HOW TO DEVELOP COLOR FILM AT HOME

[@mamiyapress]

I have been developing B&W film since 1981 but I am going to try colour film after watching your excellent video.

[@theoldcameraguy]

mamiyapress That’s Great! Since you’ve got all that experience and equipment, there’s no reason not to. Since the times for all the chemicals are standardized no matter what film stock you use, you don’t have to look up dev times, etc. (That’s one aspect that’s easier than BW). Thanks for checking this out.

[@RM-xd6ke]

Thanks for this vid! I found my grandpas old Canon AE-1 and shot/developed/scanned my first roll of b&w this week. When I was at the photo store buying my tank and chemicals I asked how to process color photos (they only carried chems for b&w) The sales lady firmly said, “you don’t, you send them in” I just ordered this kit... she’ll see.

[@theoldcameraguy]

That’s awesome! Thanks for watching.

[@nealfowler4819]

One of the best I've seen, definitely going to try the Cinestill when I get enough colour film used.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Neal Fowler Hey Thanks Neal! Yeah I shot 17 rolls before I opened this kit and just binge developed them over a 2 week span.

[@cinnamon--girl]

Thank you for this video. I have been developing black & white film for many years, but just now getting to color. I purchased the CineStill kit and their water heater, but have been reluctant to use it after watching another photographer's developing video. I like your organization and ability to convey the steps. Now I will be trying it! Thank you again.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Cinnamon Girl That’s awesome! Honestly, I was scared to try color, but now after 20+ rolls, I really like doing C-41. I think the fact that you don’t have to worry about different developing times for different color stocks is one big advantage over BW. I find that instruction card invaluable and keep it handy every time I develop. I’m glad you found this video helpful. Thanks for watching - I really appreciate it!

[@tonykeltsflorida]

I am going to try the Rollei kit and the Lab Box. Your video was perfect because the sous vide and a good thermometer is how I am going to keep my temps right.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Sounds like a solid plan. Good Luck Tony!

[@teagueclements9929]

Thank you for this! Finally - an instructional video with clear, concise, and easy to follow steps!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Thanks for watching!👍👍👍

[@Raychristofer]

Good job on this my man, I've been developing color film for a few years now as for me it takes more time and effort than black and white especially scanning and color correcting because on each Roll I can have a perfect color shots and another one can take forever to white balance another thing I noticed is the Blix will eventually develop a white powder at the bottom and sometimes if I wait several weeks to do another roll sometimes that roll will be completely blank and I had no way of knowing that the developer was exhausted. What I really want to do on my channel is experiment with developing three rolls at different temperatures, one at room temperature, the other at manufacturer recommended and the last at about a hundred and twenty-five degrees just to see the difference and how critical the temperature really is

[@theoldcameraguy]

Raychristofer That sounds like a cool experiment. I have developed 17 rolls with this kit, but it was all within a week and a half and didn’t have much time to sit unused. I may try cross processing a couple rolls just to see what happens. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and observations!

[@justinderato9123]

Developed my first roll of color 2 months ago. Now I’m on roll 10! Off to get more chemistry. Nice video.

[@theoldcameraguy]

By Accident Photography I’m addicted - I’ve actually squeezed 17 rolls out of this first kit. (I ordered 2 kits at the same time, so I’ll bust out that second kit soon). Glad to hear you’re really enjoying this process too. I only wish I would have been “brave” enough to try this years ago. Thanks for watching - I really appreciate it!

[@simplisticmotivation]

Very detailed and intricate process. Great informative video, thank you for sharing 🍀

[@theoldcameraguy]

NATURE’s Simplistic Beauty photography Thanks for watching!

[@brendanwhite3731]

Hi that was grate to watch use the different color cook spones is clever. I just dev my first color film it came out grate. My cinestill worked OK when you turn on the cinestill it has the default times plus the temperature 103F. I did find that rise the temperature to 110F did give the water temperature in the div to 38C or 103F. If you want to change from F to C you press on switch and Cs together this will change the F to C setting its a bit of a puzzle so it best to use one so you get used to the cinestill. The one I got was the powder dev it's worked well does take a little more care as its in powder form ware a mask and gloves. Brendan

[@theoldcameraguy]

Glad everything worked out for you!

[@jordansanchez1816]

I watched this video to hype myself up and I developed my first color roll!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Jordan Sanchez That’s awesome! It’s such a great sense of accomplishment when you see those images on the reel. Way to go!

[@VioletHenning]

Wow, what a process. I am so out of my depth on this. Thanks so much for sharing the process with us. You are truly amazing.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Violet Henning Different comfort zones - I’m pretty sure I would crash your drones if I tried to fly them 😆 Thanks for your support friend!

