Would like to hear some comments about push/pull development of slide films. Is anyone using it intentionally and not just for compensating mistakes or bad light?
As I understand push development increases contrast and grain while pull development reduces contrast and takes care for muted colors. Is that correct as a rule of thumb?
If anyone knows about a website showing the results of normal, push and pull development side by side, please let me know.
Regards Marek
A one stop pull on Ektachrome 100 or 64 was my standard process in the 1980`s. The transparencies looked fine, but had more shadow detail. I did this so I could print on Reversal material. The color neg materal avail at the time was all very contrasty. Eventually Agfa made a decent color neg and slowly Kodak came around with the Portra series and Fuji made NPS. It seems everyone was trying to make saturated colors but did not know how to do without raising contrast or they were trying to save silver.
The colors only slightly mute. To a none photographer, the slides will look normal. 100 did not mute as much as 64. Grain was not reduced significantly. I processed all my own at home in Kodak E6 six step process. I did one shot processing and threw away the chemicals. The developer is short lived, but you can purchase the components separately.
In order to make really nice Cibachrome, I had to aditionally use an uncoated lens and pull process. These trannys look pure yuck to the eye, but printed beautifully. Leica Summar 2.0 and 90 uncoated elmars were the ones to use.
What is you objective? Perhaps I can help. I don`t know how to attach scans to this forum. Why not check Photo.net forums archives.
I have used E100S at 100 and 400 many times. When I needed the speed I shot it at 400 and the results were fine. Any increase in grain would only have been seen with a loupe, etc.
E100S at 400:
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Assisting on location fashion shoots in Southern California, it was awkward to try to bracket exposures. Models jumping around as we were losing the light was confusing enough. We got the exposure as close as possible, then ran half sides on the 4x5 holders and snip tests on the 70mm. The remaining film was routinely pushed or pulled a quarter or half stop.
The only real problem with this technique was that the various layers of emulsion did not react identically to manipulation, causing a slight and unpredictable color shift. Not a major problem with pretty girls at sunset. But could be problematic if studio shooting a line of furniture or an automobile whose exact fabric/paint color might be important.
My only experience with push/pull has to do with Velvia 50. I've found it can be pushed up to one stop and you'll see primarily an increase in contrast. I haven't liked what I've gotten from pulling; a slight loss of contrast and a color shift toward green. I don't think it can be pulled any more than 1/2 stop.
>What is you objective?<
Ronald,
I am very impressed by the technique of Elger Esser. A typical picture (in very low resolution) can be found here. Just read an interview were he said that the results are achieved primarily when taking the picture and not in post processing.
How is he doing that? I ask myself if pull processing is maybe a part of his secret?
I can`t get to the interview as I `m not a member. I think he is flashing the film in camera. Instead of a -3 stop preexposure, he is maybe at -2. I also think he is using various colored filters in the preexposure. There is also the possibility of selective prexposure ( flashing ) just the sky area. The forest picture was maybe a -3 flash with 30cc yellow.
My objective was to achieve a normal looking print without masking in a reversal process.
If you are going to use cibachrome, I figured a way to eliminate the red cast in the the dark tones. RGB curves cross and no amount of filter tinkering will get the shadows and highlights to balance at the same time.
With a "one stop" pull, you have the possibility to expose the film more and get an exposure latitude similar to color negative films. With a developer time of 4,45 to 5 minutes in E-6 first color developer there will be a little, maybe 15cc, colorshift towards green. IMHO, this will only result in better and truer colors, as the magenta that is very aggresive in shadow areas of chromes, goes down a little.
I've been using a one stop pull with slide films, mostly Ektachrome 64, roll and sheet, for more than twenty years. All this time I've been making Cibas myself, and though I now goes for Lightjet and Ultrachrome, I'm still using the pull benefit because the great improveness in quality. I never liked the pre-exposures as it gave a bad Dmax when effective or an allover colorcast in shadows unless it was used with a two or less stop exposure that has a very little improvement in contrasts.
I can only recommend the 5 minute pull process, as it seems obvious that manufacturers of films just rates they products for most effective speed, and thus it seems that a 6 minute developing time has been a standard for E-6.
www.janeerala.net
Marek, Esser is just using colorneg, exposing them somewhat over.
His prints are really nice, huge C-prints (prints made in RA-4 or compatible)face mounted with Diasec.
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