Cost of C-41 chemistry

[jos__garese]

<p>What's the aproximate cost of C-41 chemistry in NY? Meaning:<br>

1) Ready to use developer, 1 litre<br>

2) Bleach, 1 litre<br>

3) Fixer, 1 litre<br>

4) Stabilizer, 90ml stock solution to make 10 litres.</p>

<p>I live in South America, in a place where film photography, especially colour film photography has become a niche-niche-niche market. Competition between distributors doesn't exist, local production of photo chemicals don't even think about it, imports (of whatever kind) are taxed ridiculously high, and the reins photochemistry are held by a long chain of shadowy, unproductive, photo-indifferent intermediaries. With all those ingredients thrown into a pestilent mix, imagine what could happen to the prices: in recent years they have skyrocketed to insane levels. So I'd like to know how much they charge for these items in a relatively "normal" economic and photographic environment, where film photography is weaker but still reasonably healthy. I don't mind if someone gives me gallon figures, I can make the conversion. <br>

<br />In B&H I find this kit: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/27587-REG/Kodak_8414393_Flexicolor_C_41_Developer_Replenisher.html">link</a>. Apparently, it is to make 25 gallons of working solution. Meaning? 25 gallons of developer and the respective necessary quantities for the rest of the steps?? That's quite a lot. </p>

 

[Dave Luttmann]

Can you process in standard tanks with that kit?

[jos__garese]

<p>Don't have a clue, Dave. I'm the one asking. I use a Jobo Processor with tanks (roll film) and drums (sheet film). That kit is just something I found at the B&H site. My question is: is there anybody out there (in a place with reasonable or average prices) developing color film at home? If yes, where do you get your chemistry and what's the price? </p>

[walter_degroot]

I read here that B&H does bot ship liquid chemicals.

but I think freestyle.biz will.

the tenetal kit is all powder and should eb shippable

BUT it uses BLIX ( bleach/fic)

Yjhe Rollei kit is liquid and uses separate bleach and fic.

and should be very economical to use.

A suggestion would be to track things fromn the manufacturer to see if there is an importer in your country or a nearby country.

I hope this helps.

A possibilty would be to mail film somewhere to be processed.

price for developing a 24 exp roll and 24 4 x 6 imnch prints is $9-13 us

[craig_shearman1]

<p>$20 at B&H for a one-liter "press kit" of powdered chemicals that will process 12 rolls. Go to their web site and search "press kit" or "tetenal" and it should come up. (They may carry a couple of different brands but "press kit" is the term the different brands use for a small quantity of powdered chemicals, originally marketed to news photographers who needed something they could travel with and mix up on-site to be able to develop pictures from an assignment and transmit them back to the office.) Since it's a powder, they should be able to ship anywhere.</p>

[jos__garese]

<p>Ok. Thanks for the replies. Craig: 20 bucks for the 1 litre kit seems not that bad for 12 rolls of a press photographer on the run (though I wonder: are there any press photographers doing film nowadays? leave documentary photographers with no urgencies out of that question.)<br>

But if, as is my case, you need to develop 8x10 sheet film it becomes rather expensive. It would be almost 4 bucks per photograph (developed in an expert drum, using 900ml of solution for 5 sheets). The price of color film is around U$S 15 a sheet. Four extra bucks to have it developed at home by yourself seems a bit too much...</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>With all the expenses involved in large format work, you're saying another $4 to process is too much?<br>

Where could you possibly get it done cheaper?</p>

<p>If you're in deep enough to be using 8x10 sheet film, then, <em>now</em> is a little late to start worrying about costs.</p>

[jos__garese]

<p>Chemistry has traditionally been cheaper. I can't change Kodak's price for Portra so there's no reason to whine over that. But if I can get my way round saving unnecessary spending on processing (the only reason I do it myself, by the way, apart from quality control) why wouldn't I try?<br>

The 1-litre kit for 20 bucks seems a solution for people who don't develop much film, whatever the format. I develop A LOT of film. There's no economy of scale possible with this option. Compare it to the 25 gallon developer for only 228 bucks. One is unbelievably more expensive than the other. Here, Dave Luttmann's question becomes relevant: Can you develop in standard tanks with that developer? I guess yes?<br>

I will pose a new question: Are there any photonet users doing the c-41 process at home? If you live in the US or Europe, how much do you pay for the chemicals involved?<br /><br /></p>

 

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Jose -- I didn't realize you were talking about 8x10. But I think JDM is right -- there's just nothing cheap about 8x10. Don't buy a Maserati then complain about the price of gas. :)<br /><br />Once mixed, C-41 chemicals are only good for about a month (some people use them longer, but it gets to be a matter of luck at some point). Many people aren't even going to use up the one liter in a month. But if you are doing large quantities of 8x10, which takes a larger quantity of chemicals to start with, the 25-gallon sets might make sense for you. <br /><br />No, I don't know of any news photographers shooting film today. I work in Washington, D.C., one of the news capitals of the world, and haven't seen a film camera being used on the job in probably 15 years. A friend of mine at the Senate Press Photographers Gallery (which serves both the House and Senate sides of the U.S. Capitol complext) said 12 years ago that they had shut down their darkroom even then and it was being used for storage of computer gear.</p>

[kri_fartida]

<p>Champion photochemistry is what you want. It is distributed all over the world - check their website and find your local dist. order larger quantities (40L kits) dev fix and bleach, in the US the total cost for 40L kits including stab and shipping is under 300$, cant imagine it would be much more anywhere.<br>

This makes the cost per liter around 7$, consider you can use the bleach X4 and fix X3 (at least), the cost per sheet drops even more.</p>