RE: [Leica] stocking C41 chemistry. Was: Any of you use a JOBO CPE-2? - THANKS!

["Jeffery Smith" <jls@runbox.com>]

Jorge,

Thanks for the belated reply. I bought some Tetanol when I got the JOBO,
and will give the Kodak a try if the Tetanol doesn't suit me. I've got
to think that the many-soup recipes have better results than the
two-soup recipes, but since I'm shooting B&W C-41, it might not be so
critical.

Thanks again!

Jeffery Smith
New Orleans, LA


- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Jorge M.
Treviņo
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2004 2:10 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: [Leica] stocking C41 chemistry. Was: Any of you use a JOBO
CPE-2? - THANKS!

I'm sorry for posting to this thread so late but I was swamped by work
and
didn't get to read my groups until today.

I started processing my C41 a few years ago because the local labs were
terribly untidy and always returned my negatives scratched and
fingerprinted, not to mention that they never managed to understand that
cutting the film in five frame strips for 35mm (or three frames in the
case
of 6x6) was important to me for archiving reasons. The other motive for
"rolling my own" is that I shoot a few sheets of 4x5 every now and then
and
none of the local labs handle it.

After trying a variety of chemicals, the solution I've found to be the
most
economical in the long run, and one that avoids the stale chemicals
problem
is the Kodak chemilcals intended for minilabs, named Flexicolor C-41
LORR .
The initial set meant a substantial expense but the developer
replenisher
keeps really well in the fridge for more than a year; 15 months is the
longest I have kept the three part concentrates open. They are intended
for
10 litres of replenisher but it needs to be "aged" by means of a very
cheap
developer "Starter" that keeps forever to make fresh developer work
solution
(remember it is a type of chemicals meant for minilabs) so you actually
end
with about 11 litres -about four gallons- of  fresh Developer per bottle
set.  Fortunately the Starter  is very cheap and doesn't go stale as
only a
very small amount is required and comes in a one liter bottle of
concentrate.

The Bleach and Fix keep perfectly out of the fridge (I have an open jug
of
bleach that has kept well for nearly two years) and the Final Rinse also
seems to keep forever.

At first, I tried to replenish the solutions (very easy to do if you use
a
precise graduate) since the only critical replenishment is that of the
developer. However, noticing that at the rate I was shooting C41 the ten
liters of developer would last four years, I started dumping it every
two
uses (you increment the process time by 15" per use) and just replenish
the
other solutions. It comes out at about twenty five cents (USD) per roll.
By
using the LORR solutions, the whole process is faster than B&W since
there
are no intermediate rinses. You go from one solution to the other and
are
done in less than twenty minutes, including the five minute preheat of
the
dry tank in the CPE-2.

I hope it still helps.

- --Jorge.

* * * *   http://www.jorgemtrevino.com  * * * *


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeffery Smith" <jls@runbox.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 4:38 PM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Any of you use a JOBO CPE-2? - THANKS!


> Many thanks to those of you who gave me feedback on the CPE-2. I
ordered
> one with the lift. For those of you using Tetanal, the guy at JOBO
told
> me that they are phasing out the 1-liter powdered version of the
> chemicals. They never did distribute the tablet form in the US, so it
is
> 5-liter kits for me.
>
> Jeffery Smith
> New Orleans, LA
>
>
>
> --
> To unsubscribe, see
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>
>


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