ASK SPILLMAN.
he has all the answers. This quote is from the contents column of a -
reasonably - recent issue of a popular photographic weekly. Some weeks ago
now, of course, as the CRC Newsletter hardly has the most up-to--date
publishing facilities. But it surprised me that the subject dealt with
concerned the varying colours of the emulsion of raw film supplied by
Phototec bearing the Barfen label. Was the ‘brownish’ coloured film
made by Fuji? And was the greyish film Konica? Mr. Spillman agrees with me
in both cases this is so what puzzles
me, though is that he states that Phototec tells him they (Pthototec)
switched from the ‘greyish’ film to the ‘brownish’ emulsion some
20 months ago.
Now, as I
understand the situation one took a gamble as to which film one received
even though both were labeled Barfen CRX — some was Fuji and some
Konica. Now. says Mr. Spiliman, there is no greyish film on sale. Surely
this is wrong. Should it not be ‘Tother way round? Is not CRX now ALL
‘greyish’ ?
Anyway had Mr.
Spillman‘s readers been members of the Colour Reversal Club they would
have had the answers long, long ago. I do not propose to go over the same
old arguments again except to say that I have ‘snippets’ of REAL Fuji
(brownish). Konica (greyish), Barfen CRX, of uncertain age, (brownish
and’ obviously of Fuji origin), 3M 400 ASA (a sort of khaki), Konica
Negative Film (my wife describes this as the ladies have more idea of
describing colours than us mere males!) and finally Sakura. E4 (light
fawn).
Incidentally
there can be no doubt that, Ilford film, both reversal and negative IS
made by Konica. In any case I’m still firmly of the opinion that Fuji
just has the edge in overall definition and fidelity of colour. But I
would like to hear from anyone who has bought Barfen CRX recently and just
what was the colour of the raw emulsion.
FREEZING
DEVEL0PERS!!
I had an interesting and, to me at any rate, idea I hadn’t come across
before, actually freezing the two developers used in reversal processing.
As Oliver
points out most of us are anxious to see the results of our exposures as
soon as possible. Which, after all, is what the home processing of slide
films is all about. The snag, of course, is the limited shelf life of
solutions - allied to the high cost of raw chemicals. And, of course, most
members will not have more than the odd film exposed - except maybe at
holiday times.
So a letter
from Gordon Barrow to Oliver, should I feel, be circulated more widely.
Gordon has apparently, been FREEZING the developers for many years.
Further he is still using CR50 lucky blighter - but, as Oliver says there
seems no good reason why the method shouldn’t work with E6 solutions.
Gordon explains that the solutions are made up In soft plastic bottles,
leaving a half-inch air space for expansion.. The solutions are used, and
re-used, and afterwards filtered, returned to the bottles as before and,
hey-presto, there is no discolouration and the developers work perfectly
well to the limit of their capacity. For safety the bottles are placed in
a strong plastic bag in the freezer.
Would be a
real calamity should ‘the Christmas turkey receive a blasting of Dl and
D21 Seriously, though, this appears to be a really sensible, workable and
worth-while tip for we have all at some time, experienced the annoyance of
having to throw away chemicals because they have become exhausted way
ahead of the next film being exposed.
Full marks
then to Gordon Barrow for this splendid tip and to Oliver for bringing
this to our attention • It is just this kind of unusual experiment —
which it undoubtedly was, in the first place, - which is of such immense
value to the Colour Reversal club. And there must be others amongst our
members which should be brought to light.
So come on you
people let’s hear from you. That experiment of yours may well be the
very thing somebody, somewhere, will turn out to be the very thing he’s
been searching for.