8x10" C-41, which lab?

[Michael Nagl]

It used to be simple, but these days it is pretty hard to find a lab that will develop my 8x10 color negatives properly. Labs in Vienna (Austria) have always been a joke, and I had to send my films to Düsseldorf, Germany, and was happy - until the recent batch, which was a mess of stains & streaks.
Ok, so where to now? Europe, preferably, but if it is the only way to get it done, anywhere.
And how about DIY ? Is it a nightmare? I have darkroom experience, but not with the C-41 process.

Thanks in advance for your contributions & thoughts!

[Richard Wasserman]

I had the same problem, although with 4x5, and bought a JOBO with Expert drums which works very well. I use Kodak Flexcolor chemistry with separate bleach and fix—I don't know what is available in Europe, but I assume there must be something similar. My film turns out very even and it is cleaner than when I sent it out to be processed. It is not difficult as the JOBO does all the work of temperature control and agitation. All the user is responsible for is the timing of each step and even then the only crucial one is the developer. Good luck!

[Michael Nagl]

Thanks Richard! Information on the JOBO website is sparse... So I'd need the drum, the pump and - the three thousand euro processor? Or will the roller base do just fine? (I hardly ever expose more than 10 films per week.)

[koraks]

For c41, you ideally want some form of temperature control for the water jacket to keep the temperature stable especially during the development step. If you can manage that at a reasonable cost, I would certainly recommend doing it yourself. C41 is not particularly difficult.

Of course an expert drum would be ideal, but what about a print drum and a much cheaper (second hand) cpe or cpa processor? Mind you, I have only done 4x5 in a 2500 tank on my cpe2 so I cannot comment on development consistency and evenness when using a print drum for 8x10.

[Michael Nagl]

oh well, that just cut the costs to ~400€, cool! I can develop only one sheet at a time this way, correct? Another half hour of meditation per photograph isn't a bad thing.

[Michael Nagl]

This drum: https://www.jobo.com/analog/3063-jobo-multi-drum-50x60cm-20x24 ? "For paper prcesses", it says, but ---
Btw looking at the JOBO website makes me worry; suspicious that they are the next to keel over... (At Tetenal, the number is already dead.) Maybe it is time to look around for some other process. (Sigh.)

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

Try this till BREXIT ruins everything https://www.peak-imaging.com I have had nice experience with them !

[gary mulder]

If you do'n have a stock 8x10 color film it's time to look around for a alternative. Sorry no better answer. Until my stock film lasts I do my dev. with a ATL & Expert drum. Printing 8x10" on Ra-4 is still a feast.

[Louis Pacilla]

This drum: https://www.jobo.com/analog/3063-jobo-multi-drum-50x60cm-20x24 ? "For paper prcesses", it says, but ---
Btw looking at the JOBO website makes me worry; suspicious that they are the next to keel over... (At Tetenal, the number is already dead.) Maybe it is time to look around for some other process. (Sigh.)

Micheal Jobo was already out of the home developing game and reentered just 4 -5 years ago with reintroduction of the Jobo CPP3 and a host of drums being returned to the lineup. So I think they are fine shape and Jobo has more Analog then in a long time now w/ items from Ilford color film to Chamonix cameras not to mention a newly designed CPE3.

[koraks]

This drum: https://www.jobo.com/analog/3063-jobo-multi-drum-50x60cm-20x24 ? "For paper prcesses", it says, but ---

That looks a bit big for 8x10 sheets, although it's nice if you want to do 2 sheets at a time I suppose. For one sheet at a time, a 25xx paper drum should work quite nicely. They regularly pop up in the second hand market and they cost a lot less than the one you linked to. I think I paid something like € 50 for mine.

[Michael Nagl]

Thank you all! I guess I'll give Peak Imaging a try; I feel like it might be a bit late for the DIY-C41-party. I've got a stock of about 60 sheets left, and until that's finished, maybe maybe I might have found another way to get the results I want.

[gary mulder]

My experience developing 8x10" colorfilm in a Jobo papier drum on a ATL was extremely disappointing. Never got uniform result.

[robertraymer]

My experience with c-41 has been limited to 120 and 4x5, both of which I do in my kitchen sink using a sous vide cooker for temp control, but it seems that a Jobo CPE or CPE2 with a 2550 (I think?) drum would be great for 8x10, both BW and color, especially as the drum will take a film holder that will allow you to develop 3 sheets at a time. That is my plan when/if I start shooting enough 8x10 to spend the $ on it. Until them Im getting fine results developing X-rays in a cibachrome print drum.