CineStill Cs41 Colour Film Developer - 1Ltr Powder Kit

I've been using Cs41 colour developer for a while now and I can honestly say that for a hassle-free colour developer it does a great job. It's a simple two bath process that produces good colour rendition with fine grain and sharpness and archive quality negatives. Like all colour development chems it is temperature critical, but when you've used it a couple of times it really is straight forward and saves time, especially if you're processing a quite few rolls. The chems are re-usable and there is, in my experience, no degradation in neg quality after several rolls. Like all chems, it's advisable to do a 'dip and dunk' if you suspect the chems are getting weak over time. However, I've developed up to 15 rolls (both 35mm and medium format) with no visible degradation in neg quality. Storage in dark containers is always advisable, keeping them at a constant cool temperature. I would recommend Cs41 as a great alternative to traditional colour film developers.

This was my first venture into the world of colour developing & having been gifted a sous vide it made the whole idea of trying something other than B & W a possibility. Well, I can report that is was a complete success, the product was very easy to mix up & my first film was developed without any issues.

As simple to use as black & white developer so long as you ensure the correct temperature for the develop stage which is easy enough. The results are good for C41 and fun for cross-processing E6. It seems to be good for 2 months after mixing if you add a bit on the developing time every batch.

I should caveat this review by saying the developer has far exceeded my negative processing ability. Something to work on, though I think I still prefer developing black and white...

Anyway, the instructions to make up the two solutions (developer; and combined stop bath, fixer, bleacher) were simple to follow, the latter mixture launching into an impressive exothermic reaction.

I've used these mixtures on ten rolls so far, in a Paterson tank, having never developed colour before. And I have to say I think it's pretty forgiving.

I don't have a water heater or anything to get the developer up to 39 degrees (compared to 20 or so for b&w!) so I tend to stick the container into a jug of just boiled water, and keep checking the temperature. Once it's ready, tip it into the tank, invert every 30 seconds, occasionally put the tank into a shallow tray of hot water so it doesn't lose too much heat; whack in the stop / fixer for 8 minutes, inverting four times every 30 seconds; and then I just use the tried and tested rinsing method of 5, 10, 20 inversions, with fresh water in between.

I've kept a note of the number of rolls, as the developer needs an additional 2% developing time above the base 3 and a half minutes for every previously developed roll. Allegedly it's good for around 24 rolls - I've read reviews that the drop off in performance when it hits is like going off a cliff, so when I get to 20 or so I might just use it for rolls I'm testing some cameras with... (or found rolls in cameras bought at auction).

But as I say, so far it's been very tolerant of my haphazard approach, developing Kodaks ColorPlus 200, Gold 200 and Pro Image 100, in 35mm and 120 formats.

At £41 I initially baulked at buying this, but if I get 24 rolls, that's less than £2 a roll developing cost, so we'll see what that cliff edge looks like, and probably get some more, then knowing when the limit is reached.

Super easy to make up and very good results. I wanted a simple way to develop colour film at home and this delivered. Very happy with how all of my negatives have come out so far and actually ended up getting a lot more rolls out of it than it said on the pack. Great kit, would definitely recommend.

This is such a good kit, especially for the price. I've used a few different kits before (Tetenol was my favourite before this) - the convenience of this kit is what is so great about it, and don't be put off by the temptation to think that developing colour film at home is tricky, it simply is not. A bowl of warm water, a decent thermometer and a bit of organisation is all you need to make a real success out of this, and it will also dramatically cut your costs down. Plus, who doesn't want to develop their own film! It's just a shame that the cost of film so sky high these days, otherwise I would be burning through these kits. Get it while it's in stock, because it seems to sell out too easily.

A very good product. Mixing the chemicals is simple and the developer is very tolerant in use. I settled on using it at 35degrees to make getting a consistent temperature easier for developing and blipping. The kit works well with Phoenix, Ultramax and Pro Image films. Altogether great fun and a great introduction to colour processing.

First time trying to develop C41 at home, this kit makes it very easy

This C41 kit is easy to make up, provided you are properly prepared, so make sure you wear all the protective gear such as gloves, apron and even glasses as these chemicals can be hazardous and you would not wish them to contact your skin, or normal clothes. If you follow the instructions closely, you should get replicable results every time. However, the instructions themselves are printed very small, so make sure you have read and understood them BEFORE you start. That being said the process is a simple one. Be aware, if working like me without a supply of warm running water, that you will need to plan for quite large amounts of water for washing. For occasional use, it's probably not necessary to have a temperature control system, but if using long-term, this will probably be beneficial to your workflow.
One thing I did notice was that the warm developer and bleach/fixer tended to increase pressure within my Paterson tank and this did cause some blow off if not carefully managed. However, once again, once you are aware of this, it will not be an issue. It's also useful to have stuff like kitchen roll or microfibre cloths handy to keep your work area clean and for dealing with any spillage. I haven't yet reached the capacity of this kit yet and feel it is good for quite a bit more than the rated no of rolls.

This powder kit really does make C41 developing as easy as developing B&W. Follow the instructions, be as accurate as possible with your temperature and development time, and it will give you great results
(My sample shots were taken on Kodak Pro Image)

I've been using tetenal C41 kit since 2017 and was wondering how this would work only with 2 baths.

However, the results are great.

Carefully followed the provided instructions in terms of time and temperatures.

I use a Jobo tank (1500 series) and the Cinestill TCS -1000.
Film was Portra 160-120mm
The water I use is tap water.

Already handprinted my images and they look good.

Love the quickness of developing with this C41 kit and will keep using it.
Thank you.

These Chemicals are great for home development. Used for the past several months in replacement of Tetenal C41and I have not been disappointed.

Some images were developed with the Cinestill chemicals. great outcome

This has been my go to developer since shooting film. Lasts long, easy to work with and always gives great results!

I mixed my Cinestill CS41 kit in January 2022 and kept it in 1 litre plastic fruit juice bottles with all the air squeezed out. This made sure my developer lasted until September 2022 and I managed to get 16 decently processed films from it in that time. Just make sure you extend your development times as you progress. The info sheet supplied with the kit gives all the instructions to mix the developer and blix and also times for developing at lower temperatures. This is handy for folks who dont have a Sous Vide or Cinestill TCS-1000 to keep their chemicals at a constant temperature.