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 Originally Posted by EdSawyer
Why the bias against blix ?
Archival stability.
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Just tagging along to this question...I bought this stuff: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...s_Kit_for.html because I wanted something small to start with in case I decide I don't like developing my own (everything else seemed to make large amounts). Anyone have experience with this mix? All the other color chemistry I saw at B&H was liquid concentrate other than this one...don't know if there's a reason for that preference.
How long do chemicals last? I keep seeing references to people doing small runs in one go, rather than just one roll at a time. One of the reviews for the product linked above said it only lasted 2 weeks. Is that normal or specific to this type?
I can sacrifice the $20 if I have to on this first try, because I really just want to see how well it works and if I like doing it, and can buy something more economical/longer-lasting later...but of course I'd prefer to get more than 2 weeks of random test rolls in if possible. I'm used to my b/w chems lasting a really long time (often used past recommendation) so "two weeks" surprised me quite a bit.
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Um...also a random question. Why are there so many bottles in this photo??
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...for_Color.html
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Originally Posted by naugastyle
Some of the components are made up from more than one bottle, I believe for the sake of stability. You must mix each component according to the included directions. It doesn't arrive premixed.
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Um...also a random question. Why are there so many bottles in this photo??
I don't have personal knowledge of the Tetenal kit, but typically C-41 developer would come as 3 separate liquids (called part A, B, and C). Usually this mix is technically developer REPLENISHER, and another part, called "starter solution" would be used to help convert it into actual processing tank solution - what most photogs would simply call "developer." In some small kits, it is already in the form of "developer" (as opposed to replenisher), so no additional "starter" is needed. Anyway, this should help to explain why so many bottles.
I'm used to my b/w chems lasting a really long time (often used past recommendation) so "two weeks" surprised me quite a bit.
B&W developers are typically able to use as much "preservative" (commonly sodium sulfite) as they wish, so they can have very long lifespans. Color developers, like C-41, are a different animal. During development of C-41 film, sulfite actually prevents formation of the colored dyes, so in a working developer, sulfite has to be kept at a very low concentration. This minimal quantity of preservative helps lead to the short service life. Storing in glass, with no air space, will help keep it there as long as possible.
There IS another way to greatly extend the lifespan of C-41 developer. One can use what is essentially a "slow drip transfusion" for the developer, restoring individual chemical components to the proper working level. At first, this sounds like a far-fetched idea - something you would never be able to do. But, as it turns out, this is the basic idea behind replenisher, as in the first paragraph. Other problems come along with replenishment, so most small users probably don't want to bother. But just saying, this is how it works.
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Originally Posted by EdSawyer
Why the bias against blix ?
The color dyes supposedly aren''t archival using a combined bleach/fix.
I have no experiece with this yet I'm only parrotting what I've been researching lately.
It seems there is much more interest in home color processes these days due to the dirth of good cheap color labs like days of yore.
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