This is certainIy the best reversal
processing kit that I have ever had in my hands on, but at £8.50 for
a 600ml. kit (to process. 6 x 36 exposure E-6 films) it is
not the cheapest. However I think that it is really very good value for
money, Particularly as I found you could process 8 x 36 exposure films in
it, as I will explain below.
The
3E6 is as it’s name suggests, a three bath process. The advance
is the incorporation of a ‘fogging’ agent into the colour developer,
thereby eliminating the need for either a reversal exposure or separate
chemical bath, Thus the actual solutions used are, First Developer, Colour
Developer and Blix Bleach/Fix. In this Paterson Kit these come packed as
four 300m1 bottles, since the Colour Developer is as usual divided into
parts A and B. Also included in the kit are a four page instruction
booklet, and pre-printed bottle labels. Those instructions may sound short
but the kit is so simple to use that Paterson have managed to incorporate
all the vital instructions onto the central .4 spread.
Using the Kit
The vital first step - check
that the ‘best before’ date is not passed. I bought my kit in October
84, came to use it in April 85 and noted that it was dated January 86,
This simple label can prevent a whole lot of aggravation. Why don’t more
manufacturers use it!
Making up.
Sort out the concentrates. Watch out for
the Developers as all three have Red labels, so make sure to read them.
The First, Developer and the Blix are prepared by mixing the concentrate
with an equal volume of water. If you think that ‘s easy, then the
Colour Developer is a doddle, place the concentrate A in a cylinder and
add concentrate B with stirring.
Processing.
Paterson strongly recommend processing
at 38C, but if you really must process at lower temperatures, then times
for 33C, 28C, 24C and 20C are given. Minimum processing time at 38C is
29mns 30secs, but at 20C you would be using 67mns 30secs, I use the term
minimum as the wash times given are the minimum that should• be used,
and these can be extended without harm.
Times for First film in 300m1 of
solution:-
First Developer
6mns 30secs.
30C +/- ½C
Wash
2mns
00.
33 - 39C
Colour Developer
6 mns.
00.
38C ± ½C
Wash
2mns
00.
33 - 39C
Bleach Fix
9mns
00.
33 - 39C
Wash
4rnns
00
33 - 39C
Agitation
in all baths is continuous for first. l5 secs and then 5 secs. every
30secs. Inversion is the preferred technique.
First
Developer and Bleach Fix times are extended by 30secs after each film in
300inl of solution or ‘after each pair of films in 600ml.
Storage-
Partly used concentrates, with the old marble trick (actually recommended
by Paterson in their instructions) are claimed to keep for 3-4 months.
Made up but unused - developers for up to 6 weeks, partly used for up to 3
weeks.