Processing & Developing Colour Film

I've been taking a photography unit at Uni and we've been shooting and developing B&W film.

I've enjoyed the experience and now that the courses just about over I'm interested in still developing film just for fun.

The thing is the course only uses B&W film and given the choice I'd much prefer to shoot in colour.

So could someone please tell me if developing colour film is extremely different to processing and developing B&W?

I'm just curious as to whether its similar to B&W, with a few differences, or it's a whole new kettle of fish, so to speak.

Just for reference for B&W I put the film in developer, stop bath, fixer and hypo clear. Then water.

Then printing I do the exposure, the put it in developer, stop bath, fixer & then water.

Is colour similar to this? I'd appreciate all the help I can get. Cheers.

Well the thing with color processing and printing is that the chemicals are so toxic that you cannot handle them, so you need a machine to process the film and and machine to make the prints. So after you get the negatives from the machine you get to chose whichever frame you want to enlarge and enlarge it under the light onto paper. Then you put the exposed paper into another machine. The most hands-on you get with this process is dodging and burning and other post processing techniques under the enlarger. Another thing you need to do is color correct the prints using different color filters in the printing machine. So if you have access to these types of machines you can process and print color film. I'm pretty positive thats how it works, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Good Luck

I don't recommend it, either. I've developed both color film & prints under the old systems. Now, I don't try to compete with Costco's $500,000 printer or their $3 price for great 12X18" prints, so I don't try to. I can upload files at 1AM & pick up the prints at 10AM, fast enough to make anyone happy.

I can even make a 100% 4X6 "proof" print & it will exactly match the days later color & exposure 12X18" final print.

I process my own colour films. I use this C41 kit with some great results. It's as easy, if not easier than B&W because it's a simple 2 bath process with this kit.

You won't get the kind of results that a halfway decent lab can get but it's a great thing to try, especially if you really love developing B&W.

If you want to have some creative fun then I'd highly recommend buying one of these kits, splitting all the powders into 2 equal batches then running a couple of rolls through.

I shot this image on Fuji Superia 400 ISO with my Canon 30V then processed it in the Nova C41 kit and scanned it from the neg.

It was the first time I ever tried it and got decent results which have only got better with practice.

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Film...? Not sure what you mean... Oh, that plastic stuff! I vaguely remember it...