A sad, sad day for LFers in my country...

No, it's not that LF cameras will be made illegal or anything as bad as that, but very soon, we will have absolutely no E-6 processing services for LF materials here. It seems that the one and only lab in our country that does LF E-6 will stop offering that service by the middle of next month.

I know there's B&W, but by eliminating color materials (we don't even have C-41 LF services), that takes away so much we could do in LF. The only option seems to be to send LF trans overseas (including X-rays) and hope that things don't get screwed up, besides the greatly increased cost.

DIY E-6 also appears to be out of reach for most of us due to high start-up costs and for the most part, a simple lack of space.

No idea what's going to happen to my nearly 250 sheets of Velvia 100 in my freezer since I can't get them processed easily or affordably anymore.

Sigh.

What country, dude?

Sorry ... Singapore.

What a lucky man you are!! Don't waste a minute, go and buy cheaply the developing machines from the last lab that went belly up and open your own lab for the E-6 processing. You'll be the only one in your country! What a lucky boy!

I do 4x5 E-6 using a Jobo CPE-2 plus and a changing tent. I use the Kodak 5l E-6 kit. Very modest space requirements, and not bad start-up costs (used equipment of course); actually, considering the cost of 4x5 E-6 dev around here, it paid itself off quickly.

Hi Lee,


maybe this is an inspitation:

"Developing 4x5 Films in a Jobo CPE 2"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr3KFa0pLbl

This is part 1, continues with part 2-5.

I develop 8x10 transparencies in my bathroom using a rubbermaid cooler for temperature control and a Jobo 2830 drum. I use Tetenal's 3 bath developer kit and I can develop 40 sheets per kit. Results surpass pro lab work IMO. Oh, and I live in a Third World country. Here's the last slide I developed:

http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s.../tractor14.jpg

I was going to suggest you sell off the E6 film and switch to Ektar 100. The results I've been getting with the Ektar are impressive. But with Rory's comments and beautiful photo above I won't suggest that.

Back in college I souped some 120 Velvia in a closet sized bathroom with no heat control at all, just a large water bath. A fish tank heater or similar would have helped. Everything you really need could fit into a large grocery bag. I don't know how Singapore is for allowing the import of the chemistry though, I used the Tetenal stuff which is simple and "good enough".

That's some great suggestions guys! THANKS!

Not many folks DIY their own E6 here, so it's sort of a new(ish) area to many of us. Commercial lab work has always been fairly affordable (USD2.50/ EURO1.88 per sheet of 4x5) so there was hardly a need. Now that I look at my first post, I guess it may seem like a whine to many others who may not have faced this before (and in countries where DIY E6 was common). I'm sorry if it sounded that way.

I'll have to find out about restrictions bringing in chemicals though.

Rory, that's some wicked saturation going on there. It looks surreal! If I could ask, how did you get that?

And thanks Sanchi for the link.