I processed my first E6 in Rhodesia in 1957 and I stood the black plastic Johnson tank in a basin of water into which I kept pouring more hot water to keep it at the right temperature. It turned out very slightly green, but I scanned one of those slides recently and it looks okay. It's a view of the first big dam I ever built -- under construction --taken with a Retina A, the second 35 mm camera I ever owned. I'll post it soon and let you all know when. For the reversal exposure I took the reel outside into the bright African sun. The dam is still there and running over with priceless water right now I've been informed today.
D _______________ Dr E D F Williams http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams Author's Web Site and Photo Gallery See New Pages 'The Cement Company from HELL!' Updated: August 15, 2003 "Oh my God! They've killed Teddy!" ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Robb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2003 6:57 PM Subject: Re: Color Film processing at home > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dr E D F Williams" > Subject: Re: Color Film processing at home > > > > Nova looks like a plastic tank with a few holes in the top and some kind > of > > primitive heating device ... that bit of rubbish for all those dollars? > For > > Heaven's sake go and buy yourself a plastic bucket and a 35mm s/s tank. > > That's all you need. I must admit I use a laboratory thermostat to keep > > things within 0,1C of 38C, but I still only use a bucket. You can > actually > > keep to within half a degree or so by adding hot water every half > minute -- > > for the three to five minutes you need to keep the temperature very close. > > After that if it drops a degree while you're fix/bleaching it doesn't > matter > > at all. > > The industry has done an excellent job of fooling people into thinking that > processing colour film at home is somehow difficult. > I think that when colour became commonly available in the late 1960's, there > might have been some truth to this, but no more. > The Nova is a nice device, but very overpriced compared to what is needed. > As you say, all that is required is a water jacket to temper the chemistry. > C-41 is incredibly bomb proof, staying within 1/10�C is excellent, and is > probably closer than what most film processing machines are doing. > One doesn't even need the tempering bath, really. > I have processed C-41 film by bringing the developer up to 40�C in a > microwave oven, and pouring it straight into an insulated SS tank. While > that is processing, I then heated up the blix the same way. > This stuff ain't rocket science, and it doesn't take any expensive machines > to do it right. > > OTOH, E-6 is a completely different animal. You can do it in a kitchen sink > water bath, but temperature control is much more critical, and the > temperature needs to be maintained for much longer. > > William Robb >
