E6 (Color Reversal) Film Developing - 6 bath method

[ashfaque]

Hi Tony,

I saw your 1st video. Excellent tutorial with lots of useful tips. Thank you very much.

I'll be watching the follow-up one soon.

Bests,

Ashfaque

[assanto]

Thanks Ashfaque!
Tony

[Alan9940]

One thing that's always baffled me with E-6 chemistry is: How does one use it up before it expires? Especially in this quantity? Aren't most of the mixed chemicals--color developer, for example--only good for about 6 weeks? I'm pretty sure that's the timeframe mentioned by Tetenal. And, I'm not talking used/re-used chemistry.

[StoneNYC]

One thing that's always baffled me with E-6 chemistry is: How does one use it up before it expires? Especially in this quantity? Aren't most of the mixed chemicals--color developer, for example--only good for about 6 weeks? I'm pretty sure that's the timeframe mentioned by Tetenal. And, I'm not talking used/re-used chemistry.

Well I developed roughly 10 sheets of 8x10 and 10 of 4x5 all C-41 in 1 day and that's well beyond the capacity for a 1L kit (I pushed it on the 4x5's, it shows but they weren't important) so it's pretty easy to go through 5L that's really only 40 sheets which is 2 boxes of 20 sheets. If you're going on an important photo trip that's easily the number of sheets you'll run through. So it isn't that hard to use it all up. E-6 to my recollection has a little less capacity than C-41 so probably 30 sheets of 8x10 is all you would get from a 5L kit? I mean before compensating and reusing the chems, as in one shot vs replenishment.

4x5 you get a lot more of course, but if you're not shooting that much film you probably don't need a 5L kit. But if you can mix and sparse the chemicals into bottles with no air, you'll get more longevity out of them. That's what many people do, split them up into portions. Keeping them from oxygen is the key.

[Alan9940]

Well...Stone...the thing is I don't shoot that much LF color; been a B&W LF photog for nearly 40 years which I've always developed myself--first in trays, then with Expert Drums on a CPP-2. Maybe when I get that Velvia 50 order from you, all that will change! Anyway, anticipating that I want to home process this film I'm looking into what kits, etc, are available. But, DIY doesn't make a lot of sense if sending out to a lab is less expensive; oh, and I've seen the cost breakdown in the follow-up video here where the DIY chemicals pretty much paid for itself. Again, though, we're not talking a few sheets of film...

Kind regards,
Alan

[StoneNYC]

Well...Stone...the thing is I don't shoot that much LF color; been a B&W LF photog for nearly 40 years which I've always developed myself--first in trays, then with Expert Drums on a CPP-2. Maybe when I get that Velvia 50 order from you, all that will change! Anyway, anticipating that I want to home process this film I'm looking into what kits, etc, are available. But, DIY doesn't make a lot of sense if sending out to a lab is less expensive; oh, and I've seen the cost breakdown in the follow-up video here where the DIY chemicals pretty much paid for itself. Again, though, we're not talking a few sheets of film...

Kind regards,
Alan

I hear you, the secret is patience and good working habits. If I'm not taking some big trip, what I do is just store the film and wait till I have enough, that can easily take 6 months to collect. Just don't freeze it once shot, too much chance of humidity and emulsion cracking, but fridge is ok just seal it well from moisture. Anyway point is, sometimes in low volume, using a lab like Praus makes sense.