[@VioletHenning]

Hahaha, if i used your stuff it will look like someone poured bleach on the washing... 😂

[@theoldcameraguy]

Violet Henning You are too funny 😄

[@cdl0]

Good, clear video demonstration.

[@theoldcameraguy]

cdl0 Thanks for watching!

[@ColinBloodworth]

So excited to watch this. I'm on roll 3 of black and white.

[@ColinBloodworth]

What an outstanding walk-through. Seriously, so good and thorough. At this time, I think I'm not ready for doing color myself. My shop does color for $6 and usually about 2.5 business days. I've been shooting much more black and white lately so it's hard to think I'd go through with doing color myself. With Df96, there's almost no excuse to not do my own BW. That shouldn't detract from how incredible of a job you did making this.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Colin Bloodworth Hey Thanks man! You’re right about Df96 - too easy not to use it! This C-41 kit is rated for 8 rolls, but in the last couple weeks I’ve done 17 rolls with this same kit. My local lab charges $10 a roll but offers same day service. I knew I was going to shoot a lot of color this summer, so the home kit was a lot more cost effective for me. If you’re shooting mostly BW and it only costs you $6 a roll at the lab, I can see why you use the lab. Thanks again for watching!

[@JamieMPhoto]

The clamps are genius! Much more organized than I am. ha ha.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Jamie Maldonado More importantly, they’re cheap - like me. Thanks for watching!

[@SuperAce780]

so so helpful! new to developing film, and ordered the same kit. thank you so much for this video.

[@theoldcameraguy]

SuperAce780 That’s awesome - Good luck on your journey!

[@SuperAce780]

theoldcameraguy thank you!! I hope the photos turn out well 😄

[@GarethBretton]

great video! really enjoyed the video, keep them coming! loving the content!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Gareth Bretton Thanks for your support - I really appreciate it!

[@russjump6194]

great video I enjoy your videos very much would like to know more about extending the times for developing the film and when do you start extending the time on the rolls of film I'm a little bit confused reading there instructions on developing up to 25 rolls of film. their df96 instructions seems to be more understandable on how to do it

[@theoldcameraguy]

I’m very unscientific in how I do it. First 8 or 9 rolls, I stick to 3.5 minutes. Rolls 10 to 16 or so I’ll add about 15 seconds. Any rolls beyond that I go closer to 4 minutes.

[@russjump6194]

@@theoldcameraguy finally something that makes sense thank you very much for explaining the simplicity of it. unicolor c41 seems to have a better understanding of the instructions and was able to find information on the internet on how to extend there times :)

[@russjump6194]

@@theoldcameraguy after 8 rolls that is develop how does the negatives look

[@theoldcameraguy]

@@russjump6194 They still look good

[@angelicacamila5520]

Ohhhh.. wow 😮 this is so awesome Very detailed, thank you so much sir 👍❤️

[@theoldcameraguy]

Angelica Camila I’m glad you found it useful - Thanks for watching!

[@MinsanSauers]

Thanks for making this. I just mixed up this kit for the first time tonight :) Great tutorial!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Thanks for watching - Have fun with C-41!

[@andyandyfrogy1113]

Instalike :D go go Dave! Very detailed tutorial. Excellent photos/scans :D

[@theoldcameraguy]

Andy Andy Frogy Finally got it done and posted👍

[@lilliandolan8775]

So ive seen some people use black bottles to keep the chemicals, have you had any issues with the green bottles? Or have you tried black and prefer green? Thank you for the GREAT video

[@theoldcameraguy]

Thanks! Green bottles are fine - I’ve had no problems. Keep them in a cool place, out of direct sunlight.

[@KFDShots]

I definitely notice the improvement in video quality, Good Job brother keep it up! 😍

[@theoldcameraguy]

It'sK3nn Thanks Kenn! (I mailed your can coozie last Thursday- May take a while🤓)

[@KFDShots]

@@theoldcameraguy yay thank you brother! You're the best!

[@theoldcameraguy]

It'sK3nn 👍👍👍

[@Smaug1]

Awesome job, and thanks to whoever recommended it from -\+!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Thanks - it was our friend Minsan Sauers. Now that you’ve got that sous vide stick on the way, there’s no stopping you!

[@Smaug1]

​@@theoldcameraguy I'm thinking now: "What if I like C-41 processing, and I can just shoot EVERYTHING in color, and convert to B&W in PP when desired?"...

[@followthe-Light]

Hi David, instead of pouring out the water down the drain from that small tube, could you use that to start the rinse of your film?

