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View Full Version : E6 processing - only the first developer and wash need to be in darkness?! (Tetenal)



Corran
15-Jan-2013, 10:41
Hi folks. Have just been starting my E6 home processing experiment detailed HERE (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?96526-Check-me-before-I-drop-200-in-chemicals-for-C-41-E-6-processing-at-home). It took two months to get the chemicals as they were on back-order! Everything is working as planned, but, I have a questions about something in the instruction book.

For reference, I'm using the Tetenal 3-bath kit. In the instructions, it says that after the first developer and wash, the color developer and blix can be done with the lights on! Or more specifically, it says that "only" the first two steps need to be in darkness.

Is this true? Can I dunk the film in the color developer and go ahead and flip the lights on? This would make the process a little easier and less stressful.

(So far the results are promising but I need to work on my agitation technique!)

Shootar401
15-Jan-2013, 10:51
I expose to light midway through the wash after the color developer. I've always done Blix in light and have never had problems.

Corran
15-Jan-2013, 11:04
Yeah I figured that was okay, I've done the same for a while now.

Corran
15-Jan-2013, 20:51
To answer my own question - I stumbled on some posts over at APUG and apparently it's true. After the first wash, which is done after the First Developer, the film can be subjected to light. Quite interesting, and a relief, so I don't have to flail around for the whole 30 minutes in the dark.

Now to figure out why I'm getting a slight yellow cast... :)

boswald
16-Jan-2013, 12:09
It's pretty simple. Once development has stopped, light will only make easier the job of the reversal foggant, whether a separate bath or incorporated into the colour developer. If you are insecure about the wash water stopping development fast enough you can always turn on a colour-printing safe safelight first, as even fast pan film is much less sensitive when wet.
As to the yellow cast you may have alkaline water which does not stop develpment as fast as you would like. The colour developer
should be buffered well enough, but ph does control the magenta/yellow balance so really slippery water might be too much for it.
This does not usually happen with reversal incorporated processes, but it might be a place to look.

good luck, have fun David

Corran
16-Jan-2013, 14:09
Thanks for the input David!! I was somewhat smart here and used distilled water for the chemicals, but I'm using tap water to wash. That being said, after letting the chrome sit overnight the color balance seems to have settled. I don't have a color densitometer or anything though so that's just a visual guess.

Hoppet
16-Jan-2013, 19:28
Hi there
I found your post about E6 developing process as I'm intend to develop my own film.

As I'm a begginer on color developing i want to try first with a tank and homemade products to see resoults before investing on a jobo precessor or similar.

I've been trying with my 4x5 yankee tank and with no thermostat just adding hot and cold water, with no chemicals so far, just trying with water to see if i manage temperature.

So far i manage to keep a stable temperature but once I introduce the device that holds the film in to the tank the temparature drops arounf 1º

Problem comes when I'm doing a prewash of the tank for 20 minutes, I do need to keep the film in the tank during that prewash but this type of tank let water coming in and im not sure if a prewash of 20min at 38º will affect some how the film?

The other option i have in mind is to do it with open tanks but it is then when i will need to work in darkness.

WIll be helpful if anyone with experience in this field could advice me on the best preccess

thanks so much for you time and hope to hear some advice