C-41 Home process - 1st time

[riffeym]

<p>Hello Gentlemen!</p>

<p>Today, I developed my very first color negs. I used a JOBO C-41 1 liter Press Kit and hot water bath to maintain temps. I followed the instructions to the letter EXCEPT, I did a quick wash after the developer and before the Blix. The film was Fuji Superia 400 ASA that was exposed last winter.</p>

<p>Negs were scanned @ 1200 dpi. Here are a few examples<br>

<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6131824556_676552a9f2_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="415" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6070/6131824074_93e1c4f2a8_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="425" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6208/6131275655_bc230169bb_z.jpg" alt="" width="424" height="640" /></p>

<p>I think they came out pretty good for the first time around!</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Why the deviation? Yes they look pretty good to me too. Must be Winter where you live. You got the snow scans pretty good. Pretty nice.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Hi Larry!</p>

<p>Since you re-use the chemistry, I've read that some have added a quick wash between the Developer and the Blix so not to contaminate the Blix when it's poured back in. That was the only reason for the deviation and I'm not really sure it's necessary.</p>

<p>The snow scenes were from last winter - I just now got around to developing these negs!</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>A pox to whoever invented Blix.... A good idea to extend the Blix..... Yes a separate bleach and fix is great....... But yes we take what we have.</p>

[rustys pics]

<p>These do look great. No visible color crossover or contamination. I've been using the ROLLEI Digibase kit which has a separate Bleach and Fix. I mixed it almost a year ago and it's still good! What scanner did you use and which software? Just curious since that will enter into the equation.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Hello Russ!</p>

<p>I used a Canon MG8120 Printer/Scanner with ScanGear scanning software and import the scans into Corel PaintShop Pro Photo X2 for any manipulations.</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[va3uxb]

<p>They look great! I really like the colours in the second image.</p>

<p>I've been using the Jobo / Tetenal kit since July, and I was wondering about adding a quick wash between the dev. and the blix stages. I ended up not doing it, but it does seem like a good idea.</p>

 

[larrydressler]

<p>Now there is a software program I have not heard of in ages. Corel PaintShop Pro Photo X2</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Thanks Stephanie!</p>

<p>The re-use of the chemistry is the only reason I tried the wash so the Blix didn't get contaminated with developer. Was it necessary or did it even make a difference? I don't really know. All I know is it didn't seem to hurt the quality or color of the negs.</p>

<p>I've got a lot to learn.....but I'm EXCITED!</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Larry said -</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>Now there is a software program I have not heard of in ages. Corel PaintShop Pro Photo X2</em></p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Yeah, I've got a tendency to try to do things on the cheap<em>. </em>PSP Photo is a good program for the price and I have been able to do everything I need to do in it.</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>I am also cheap. That is why I use elements but I have to check yours out as Cheap is good enough most days for what I do. I checked the price...</p>

[amir_aziz]

<p>Congratulations Michael! Great results,I've only ever developed my own B&W but you have planted a seed.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>You really need to give it a go Amir! I will souping my 2nd roll of film soon - Kodak Gold 400 shot with my Minolta SRT-102.</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

<p> </p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Seeds are cheap planting them is the joy of the world. God bless the planters of them.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Okay guys, Kodak Gold 400 ASA drying in the shower stall right now! I'm hoping I can get some scans done yet tonight - examples to come!</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

 

[riffeym]

<p>Okay, Kodak Gold 400 ASA results are disappointing! A lot of the frames look under-exposed. Not sure whether something changed in my processing (temp or time) - I did do it exactly the same as I did my first roll of Fuji Superia. The negs seem more magenta than orange (which could be too warm a temp or over agitation) BUT not darker at the sprocket holes. The film registration marks and numbers are perfectly legible so I'm inclined to think that the development was okay.</p>

<p>Picts were shot using a Minolta DRT-102 and 50mm MC Rokkor-X PF f1.7 lens. Here are some samples -<br>

These two are not bad<br>

<img src="http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy66/riffeym/KodakGoldTest_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy66/riffeym/KodakGoldTest_2.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>A lot of them look like this next example. I've cleaned it up a little but did not change the color/brightness/contrast -<br>

<img src="http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy66/riffeym/KodakGoldTest_3.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>I'm thinking that I've got a metering bug in my SRT-102 and I'm going to be looking at that. It seems that if I was having a developing problem all of the negs would be about the same and not have some good and some bad.</p>

<p>Oh well, I'm off to investigate...</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Well the SRT was designed for Mercury batteries.... There your problem may lay.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Yes sir, that may very well be the problem. The only thing that puzzles me is that I would think that the under-exposure would be fairly consistent. I have a few frames that seem nicely exposed and the rest seem under exposed.</p>

<p>I have opened up the SRT-102 and so far the one thing that I have found is that the match needle - the one with the circle that moves with the aperture setting - is off according to the instructions in the Minolta Service manual. I will start with that and see what happens.</p>

<p>At least with doing my own C-41 processing, my mistakes are not quite so costly!</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Well you may not be getting a constant discharge curve with the replacement batteries.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Good point Larry, I will need to look at discharge curves as well. I put in a Zinc Air which according to some discharge charts is similar to the old mercury batts and the voltage is 1.4v - closer to the required 1.35 volts.</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>How old is that Zink/Air battery? I use them for about 10 days in my hearing aid. I notice on day 7 the volume starts to drop off quickly.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>It's about 3 days old Larry, but I'm tracking down something that I think might be contributing to the problem - I'll let you know what I find..</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Cool Mike.</p>

<p> I have also heard of some cameras that need a little hole drilled into the battery cap to allow air in.</p>

[sh10453]

<p>I have used PaintShop Pro since the DOS days in the 1980s when it was owned by JASC, and now on PSP Photo X3 (X4 has just been released).</p>

<p>It's a very capable imaging program, and from its inception was aimed at people who knew what to do with computers, not at photographers, but that has changed long time ago.</p>

<p>Adobe's PhotoShop, on the other hand, was aimed at photographers who knew nothing about computers (if you are familiar with the very early versions of PhotoShop, where there was a number of big buttons you just click them to enhance your images. All you needed to do is click, click, click, and photographers loved that).</p>

<p>Both products have since progressed and have become different beasts from the simple products they were in their early years.</p>

<p>I never liked Adobe's PhotoShop or its ridiculous price, and will continue to use PSP.<br>

PSP has been more than powerful enough to allow me to do all I want or need to do with my images for about 5% of the price that I would otherwise have to pay Adobe.</p>

<p>Many other powerful image processing & manipulation programs are also available for free, as we know, including the renowned open-source GIMP.</p>

<p>Just my 2-cents.</p>

 

[riffeym]

<p>Sam H. said -</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>...Just my 2-cents...</em></p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Very good use of spare change...! I also use the PSP Photo program and will probably upgrade to X4. Works for me....</p>

<p>Mike : D</p>