I was looking at issue No.67, firstly pages 4-5. There are several points I as a photo research chemist do not agree with.
Firstly your pH of 12. in bracket is no doubt a mistake which you yourself will rectify. (See correction in
Round-A-Bout, Ed.).
The adjustments for 1st Developer are not as easy it seems so simple to do. There are other chemicals than KBr
which act as a restrainer.
The wash in step two does not fully work in this way and can be cleared by a buffered stop bath as long as pH does
not interfere with the reversal bath.
Step 4. The Citrazinic acid is a dye competer to balance the build up of dye. The EDTA in the Developer will also alter
your colour.
Step 6½. A good wash between the bleach and fixing solution will, generally speaking, give you much clearer slides.
You see, with a good E6 process, the first developer is nearly always the same, it is how it is used that matters, but the
colour developer has about 3 variances.
Processing Dip and Dunk machinery ie.developer & developer replenisher systems. Rotating machines Developer
Replenisher only Yes, this is true. Jobo machines use Colour Developer, Rotating.
For a ordinary tank line this formulation. Should be Dev + Dev Replenisher or Developer in its one shot formulation
(ie. No replenisher system).
A Standard Process as listed with the tolerances,
1st Dev. pH 9.65 +/- 0.1.
Reversal pH 5.80 +/- 0.2.
Colour Dev. pH 12.05 +/- 0.1.
Conditioner pH 6,15 +/- 0.1.
Bleach pH 5.65 +/- 0.1. (Standard Bleach).
Fixer pH 7.30 +/- 0.2
Time Ratios, Are.
1st Dev. 5 - 7 Mins. 36.5 - 39.5C.
1st Wash 1½ - 4 Mins. 33.00 - 39C.
Reversal 1½ - 4 Mins. 24.00 - 39C.
Conditioner 1½ - 4 Mins. 24.00 - 39C.
Bleach 6 - 8 Mins. 33.00 - 39C.
Fixer 4 - 6 Mins. 33.00 - 39C.
Final Wash 3 - 8 Mins. 33.00 - 39C.
I personally do not like a colour Dev. of less than 6 minutes, preferably longer with current E6 chemistry. Although there
are others coming along, of less time.
Also in the last N/L, comment was given on the possibility of no longer using Film! Whilst this situation will change in time,
silver film technology will remain, but in harmony with digital filmless technology. I refer to a most recent article in a
Kodak magazine. It was titled "Kodak Makes The Front Page", how advanced digital technology stunned the news
media and really made Brighton rock.
We have reached the turning point - We are pushing technology along - not just following it. When "The Times" editors
decided to use Kodak`s latest electronic imaging equipment in this case, a specially adapted Nikon camera with AF and
a Kodak digitised back, together with a scanner, to transmit and receive pictures from the Tory Party Brighton
Conference, they were themselves about to make news. No sooner were the first editions published with a superb quality
picture of Norman Tebbit on the front page than News International phone lines were hot with enquiries from other
Newspaper editors nationwide - all hungry for facts about how they managed to publish such a high quality image so
quickly.
Normal "wire machines" and other systems just couldn`t compete. The quality of the image has set new benchmarks or
Britain`s Newspaper editors and paves the way for dramatic changes in image transmission using Kodak rapid film
scanners and digital (Filmless) cameras.
It is said that News International have invested serious money in Kodak`s latest technology. It`s photographers have been
testing the latest scanner and camera technology enabling them to transmit very high quality images from anywhere in the
world - via a telephone line. News International started testing the new Kodak RFS 2035 Rapid film scanner back in the
winter Olympics - they say that they were the only people using an I S D N line. Apparently they also did it successfully
again at the Barcelona Games and again at the Party Conference.
Apparently Kodak is now working with Apple Macintosh to introduce a new suitcase for photographers at about
£27,000 + cameras and cases, Phew! That`s nearly the cost of my car!
GONE! But for more than a `song`!
In "WHAT`S NEW" in the October N/L. it was reported that Kodak`s antigue Box Camera, (A one-off built in the
1930`s) the `George Washington` was going for auction and could possibly fetch between £5-7,000. This turned out to
be a `staggering` £14,300 when an anonymous buyer from North Virginia made this bid at Christie`s in the Autumn.
The `Box`, camera isn`t any more special than the standard box camera exept that, it was specially made to celebrate
George Washington`s centenary. It is bound in deep blue leather with the front area, around the lens, circled by a star
and red, white & blue stripes and with a nicely decorated Cardboard box, in American fashion, with a sihulette of
George Washington on the sides. Quite a bargain... Eh!