KONICACHROME R100 (ISO 75) in
 PHOTOCOLOR E6 3 BATH

By John  Salter (Area 3).

The Editor asked for greater detail of my `tweeking` of the Colour Developer, when
using Photocolor E6 chemicals for slide processing.  Here goes:-

Konicachrome is rated at ISO 75.  Films are processed in Photocolor E6, 3 bath
kits. 2 at a time, fed into Paterson spirals, back to back. I keep one bottle each
of the following solutions, mixed ready for use, & which keep indefinitely:-

(a) a 10% solution of sodium hydroxide.
(b) a 10% solution of sulphuric acid.

These solutions are used to tweek the colour developer & are added with an eye
dropper. Adding sodium hydroxide, adds green, removing a magenta cast; adding
sulphuric acid adds magenta, removing a green cast.  I do not posses a pH meter,
so the quantities I use may need to be modified for solutions mixed  with water
from different areas.

I also use a stabilizer bath after the final washing to improve keeping properties
of the slide.  This is not included in the kits.

My processing method runs as follows:- A rectangular washing-up bowl, able to hold
4 bottles of solutions & the tank is filled with water &  fitted with a 200 watt
Uno heater/thermostat.  The bath temperature is not left completely to the Uno,
but is monitored manually to maintain a temperature of 38C.  The 4 bottles contain:-

1) First developer.
2) Colour developer, tweeked.
3)Blix.
4)Stabilizer.

Washing is performed siphonicly via a plastic tube, of internal diameter 6mm, from
a plastic bucket on the kitchen draining board, to the tank on the sink bottom.
I use a stainless steel 2ltr. jug for pouring water into the tank & when pouring
solutions out of the tank, they go through a fine mesh filter into their
respective bottles.

THE SCHEDULE

The ambient temperature of the kitchen is maintained at 72F.
The processing temperature is 35C & the pre-soak & wash water at 36C.

Pre-soak at 36C = 1 minute each  for as many tankfuls asnecessary to reach a
tank temperature of 35C.

First Developer at 35C = See chart. Continuous varied & gentle agitation.

Wash siphonicly at 36C = 2 minutes Invert tank once & give another 2 minutes.

Colour Developer at 35C = See chart. Agitation as for 1st. developer.

Rinse at 36C = 6 water changes over a time span of at least 1 minute.

KONICACHROME R100 (ISO 75) in PHOTOCOLOR E6 3 BATH

Blix at 35C  =  See chart. Continuous & vigorous agitation.

Wash siphonicly at 36C = 4 minutes. Invert tank over & give another 4 minutes.

Stabilizer at 35C = 1 minute.

THE CHART (300ml of solutions)

No. OF     FIRST DEV.  COL. DEV.   No. OF DROPS        BLIX     STABIL-
FILMS      IN          IN          OF SOD. HYDRX. IN   IN       IZER IN
PROCESSED  MINUTES     MINUTES     COL DEV. (TOTALS)   MINUTES  MINUTES

1 and 2    9           6 3/4       1 drop             10½       1

3 and 4    10 1/4      7 1/4       4  drops           11½       1

5 and 6    12½         7 3/4       8 drops            13½       1

7          14 1/4      8           12 drops           14½       1

8          17          8 1/4       24 drops           15½       1

I obtain quality results for use in public lectures on a 5ft screen, with up to and
including 7 films, through 300ml of solutions.  An eighth film is only fractionally
less good.  I attempt  to complete the processing in under a week & preferably within
two days.  If the time is longer than two days, the developer bottles are topped up
with glass marbles to control oxidation.

This method gives  me completely consistent results with Konicachrome R100, which is
in date & photocolor chemicals, which are also in date.  The tweeking of the colour
developer  would probably need to be modified with:-

a) different types of film.
b) Ageing film.
c) Ageing chemicals.
d) different tap water.