[@theoldcameraguy]

I like where your head’s at Bob. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Good call!

[@jllanesphoto]

Great video. Love Cinestill.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Thank You - These CineStill kits are the only ones I’ve used for color - very pleased with these kits.

[@eloisemarch6289]

This was incredibly helpful! Thank you so much!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Amy Rebecca Awesome - Thanks for watching!

[@nonek11]

Heyy great video! Question, do you use a film squeegee to remove access water or you just let it hang dry? My biggest concern is water spots. Thanks!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Thanks - I don’t use a squeegee. I shake the film back and forth to try to remove some of the excess water before I hang it up. With distilled water and photo-flo, I haven’t had a problem.

[@nonek11]

theoldcameraguy got it! Thanks for the help 👌🏽

[@jeffreyiverson1475]

Did you ever try a rinse between the developer and blix? It sounds like a good idea, acting like a stop bath if you will, and would keep developer out of the blix. What would be a good time, 30 secs?

[@theoldcameraguy]

Jeffrey Iverson Yes, I think 30 seconds sounds about right and a lot of people do a rinse. I’m planning on having a go at some bleach bypass later this week and I will definitely do a rinse after the developing step. Thanks for watching

[@juancarlosguzman2827]

Awesome video! Thanks for doing it, very helpful gonna try to do it at home myself instead of sending to the lab. BTW where did you buy the thing to keep the water circulating and the right temperature

[@theoldcameraguy]

Juan Carlos Guzman Thanks - I got my immersion circulator here: filmphotographystore.com/collections/darkroom-supplies/products/darkroom-supplies-fpp-heat-helper?variant=15891480936482 Unfortunately it looks like it is sold out at the moment.

[@FuzzboxRIP]

Congrats. I should try that

[@theoldcameraguy]

Micke Borg I encourage anybody to try it. It’s such a satisfying feeling to see those images when you take the negatives off the reels. Thanks for watching!

[@srad.]

Well done!!

[@theoldcameraguy]

srad on film Thanks! I linked to your C-41 video in my “Film Photography Unboxing” video description because yours was one of three C-41 videos that pushed me to get into color processing. In the last couple weeks I’ve done 17 rolls with this kit - I think I may soup some film and do some cross processing now that my kit is getting a little old.

[@srad.]

@@theoldcameraguy thanks, glad I could help! Definitely do some soups, I'd love to see them!

[@saintjames7387]

this is a great video. I have a question... I thought the temp was sensitive only once the chemicals were mixed. not prior to mixing. is this not the case? thanks!

[@theoldcameraguy]

CineStill’s instructions say to heat the water you’re using to mix the developer to 120F and the water for the blix to 125F. The chemicals that your mix into the water can be room temperature - you don’t have to heat the bottles of chemicals from CineStill. You just heat the water (I use distilled water). Thanks for watching!

[@saintjames7387]

@@theoldcameraguy gotcha. that makes sense. btw i wasnt expecting your photos to turn out the way they did at the end. theyre amazing!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Saint James Thanks - I really appreciate it!

[@Noealz]

id actually like to try developing some IR film someday~

[@theoldcameraguy]

Noealz Photo Now that would be very cool to try

[@GONZOFAM7]

Well darn. I didn't get stabilizer. I live overseas and can get many chems. What is an alternative?

[@theoldcameraguy]

Jaime Gonzalez No problem- You can use distilled water and a couple drops of Photo-Flo. If you can’t find Photo-Flo, you can substitute a couple drops of liquid dish soap. Thanks for watching!

[@GONZOFAM7]

@@theoldcameraguy I don' realize it was the same as stabilizer.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Jaime Gonzalez It’s not exactly the same, but stabilizer is not as critical for modern emulsions. If you’re shooting film from the 1990s or older, stabilizer is a good idea. Film from 2000s on are usually ok without it.

[@1973sonvis]

Another great video! Thanks! One advice though: I really don’t understand «ounce» and «farenheit» and all that Imperial measurements. Why not give a hint to us Metric-heads so we have an idea? Keep it up! 👍🏻

[@theoldcameraguy]

Bernt Sønvisen The metric system makes my head hurt 😄 I can handle units of length better than temperature and volume because the zone focus on my Lomo LC-A is measured in meters and I’ve (mostly) gotten used to it. The CineStill kit does include metric measurements in the fine print of its instructions so it’s got both of us covered. The main parameter that matters the most for this kit is to maintain 39 C for the developing temperature. I appreciate the advice and thanks for watching!

