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Author Topic: temp control for C-41  (Read 4784 times)

Endeavour

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temp control for C-41
« on: July 08, 2016, 04:44:20 pm »

Hi
I want to have a go at developing some 4x5 color negatives.

it will be very low volume: maybe 5 or 6 sheets a month max,  all developed at the same time

I have a Paterson tank with a Mod54, and I've got some Unicolor C-41 developing kits.

How much to I need to worry about the temperatures for essentially once a month developing at such low volumes? by this I mean, I cant justify any control equipment, can I just measure with an accurate thermometer my chemical's current temps before they are poured into the tank?
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BobShaw

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Re: temp control for C-41
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2016, 06:49:35 pm »

I cant justify any control equipment, can I just measure with an accurate thermometer my chemical's current temps before they are poured into the tank?
Pretty much. You could make a poor man's Jobo by using a water bath and putting all of the chemicals, rinse water and tank in it.
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picman

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Re: temp control for C-41
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2016, 04:58:33 pm »

I used to use a submersible aquarium heater to keep a water bath in a reasonable range of temp.
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John Nollendorfs

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Re: temp control for C-41
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2016, 11:24:57 am »

Pretty much. You could make a poor man's Jobo by using a water bath and putting all of the chemicals, rinse water and tank in it.
+1 for Bob's recommendation. I used to use an aquarium heater and circulation pump when keeping E-6 in operating temps for daily processing, but for only once a month a water jacket control is just fine.
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Ken Bennett

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Re: temp control for C-41
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2016, 08:49:18 pm »

I used to use a submersible aquarium heater to keep a water bath in a reasonable range of temp.

This. When I was a young news photographer, we processed C-41 on the road in a metal containers filled with water kept around 100F with an aquarium heater. The containers looked like a tall metal fish tank and held three 8-reel metal tanks with chemistry.
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donbga

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Re: temp control for C-41
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2016, 01:42:23 pm »

Hi
I want to have a go at developing some 4x5 color negatives.

it will be very low volume: maybe 5 or 6 sheets a month max,  all developed at the same time

I have a Paterson tank with a Mod54, and I've got some Unicolor C-41 developing kits.

How much to I need to worry about the temperatures for essentially once a month developing at such low volumes? by this I mean, I cant justify any control equipment, can I just measure with an accurate thermometer my chemical's current temps before they are poured into the tank?

You need to shoot more than that to consume your chems before they go bad. C-41 process is easy peasy but for 4x5 you definitely need to do tank development. The stainless steel Nikkor tanks for sheet film are good. Jobo is the best and easiest.

Don Bryant
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Endeavour

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Re: temp control for C-41
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2016, 11:26:13 am »

thanks

Jobo might be the best and easiest, I'd love some motorised or even an automated system and to shoot more to justify, but they're not very easy to get hold of here it seems (Toronto)

hence why I have gone for locally available Paterson & mod54
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