LETTERS...

PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS WITH REVERSAL FILM

Way back in 1949,I exposed my first reversal film, Dufey Colour. This retained its reversed black and white image, with colour supplied by a resedue of tiny specks of primary hues. The colour was good, the resolution poor, and it was very dense for projection. Its ISO rating is lost in the mists of time.

Next came Kodachrome 1, balanced for summer sun. It gave suspect colour (I still have the slides to prove it). It was slow ISO 10, and went very blue in dull weather. Maybe they thought it would be too slow, but I bitterly missed this one. I used this from 1950 - 62. I also tried Ilford Colour at this time: it was good in sun but very grainy.

Rumours had it that Kodachrome 11 was going to replace Kodachrome 1. I tried a roll. It was 2« times faster (ISO 25), had an excellent grain structure and a compromise balance between sun and shade. In spite of its excellent qualities I never liked its unfiltered colour balance and would have preferred it to have been balanced for sun with a filter for shade. I used it intermittently from 1962-75. Kodachrome X was added to the range (ISO 50), a stop faster than K11 with a balance nearer to K1. I used this from 1963-71. I tried GAF 500 (ISO 500) for motor racing and available light portraitures, during this period. It was pink and grainy, but acceptable for special subjects.

Two poorly processed rolls of Ektachrome X told me I must process my own. I began with Ferrania CR50 and was helped considerably by joining the present Club. First results were dark and green. I learned that many workers rated the film at ISO 32, but after tests I used it at 25 ISO. As a film stock it was very variable. One had to run tests on each new 30M batch and vary chemistry and developing times to obtain quality results. I learned to live with it, and love it.

Kodachrome 25 appeared, but even though it may have had a very neutral balance, it was too cold for my taste, even in sunlight. I used CR50 from 1972-75,when it went off the market. Temporarily filmless. I tried Ferrania 100 (ISO 100) a very thick film and reddish, Ektachrome 64 (ISO 64 and blueish), Agfa 50S (ISO 50 and quite good) and Barfen 100 (ISO 100, deficient in blue, E4 processing). I bought blue filters for my lenses and used the latter from 1976-79. This was replaced by Barfen CRX100 (Made by Fuji) and was beyond doubt their best reversal film I ever used for colour balance. You can have whatever colour you like, providing it is blue!!. Rating it at ISO 75, instead of 100, using an 81A filter, and adding Sodium hydroxide to the bleach I get good colour from it, using Photocolor' E6 kit, at ISO 50!. I have also tried Agfa RS100 and 3M100 (both ISO 100 and good) and Fuji Professional 100 (ISO 100 and yellowish).

My film from 1985 has been Barfen CRX100, which is Konicachrome, having tamed it at a price (ISO50), because it is cheapest. If Agfa RS100 or 3M100 were sold in bulk lengths I would change instantly. I would not need to use filters and have ISO 100 film stock.

I wonder what the next change ill be? Maybe DX coding will give us such inaccurate exposed transparencies, that we will all change to print film!.

J .R. Salter. Area 3.

SO MANY FORMULAE!

Last summer I spent quite some time experimenting with E6, trying out all the formulae in sight and some of my own modifications including suggestions from Brian Wheatcroft's "official" Kodak formulae. I was pleased with some of them but not completely satisfied. I noticed that in CRCN 51 Dr. Pollitt referred to his success using Brian Savage's "modified" version of the official Kodak formulae. I wrote to Brian and received an extremely long and detailed analysis of the formulae and his ultimate conclusions. It must have taken him a great deal of work and time. In the same issue I noticed a Mr & Mrs Pearle's E6 version which does not agree with Brian`s. Now in the January`s CRCN comes the Kodak simulated formulae from Ron Croad and Lawrence Edwards and these are different again. Most of the chemicals are similar but the quantities do not agree. So that leaves me well and truly up a gum tree!

In the meantime I have bought the AGFA developers and reversal bath in the hope that they will provide a convenient yard stick. The 5 Litre versions do not seem to me to be very expensive. I am now in the process of trying out these with my own bleach and fixer and later reversal by flash which I find very convenient. Regretably Agfa themselves some times give 4 minutes and at other times 6 minutes for the colour development times!.

Ray Jones. Area 15.

C O M M E N T S

Both letters raise pertinent points. Mr. salter seems to have done well to get warmer results from Konicachrome, albeit at the loss in full ASA speed of the film.

However, as each film maker give their own colour bias then it really isn`t possible to expect similar results from another make of film. However the effort put into these trials is very worthy, after all it is only by experimenting that we can find out just how much a film or process will give. It is also interesting to hear about his experiences over the years. We would be pleased to hear more on this from members.

Ray also expresses what many of you will probably have been thinking, what with so many 'formulae' based on the official one, being published over the last year.

It must be stressed that 'these' formulae have to be accepted by the Editor, at face value. The CRC really can`t try all these brews or be responsible for any failures. We of course appreciate hearing from anyone trying them.

The latest E6 Formula given with the CRCN has come about after numerous trials by our Secretary, Ron Croad, having processed over 36 x 36 cassettes of film. Likewise, Lawrence Edwards made numerous trials and from communications between them, Ron decided that the one presented was good enough to publish and be accepted by members as being recommended to give good results from your very first trial, with any of the films from Club sales. It should be added that Fujichrome and Ektachrome was also used with equally good results. It was because of the many previous published formulae that Ron decided to hold back publication and eventually publish it as part of our Club Handbook. Along with this we are able to offer the sale of the necessary chemicals and film at very reasonable prices.

This formulae also uses a Conditioner bath which most 3 & 4 bath kits omit and it is felt that this is a very necessary bath between Colour Dev. and the Bleach which have extreme pH values from each other. It is in fact a sort of 'stop' bath and conditions the emulsion to accept the bleach and helps to produce brighter colours. We think this will bring you excellent slides. Please let us know how you get on .