Color Film Processing?

[Hugo Zhang]

Hi,

First I must confess I don't know anything about color film. After seeing those wonderful color pictures taken with SF lenses, I want to try them too with my SF lenses. I happen to have some 5x7 color films in my freezer.

I know I can send the exposed sheets to Samy's to process. But I have the following questions:

1. How do you meter for color film? Is it same as B&W? Do you use zone system? I will be using Packard shutter with my old barrel lenses.

2. I normally rate my B&W at half the speed of manufacturer's ISO. Is this the same with color film?

3. How do you let the lab know which sheets are N, N-1 or N-2? Put them in different boxes?

4. Samy does not print your color film. So what do I do with the negatives? Now do I have to get a good scanner just to see the color prints? For B&W, I just contact print.

5. What else I need to know before I waste all my color films?

Thanks,
hugo

[vinny]

U got color neg or e-6? Color neg is quite forgiving with exposure, e-6 isn't.
Process and meter normally rated for what the box says. You've seen my prints, transparencies drum scanned and printed via lightjet. You can scan or just have prints made optically.

[Hugo Zhang]

Vinny,

My film is Kodak Portra 160NC. Is that color neg or e-6? So I just look at them at lightbox and send the one I like to a drum scan lab?

Thanks,
Hugo

[mfratt]

Apparently pushing/pulling color film isn't recommended, as the colors process differently and you'll wind up with a cast (I've only read this, it isn't from experience, so maybe someone else can validate or nullify that claim).

[Greg Blank]

You can push E6 but not C41. If you push C41 the results in my experience were terrible cross over of colors. You can usually push E6 up to three stops and Fuji use to make a 1600 film that could do 4. The results though even with E6 are increased grain and contrast and yes sometimes pushing changes the overall color balance of E6. If you are skilled you can filter it out in the camera.

I found that over exposing E6 a bit and then pulling it a bit works nicely.




Apparently pushing/pulling color film isn't recommended, as the colors process differently and you'll wind up with a cast (I've only read this, it isn't from experience, so maybe someone else can validate or nullify that claim).

[Eric Leppanen]

I have more experience with chrome film than color neg, but here is my experience FWIW. For completeness, I have addressed both color neg and chrome film. Portra 160NC is color neg.

1. How do you meter for color film? Is it same as B&W? Do you use zone system? I will be using Packard shutter with my old barrel lenses.

For the high exposure latitude negative films (Portra, Pro 160S), I just expose for the shadows and let the highlights fall where they may. It's amazing how much latitude these films have for overexposure; very rarely do I have to use ND grad filters. For chrome films as well as Ektar 100, I expose for the highlights. These films have far less latitude than the negative films previously mentioned, and blowing out highlights can be a real problem.

Color film does not lend itself to full zone system controls, since the ability to push or pull is limited (the different film color layers react differently to changes in development time, resulting in color shifts).

2. I normally rate my B&W at half the speed of manufacturer's ISO. Is this the same with color film?

I normally rate my color films at full box speed. Some folks rate Velvia 50 at 40.

3. How do you let the lab know which sheets are N, N-1 or N-2? Put them in different boxes?

I put the sheets in different boxes.

Certain chrome films such as Provia can be pushed up to two stops without dramatic color shifts, although contrast is significantly increased. I have limited experience pushing color negative films, although a recent test I performed pushing Portra 400NC one stop resulted in a very usable neg, albeit with a bit of what appeared to be a magenta shift.

Pulling color films generally doesn't work due to color shifts. Provia, for example, is only rated to support a 1/2 stop pull.

4. Samy does not print your color film. So what do I do with the negatives? Now do I have to get a good scanner just to see the color prints? For B&W, I just contact print.

For your Portra 160NC, you can contact print your negs. Relatively inexpensive scanners such as the Epson v700/750 can also handle color neg reasonably well, in case you want to digitally proof your images or make moderately sized enlargements without an analog enlarger. Some folks are very adept at "reading" the inverted colors of color negs, and are able to cull out their keepers without actually seeing a positive image. I currently lack such skill, and can only rate my negatives on the light table in terms of sharpness and exposure. I then need to get a contact print or scan done before I can fully evaluate the image.

Epson v700/750 class flatbeds can experience some difficulties scanning chromes due to the high dynamic range involved. So your most cost effective option might be to send your "keeper" chromes out to be scanned by a professional grade flatbed. Of course, drum scanning will yield the best quality scans.

5. What else I need to know before I waste all my color films?

I would suggest practicing on some 35mm rolls before using your precious 5x7 film!