large format colour photography home processing

Hi - Sometime this summer, If it happens this year, I wish to try some large format colour photography.

I have decided to try some Portra 400NC and process myself at home using a COLORTEC C41 Negative Kit 1 litre kit.
The processor I use at the moment is a Paterson motorized Orbital processor. I am happy with the monochrome results from this setup using Pyro developer, but I wonder if it is suitable for colour. This is because of the low amount of solution used, 200ml, with continuous agitation. Has anyone here tried this combination? Or has anyone got any other recommendations. I have experience of running a commercial C41 dip dunk processor but none using one shot chemistry. I wish to do this at home rather than bother with Lab processing.

Thanks for any advice you can give.


nn :)

I shoot the same stuff, process in Flexicolor in a Nikor 4x5 tank. No reason the Paterson shouldn't do the job just as well. The trick here is to have an inert gas to purge the bottles with for the leftover unused chemicals so they stay fresh.
Wash the tank really well between uses so the B&W chemicals don't compromise the C-41 or vice versa.

I process using Kodak Flexicolor in a Jobo CPA-2 which requires 331ml of chemistry per 8x10 sheet or 135/120 roll of film or 1 liter for 10 sheets of 4x5. You can reuse the bleach, fix and stablizer twice but must discard the developer after each use.

I am not familiar with the COLORTEC C41 Negative Kit.

If you have multiple batches to run Flexicolor is it's own replenisher. I have run 5 12-sheet batches in a row in my Nikor 4x5 tank (1 liter) with 125ml replenishment for each run and had very consistant results with Flexicolor LORR.