"Geoffrey S. Mendelson" <gsm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:slrnft80l1.hfr.gsm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Please answer this question only if you have something useful to add.
>
> While buying a C-41 kit for $16 from B&H may be a viable option in
> the U.S., here it is impossible. Not only would I have to ship it
> via surface mail (2-3 months by boat), but the post office just added
> a $10 customs fee (plus taxes and other fees) to receive any package
> from outside of Israel.
>
> To recap, I have a lot of APS C-41 Kodak color negative film of
> dubious quality, a bunch of cheap APS cameras and want to carry
> one around for snapshots.
>
> Doing a lot of web searching, I've found out how to open and remove the
> film from the cartridge. I've found the specs on the film, and think
> that I can convert a Paterson reel to the proper spacing without
> preventing it from being useable for normal (35mm) film.
>
> I've found several web pages with examples of prints from XP-2 and
> similar film developed in Rodinal, and comments about developing
> color film the same way, but absolutely no specifications.
>
> I happen to have Rodinal, getting other developers may be near
> impossible at the moment.
>
> If you have any information about dilution and development time,
> I would appreciate it. For me the best temperature would be 75F, the
> outside temperature went from the low 60's to the mid 70's in the
> last week.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Geoff.
Isn't XP-2 a C41 process film without orange mask?
I've tried C-41 film in B&W chems, and the results were less than
spectacular. The orange mask makes it difficult to print, and the contrast
was pretty soft. If there is a Rodional dilution for maximum contrast,
that
would be your starting point. Supposedly there is a chemical treatment
that
removes the orange mask, but if you could get the ingredients for that,
you
could probably easily get C41 chems.
Surely there must be some minilabs still extant. Maybe you could make
arrangements to purchase a portion of their chems. Some of the minilabs
use
small (1Liter) of chemicals, supplied as a kit form. You would mix perhaps
half the kit and save the balance of it for replenishment- maybe 10-20mL
per
roll. You would have four workings solutions (stored in air-tight
containers
with minimal exposure to air- I use plastic soft drink bottles and squeeze
them until the chem is at the top), and you would add replenishment after
eash use.
C41 processing is not difficult, just time and temp critical. Developer
temp
is usually 100F +/- 0.5 degrees, however according Kodak, 'drift-by'
temperature control is acceptable. ('Drift-by'-- assume the temperature
will
drop 2 degrees during the developer time. Start out 1 degree high, end up
1
degree low, the average will be correct.)
Just for the record, it is possible to develope standard B&W film in C41
chemicals-- do NOT use the bleach! The developer is slow and soft
contrast;
the fixer is also slow. The stabilizer is used as a wetting agent only, as
there are no dyes to stabilize.
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