New Member, Bill
Armstrong FRPS, From Kinnoul, Perth wrote explaining that he had got the
`tobacco` effect when trying some W&M, using the Club`s E6 Formula, and
included a couple of frames to show the fault. As those who have been
following my ventures into W&M will remember, after some excellent
initial results with the Club brew, I suddenly started getting this odd
result and over a year or two never quite solved the problem, while having
tried numerous methods and suspecting my W&M and/or photographic
equipment. Likewise, Bill says that he also suspected and has taken steps to
avoid these possibilities.
My main suspect has
always been the chemical Reversal Bath, though the Colour developer was also
suspected. The main puzzle has always been, that, many CRC members have, and
are, using the Club`s E6 Formula with constant and excellent results, which
would prove that the "Formula" is perfectly alright, and that
there is something happening, outside the formula, which,under the right
conditions, allows this fault to occur. I sent Bill all my findings but he
has been unable to correct the fault so far.’
Earlier in the year I
sent some sample slides to Amateur Photographers "Ask The Expert"
boffins. In spite of checking each proceeding issue I managed to miss the
June issue in which they gave a reply, and printed one of the slides.
However while chatting to Rita Pearle on Bill`s problem, she mentioned that
she had seen the article and kindly sent me the page. AP`s `expert` Keith
Wilson replied and there was nothing really which we didn`t know already,
i.e. A weakened reversal bath produces a shift to green. If you use the
reversal bath at too high a concentration, slides will appear light and blue
and that the reversal bath is simply absorbed into the emulsion with no
reaction taking place until the film enters the Colour Developer. However he
does add:- "One possible cause of the red effect in the shadows is low
CD-3 levels. This produces a normal picture but with red shadows. If you are
not using CD-3 or if your CD-3 is provided in a bulking agent which reduces
its concentration, then this could be the source of the trouble. New slide
films on the market require effective bleaching. Don`t use combined
bleach-fixes with these films or you may get incomplete bleaching (retained
sliver giving a dark high contrast slide) or incomplete fixing (retained
silver halide giving high density and a milky appearance). The trick when
something happens is to alter one variable at a time. You`ll find the
solution by weeding out the culprit" unquote.
The mention of "Bulk
agent" leaves me with something to puzzle at! I understand what is
meant but! dos this mean that some chemical suppliers are selling a chemical
with `added` bulk, without telling the buyer and giving details of the
amount required to gain the correct `weight`? Surely not! Any technical bod
out there put some more light on this one? As virtually every CRC member who
W&M`s purchase their raw chemicals from the Club`s supplies which, if a
bulk-agent was being used, would surely give every member the `red` problem,
but as we know, most are getting excellent results, every time, and only a
few are finding this problem.
While talking to
Kevin Craske, on this issue, he explained that he had heard of bulk-agents
being used, but didn`t think we would come across this in our supplies.
Likewise he really didn`t suspect the CD-3, but also explained that a little
while back he managed to get the `effect` when having tried to over-use a
reversal bath when it should have received some `replenishment` and the
fault was corrected for the next film(s) after having replenished the
reversal bath!! So it seems we are still not any wiser about the true source
of this annoying problem. However I am grateful for Keith Wilson`s comments
and perhaps someone will have the time to try some experiments to try and
solve this problem for one and for all. It has annoyed me that it has put
some suspect on the CRC E6 Formulae, when we know that the majority of users
get no problem what so ever and I would like to see this problem put behind
us.
Keith`s comments not
to use a "BLIX" bath with `newer` films, is also a bit of a
puzzle. ALL 3-Bath Kits on the market use a Blix bath, and I have never
heard of any problem with these kits. Indeed, the latest Chrome-Six 3-bath
kit is a vastly improved product which gives results anything as good as
individual bath, brews. However I should add, that I always aerate the Blix
bath, using a fish-tank air pump, as we have learned over the years that the
EDTA NaFe bleach requires to be aerated to keep active. However just putting
the `brew`into a bottle a little larger than
required, and giving it a good shake, should make the Blix active
enough to do it`s job properly. This doesn`t appear to have any effect on
the `fixer` part of the bath, considering that you wouldn`t recommend
aerating a Fixer bath,onits own.
Well, the problem
still remains unsolved. In my own case I simply don`t have the time to take
film for experimental use, and
for my main photography use either the Chrome-Six or Jessop`s brand name
kit. If any kind CRC member would like to take this up, we would be very
grateful and welcome any results you may be able to come up with.