JESSOPS PHOTOCHEM E6 KIT By Bill Reid (Area 20)

My latest processing was with Jessop's' own brand Photochem E6 3-bath Kit, which is in a 750ml size. The kit also includes a Stabilizer. This size allows you to mix just the amount you require for the number of films you have to process.

In my own case I use a Jobo Processor which processes two films at a time in just 220ml of chemicals. With the 600ml kits I split these up into 2 x 300ml lots and rotate the developers with each processing. This guarantees that four films are going to be processed in completely fresh chemicals and that each 'bath' gets a reasonable period of time between sessions to settle. The two developers change colour considerably after processing and take at least half an hour to return to their normal colour.

Now 750ml divided by three makes 3 x 240ml brews, therefore, in theory I should be able to process six films in completely fresh chemicals. However for those who have to use 300ml sizes it doesn't quite work out but expect you could top-up the developers after four films and get the six films processed this way.

In the past I used to filter each beaker of water, two or three times, and use warm water. These days I simply fill up a large water Filter jug with cold water straight out of the tap and this works perfectly well. Perhaps I could even do without the filtering but it feels worthwhile carrying this stage out. However I still prefer to mix the chemicals up the previous day and allow them to mature overnight. I know you can process right away, I have seen it demonstrated, but as well as feeling better about it, it also splits the job up a bit so that I can concentrate on setting the equipment up and getting on with the processing.

The Jobo processor is a brilliant piece of equipment and makes the job so easy and relaxing. Once the temperature (38C) is reached in each bottle I have never experienced it drop throughout the longest of processing sessions. In fact it quickly becomes 'routine' and even a bit boring, as you simply fit the tank to the motor drive, switch on, watch the timer, and switch off at time up. However this can easily lead you into a false sense of security! During one session I had started the motor and took my eyes off the processor for a moment or two and when I looked back, I found that the lid of the tank had come off and the 1st developer was pouring into the water bath. I acted quickly and topped up the tank with another bottle of 1st developer but couldn't get the lid to stay on correctly and had to nurse the tank, standing it up in the water bath and simply swirling the tank for agitation. I was pretty sure I had damaged the films but once past the washing stage I got the tank into my changing bag and fitted correctly, then continued with the processing stages to finality.

I was lucky in that the bottom film was completely processed, but the top film was badly affected by light leakage. The only consolation was that there were still a few exposures useable, if only as record shots. In have had the Jobo tank lid come off before but never the complete lid section.

On later inspection I found that the inner part of the lid, which has small notches hadn't lined up correctly. When I had pushed the lit on, in my changing bag, it had forced it into a 'false' fitting, which appeared OK, but of course once the processor motor had started, it soon threw it off. This is something I shall be watching for in future. However I am still not happy with the soft 'red' plastic lid that goes on the top of the tank. It is a bit too pliable and easy to come off when rotating on the processor.

Whatever, the remainder of the processing session was very successful and apart from the one damaged film I managed to get 10 x 36exp cassettes of film fully processed from the 750ml processing kit. Obviously the makers protect themselves by stating the maximum number of films that can be processed from any kit size. If you extend this number you take a chance with no come back on the makers. However I have always found that at least one extra film can be had from most brews and not surprised to get 8 films out of a 600ml kit but getting 10 films from a 720ml kit is excellent value.

If anyone tries just mixing the amount of chemicals for one or two films each time, and spread total processing over a number of days or weeks I would like to hear from them. Personally I am a bit worried about using chemicals (even concentrates) over a long period and when attempting to push the number of films through a kit, I would only do so over a continuous processing session.

The two most important brews are the 1st & Colour developers. As mentioned, they change colour after each processing, and take a little bit longer to return to normal after each usage. The sign that the developers are exhausted altogether is when the 1st developer remains 'dark'. But the colour developer is the most obvious as it looks very "muddy" and you know it just isn't worth continuing with it.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the processing and on getting so many films out of the Photochem E6 Kit. These were the transparencies I projected at the Didcot meeting and I am sure most of those present would agree that they were all well processed.