibly a scanner, but the chemicals are fairly inexpensive. Simple color/black and white chems cost me around $23.00 and the one I get "says" it covers 18rolls of film. That's roughly $1.30 per roll. My town unfortunately doesn't have a local film developer, but even the Walmart charges anywhere from $6-9 per roll and they have this weird new policy of not returning your negatives. I don't know when this started, but it's because they don't do it in-house anymore, and you only get the digital files, which they send to the store and print out if you wanted prints. Film was definitely a lost art but I do see some places starting to revive it.


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