[@ShadowBoxer]

I was thinking the same thing. I've been watching videos not just for how to do it, but I'm also looking for "what to buy". It's also a lot easier working in metric since everything is based on 10. FYI: 32oz is almost a liter, 946ml. 20oz is just over half at 591.5ml. So I'm going to buy my larger containers and mixing vessels as 1 liter at least, except for one smaller measuring tube at 25ml. Some things only require small amounts or maybe you are mixing a smaller amount because you don't need a liter right now. The liter measuring cups sometimes start with 10, 20, 30ml but you might need 5ml or 16ml but the gradients are too course to measure exactly. Smaller vessels will help here as each milliliter has a line starting from 1.

[@MonkeyTaco200]

where did you get that little slicer to cut your negatives?

[@theoldcameraguy]

It’s just a little paper cutter - you can find them at craft stores like Michael’s

[@mayascade]

Great video! Thank you!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Maya Cade Glad you appreciated it - Thanks for watching!

[@biancajimenez2023]

I got the powder kit and it didn’t come with a stabilizer. Would that be okay to develop like that? Great video by the way!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Bianca Jimenez Thank you Bianca! Skipping the stabilizer is not ideal, but not fatal. If you scan your negatives in a timely fashion, that would be good. Some people use Photo - flo (especially if you have hard water). help.cinestillfilm.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025784411-Do-I-Need-an-Additional-Stabilizer-Bath-with-the-2-Bath-Color-Kit-

[@biancajimenez2023]

Yeah I think I heard somewhere that cinestill said most films now a days come with a stabilizing agent so they said you don’t need one but I’m not sure and someone recommended I use photoflo so I thought it was the same thing as a stabilizer but I guess it’s not but I still got home so hopefully it’s okay :)

[@biancajimenez2023]

Thank you for replying!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Bianca Jimenez Thanks so much for watching - I really appreciate it. Enjoy your C-41 home developing - no stress - Have fun with it!

[@gavinfarrell414]

What do you do with the chemicals after they get exhausted?

[@theoldcameraguy]

I follow the advice of the Film Photography Project. Pour the stabilizer into the blix and then pour that into the developer. After that, pour it down the sink, diluting it with a lot of water. Thanks for watching.

[@gavinfarrell414]

theoldcameraguy ok awesome thank you this helps a lot!!!

[@theoldcameraguy]

gavin farrell You’re welcome!

[@MFfuji29]

If you develop more as a hobby and only doing about 3 rolls or so at a time, does it make sense to mix only half of the liquid kit and then the other half later? (And would you just use half the water?) Or does it not make a big difference?

[@theoldcameraguy]

Enrich Visuals I haven’t tried this, but some of the folks on rangefinderforum have. Once I break the seal on the chemicals and expose them to oxygen, I just mix the whole kit. I’ve had kits last several months and last for 20 rolls with good results. Thanks for watching

[@MFfuji29]

theoldcameraguy thanks for the response!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Enrich Visuals You bet

[@davemiller3349]

You make it look so easy! 😩 I wish I would have seen this before I invested $500 in a jobo on eBay..

[@theoldcameraguy]

It should be even easier with that Jobo! Thanks for watching

[@safwanfallatah8611]

At what temperature shall mix the stabilizer specifically?

[@theoldcameraguy]

Safwan Fallatah The CineStill instructions don’t list a specific temperature. They just say “room temperature”. I mixed mine around 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

[@brennan9629]

Why are the developer time and blix time different when they have the same instructions for agitation? Shouldn’t they both be the same time?

[@theoldcameraguy]

They are different chemical processes, so they have different times. BW developing and BW fix often have different times as well.

[@brennan9629]

@@theoldcameraguy if you’re agitating initially for 10 seconds and then 4 times every 30 seconds, shouldn’t the overall time be ~4 minutes for both developer and blix? I guess I’m just confused on what the time column actually represents on the card

[@theoldcameraguy]

@@brennan9629 To agitate, I use the swizzle stick and just turn it 4-5 times at 30 second intervals. You just keep going with the blix (agitate at 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, etc) until you reach 8 minutes. So twist 4 times at 30 second intervals until you reach the desired time for each process.

[@brennan9629]

@@theoldcameraguy ohhhh I misinterpreted what the 4 was for! Thanks so much for your replies!

[@theoldcameraguy]

@@brennan9629 You’re welcome

[@zahriajones3863]

Are you suppose to see the print immediately after taking it out the tank? I’ve tried twice the exact same way as the video but once I took them out it looked as if they went developed still...

[@theoldcameraguy]

Yes - you should see images right after you take the film out of the tank. The colors will be inverted because they are negatives, but the images will still be visible (assuming camera is working properly and exposure is good).

