Developing Colour Film with the C41 Process

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• published: 23 Jan 2014
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Firstly, apologies for taking so long to upload this one - I filmed it nearly a year ago, but with moving house and other projects I've only just managed to edit it together! Thank you to everyone who looked at and commented on my Black and White Film developing video - it's been great to hear your stories! In this video we'll look at developing colour film using the C-41 developing process - colour film is actually fairly straightforward to develop, but it does involve more stages and is a little more temperature and time critical than the traditional black and white process. I should also say that you can buy black and white film designed for the C-41 process, and this video applies equally to this type of film. Apologies if I'm rushing through a little too - the process isn't much more complicated than the Black and White process, but it does contain more steps and I didn't want the video being too long! If you have any questions at all or if I'm going through too quickly, please do ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them. So, here's a run down of the kit you'll need: - A DEVELOPING TANK (I'm using an older style screw lid Paterson tank, which I would personally warn against as they tend to leak - go for the newer style tank with the clip on lid) - FILM REELS (I'm using 1 here as I'm using a smaller tank - I've not included any details on loading the film into the tanks in this video, as the process is the same as the black and white developing video, which you can watch here: http://youtu.be/pAfcvMsqy_k?t=1m30s) - A CHANGING BAG OR DARKROOM (Its important you load the film in complete darkness - a changing bag is the easiest option) - CHEMICALS I'm using the Digibase C-41 Liquid Concentrate kit, which works really well and is a lot easier and safer than the powder type kits. In the UK, you can buy these kits in several sizes from Firstcall Photographic over the internet - WATER (Fairly important this one - if you have the option to do your developing next to a sink thats perfect, if not you'll need a large jug to hold clean water and a bucket to pour waste chemicals and water into. DO NOT develop film in the kitchen sink or anywhere you prepare or store food) - A THERMOMETER (very important, as you need to mix the chemicals to certain temperatures for the process to work properly - this is even more critical with C-41 processing where all the chemicals need to be at 38 degrees Celsius) - A STOPWATCH (This process is time critical, so a clock or stopwatch is vital - I'm using my old watch) - JUGS AND WASHING UP BOWL (All will be revealed in the video!) You'll also need somewhere to hang the film to dry - a washing line works well indoors (I wouldn't recommend hanging the film outdoors as it's likely to pick up airbourne dust and dirt) TIMINGS As mentioned in the video, the timings for the Digibase kit are as follows: Pre-Soak - 3 minutes Developer - 3 minutes 15 seconds Bleach - 3 minutes Fixer - 4 minutes 20 seconds Stabilizer - 1 minute These are likely to vary if you are using a different kit, but all kits will always include instructions. SAFETY - DO NOT eat or drink anywhere near the chemicals (goes without saying really) - DO NOT use or store the chemicals near food or the kitchen - Wash your hands well each time you handle the chemicals, processed film or tanks - Wear gloves when using the chemicals (And before you say anything, yes, I forgot to put them on...) - Keep pets and small children away from the developing area - If you're letting older children help you, make sure they are supervised at all times The chemicals are generally safe to dispose of down normal household drains, but please check the labels on your chemicals prior to disposing of them in this way. Please note - this information and video is provided for reference only - I take no responsibility for any problems, injuries or losses encountered by anyone following it. Always read the labels on chemical bottles prior to use.