6 Comments

Add a Comment
  1. I’ve done the earlier version of caffeinol, without the acorbic acid. Works fine, but smells like extremely strong burnt coffee. May also stain your plastic labware.

    I agree with you about the cost of c41 processing, though places like CVS pharmacy will process only, uncut, for under $3 per roll. You can then “scan” the film with a good digital camera and closeup lens, with the film backlit on a light box. Even Ming Thein uses this method for medium format film but he uses a bounce flash behind the film instead of a light box, and with a higher end DSLR can get very good quality scans this way.

    I’ve had problems with even the best photo lab in my town. They do a good job processing the film and printing digital files, but their film scanning is poor, with blown highlights and overly dense shadows. I’m thinking of going the route of process only, then do my own film scans at home, tweak the files in PS, then send the lab the files to print on RA4 paper, should offer a better result. And I only need to pay formthe shots I want printed, not the whole roll.

  2. I can certainly see the appeal. Film and processing are a king’s ransom anymore. And you’re right, the baths are not exactly earth friendly. I’m looking forward to seeing how this works.

  3. Coffee. Is there NOTHING it cannot do? I’ll be interested to hear of your results. By the way, Ted, did you leave any film for the rest of the world? Five bucks for developing sounds pretty reasonable. I’m paying twice that for 24 exposures.

  4. I can see it now: otters high on caffeine laying siege to the local Starbucks!

  5. Neat stuff I need to give it a try. I also only process B & W C-41 film with C-41 process. Not all B & W does good with C-41. I still see a problem with Caffinol-C and that is there is still silver in the solution. That is the biggest problem with any film processing. I built a still to distill the solution and have only a glob of gunk left which I can then take to recycle and have it disposed in the HAZMAT stuff. Distilling is over kill. It was just somehting I wanted to make after working in a photography lab where we were required to reclaim due to the volume of waste produced.

    Biggest problem I have always noted in color processing at home is temperature stabilization of the chemistry. Not a major challenge, but one that many people over look and then they do not get consistent results. Printing is easy. Transpency film is the easiest next to B & W.

    Happy Caffinoling.

  6. I have to try this! It makes me curious about all the Seattle FilmWorks rolls I have still undeveloped.
    And, I will buy a few rolls next time I come down there if you feel like parting with some. I’ll give you a nice profit, of course.

Leave a Reply to Erik Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.