[@zahriajones3863]

@@theoldcameraguy Thank you for your quick response! If I may ask, do you know why the film might not developing correctly? I’ve tried everything and I still end up with film that looks undeveloped...

[@theoldcameraguy]

The only time I’ve had a blank roll is when I had a faulty camera (the shutter didn’t open). If the undeveloped roll is exposed to light before it’s put in the tank, that can cause a blank roll too. If the lid is taken off before the development and blix steps are complete, you can also get a blank roll. If the temperature is off, you may get color shifts or over/under development, but you will still get images.

[@zahriajones3863]

@@theoldcameraguy thank you! I don’t know what’s happening.... maybe I accidentally cross contaminated?? I don’t know! I just bought a new kit so hopefully it develops next time.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Yes, if the developer and blix mix at all, your kit is dead. Good luck with the next one!

[@The_Cold_Slither]

I totally screwed up two rolls of film now. The colors are all wrong and off. I don't know if maybe it was the camera, if I messed something up when preparing the chemicals, or if I did something wrong during development. I know it's a learning curve, and I'll get it, but man that sucks.

[@theoldcameraguy]

The Alpha Nerd Man, that is a bummer. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what the problem is, because there are so many variables- the film, the camera, the chemicals, the processing, the scanning. I wouldn’t expect the camera would affect the colors that much (exposure maybe, but less likely colors). Expired film or film exposed to excessive heat can definitely cause color shifts, but if your film was fresh and properly stored, it’s probably not the film. Maintaining the correct temperature throughout the development process is critical as is guarding against cross contamination of different chemicals. Just like you said, it’s a learning curve - hopefully your next batch roll comes out better.

[@randallstewart175]

Washing: Running water into the top of the tank and reels does not wash the film. Use a funnel at the top or run a hose down into the tank to force water down to the tank bottom, up over the film, and overflow out. Stabilizer: use distilled water to avoid hard water spots from tap water. Put Photoflo in the stabilizer. If you use a separate Photoflo bath after the stabilizer, that just washes the chemical stabilizer back out of the film. The Photoflo breaks water surface tension and allows it to run off without drying marks; stabilizer does not have this property. Avoid the Cinestill two-bath kit, which eliminates the stabilizer. Apparently Cinestill needed to save 10 cents on the chemical and figures that by the time your negatives start fading, you will have scanned them anyway and don't care.

[@theoldcameraguy]

I like to use distilled water for any chemistry I mix, including the stabilizer. It’s inexpensive and definitely better than my tap water. I usually get my supplies from Freestyle - this CineStill liquid (3 bath) kit is out of stock, but they have the 2 bath kit available. I’m taking your advice and avoiding the 2 bath kit - It’s worth waiting to get the kit with the stabilizer.

[@denissavescu]

thank you!!!!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Denis Savescu Glad you were able to get something out of this video - Thanks for watching!

[@randallstewart175]

Very good process video, except for one point - the wash. Putting a tank with reel/film inside and running tap water into the top of the tank is the equivalent of almost no wash at all. When they say to run water over the film, that is exactly what is meant. You do that by running your water through a small hose, the end of which is inserted down the center of the reel(s) in the tank, so water goes down the center tube, out into the tank at its bottom, and then flushes up through the reels, over the film and out over the top of the tank. Depending on tank design, you might need to put a spacer (bottle cap) in the bottom of the tank to raise the reels and let the water freely flow.

[@roadnottaken2780]

How many times we can reuse these chemicals

[@theoldcameraguy]

I use mine for 20 rolls of film.

[@denissavescu]

🥇

[@CamwiththeCamera]

Lol and here I am stuck on getting the film on the reel in the dark 😅

[@theoldcameraguy]

Cam with the Camera Figures - the one part I didn’t show 😆I use plastic reels with super big tabs and load the film in a dark bag. (I’ve never tried steel reels). Just did some BW with the CineStill Df96 Monobath tonight. Hopefully your film and reels will start cooperating soo. Have fun with the process - I think it’s a blast (except maybe scanning, but even that’s not too bad). Hey, thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@punkrachmaninoff]

after all the precautions, the blix is cross contaminated at 9:10...

[@theoldcameraguy]

Punk Rachmaninoff Luckily, this kit is pretty forgiving😆

[@punkrachmaninoff]

@@theoldcameraguy yeah? good to know! thanks for the fantastically scrupulous video tutorial, btw!! 💖📷🎞️

[@theoldcameraguy]

Punk Rachmaninoff You got it - Thanks for watching!