C41 developer too old?

Hello

yesterday I developed a Vision3 film with digibase C41 set. (plus remjet remover, but thats not the problem, I hope)

It's completely underdeveloped. Hardly any images on it.

Even the exposed parts at the end are not really black. Theres definitely not problem with camera or filmstock.

Developer is two months old.

Is this too old?

I developed 3 films in this 500ml. Shouldn't be a problem.

I doubt that vision 3 cannot be developed in C41, since there are Cinestill.

Thomas

Hello

 

yesterday I developed a Vision3 film with digibase C41 set. (plus remjet remover, but thats not the problem, I hope)

It's completely underdeveloped. Hardly any images on it.

Even the exposed parts at the end are not really black. Theres definitely not problem with camera or filmstock.

 

Developer is two months old.

Is this too old?

 

I developed 3 films in this 500ml. Shouldn't be a problem.

I doubt that vision 3 cannot be developed in C41, since there are Cinestill.

 

Thomas

Assuming that everything else was up to standard, one must conclude the developer is at fault. 2 months doesn't seem long as I have been using developer much older but kept in PET bottles with zero air space. Your only other problem may be the capacity of 500ml to do more than 3 films. I use David Lyga's one shot system and have no regrets.

It is not always obvious which is at fault, exposure or development. Examine the edge print on the film, this is applied via light exposure. The edge print develops as the image develops. If the edge print is bold, the developing was likely OK.

About developers: Chemically, these are reducing agents that liberate metals from their salts. They are offshoots of benzene which was initially refined from coal. As the developing agents age, they take on oxygen. Since the developer solution is mainly water and water naturally dissolves air, oxygen is always present dissolved in the waters of the developer. This dissolved oxygen slowly attacks the developing agents. Oxidized developing agents revert to coal tar, the developer solution darkens eventually turning black. A developer solution when fresh is usually amber, like ice tea.

Because the developer is destroyed by oxygen, the formula contains the preservative sodium sulfite. This chemical retards oxidation and counteract the tendency of the coal tar to stain. When we store developers we wish to reduce the amount of air trapped in the storage bottle. We add marbles or squeeze the bottles to displace as much air as possible. Nevertheless the shelf life of a working solution developer averages about 4 to 6 weeks.

If not sure of the potency of stored developer, snip off a bit of the tongue of the film and in the light swish it in the suspected developer. Watch it as it develops, did it change to a bold black in the allotted time? If yes, the developer is likely OK.

Color is a good indication for most developers.

You can deaerate water before mixing.

One way is to heat it to boiling. The bubbles you see are the air coming out.

Cool without stirring, and not much will go back in.

The other way is to bubble nitrogen through it. That is easy if you have a nitrogen

tank nearby. Use a bubbler like for fish tanks.