C-41/ 8x10"/ equipment?

[Michael Nagl]

Dear Colleagues,

as no lab in Vienna is able to properly develop my 8x10" color negatives (crazy, isn't it?) I guess I'll have to do it myself. My question: What equipment is required? I'd process no more than 10 to 20 sheets per week in a small bathroom and I don't want to poison the kids.

Thanks for advice,
Michael

[CG]

There might be other locations where you could mail your film. I mail out E-6 regularly and have had no issues I could trace to the postal service. There must be a bunch of labs within reasonable distance.

However, if you do wish to do your own C-41, a set of stainless or hard rubber 8x10 tanks and some 8x10 hangers would work fine. Lots of 8x10 size darkroom equipment is available to purchase. The process itself is not too difficult if you can follow directions and don't try to cut corners. A sheet of plywood over the tub and some care might make a workable 8x10 film developing setup.

Developing times might need a teeny bit of adjustment from those for roll film, but other than that, it's straightforward.

Best,

C

[Michael Nagl]

Yes, maybe I should mail them to - where? Can anyone recommend a lab in middle Europe?

[BennehBoy]

Is it economical to develop color films at home? Presumably an 8x10 tank takes a lot of chemicals to fill it... (sorry to piggyback the question)

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

Send your film to some decent lab in Berlin or Dusseldorf
8x10 " C-41 is a very critical process to do.

http://WWW.pixelgrain.de or http://www.hsldigital.de/

[Ole Tjugen]

I do my own E6 is all sizes in a JOBO machine with print drums for the larger sizes. So far I have a lower "damage percentage" than the last "pro" lab I used.

[robert lyons]

hi michael, use LPG (Pixel Grain Lab) in Berlin......i have used them this year for 8x10 and they do good c-41. you could also try Jakobs and Schultz in Berlin ....both are fine. btw my friend jeff loved the camera,
ciao, robert lyons

[Michael Nagl]

Glad to hear that, Robert.
Thanks for your advice; I'll tell you about my experiences!

[CG]

Is it economical to develop color films at home? Presumably an 8x10 tank takes a lot of chemicals to fill it... (sorry to piggyback the question)

Aside from Jobo processors, which many people are very pleased with, there is another choice, the thinner 1 gallon size stainless 8x10 tanks. I don't have one right by the computer, but they are something like 2" x 9" x 10", just big enough to fit several hangers into a thin one gallon slice of chemicals.

They are much more economical with chemicals than the better known 3 1/2 gallon tanks. You use the same 8x10 hangers, and can also use 5x7 "two up" and 4x5 "four up" hangers as well.

C

[Jim Ewins]

Freestylephoto.biz sells kits for both C41(#20411) & E6 (#1181). You may download instructions from their website. Temp control is the biggest factor.

[Matei Bejenaru]

Dear Michael,
There is a photo lab in Vienna who develops 8x10 negatives.
It is Photo Leutner on Kaiserstrasse near Westbahnoff.
Take a look at www.fotoleutner.at
Good luck,
Matei Bejenaru
Iasi, Romania

[Michael Nagl]

Matei, sadly, Leutner is unable to perform a proper C-41 development of sheet film. So I mail my films to Berlin, and Pixel Grain does a great job. (Thanks Robert!) Highly recommended.
Thank you all for your advice,
Michael

[Allen in Montreal]

Aside from Jobo processors, which many people are very pleased with, there is another choice, the thinner 1 gallon size stainless 8x10 tanks. I don't have one right by the computer, but they are something like 2" x 9" x 10", just big enough to fit several hangers into a thin one gallon slice of chemicals.

They are much more economical with chemicals than the better known 3 1/2 gallon tanks. You use the same 8x10 hangers, and can also use 5x7 "two up" and 4x5 "four up" hangers as well.

C


This is what I was going to recommend too.
Set up several in a sink with water, buy a Devtec or two to keep the water at the required 100 deg and it is just like processing black and white (plus ou moins).
I would think you could purchase all the hardware rather inexpensively these days.

[Jiri Vasina]

If you're doing your development at home, you could either do it in Jobo ATL (like many other pros/advanced users) which is a bit more on the initial investment, but then simpler to perform.

Or you could develop the 8x10 sheets in a Jobo 2830 print drum roller on a Unicolor Uniroller base. Temperature control is just a bit more difficult than ATL, but can also be done well. This is the way I do it, I process 4 13x18cm or 5x8 sheets at time, uses very little chemistry (for BW process 200ml is enough, more limited by the amount of active chemicals). And I do it also in a small bathroom...

Jiri