LETTERS...Sir, I am a voluntary worker Bawtry Hall ex-Bomber Command, now a conference hall and base for mission charities. I have my own departmental office/darkroom which I use to do all kind of photographic work which is so costly when done in professional laboratories.
Today, when charities are finding it difficult to keep going, it is essential to keep costs at a minimum so if any member has any information on the following I would be grateful to hear about it:
(1) Economic use of paper and chemicals.
(2) Specialist cheap dealer in paper, chemicals & film.
(3) Out-of-date sale of paper, chemicals & film.
(4) Any tips in dealing with such things as dark slides, faint colour negatives... people travel abroad but the films they expose are disappointing,
but can be improved with the right know-how.
I trust there are some members who may be able to help with problems like these I have mentioned.
P.S. I do black & white negatives & slides, Cibachrome transferring one to the other and if any member is interested in 8" x 10" Fuji sheet slide film at a fraction of its original cost - out of date but still alright - I will send on details.
Gratefully Yours.
Anthony Trigg. Address- 37. Frobisher Grove, Maltby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 8QU.===========================================
HELP PLEASE
I took up photography abut two years ago. At that point it was out of necessity rather than interest. I wanted to improve the visual aids I used at Swindon College during lectures on welding and fabrication. I decided that I could greatly improve my presentation with the use of 35mm
colour slides in place of the standard OHP acetate sheets which are usually hand written/drawn. I already had extensive experience in the production of the technical notes using my `PC` and a Desktop publishing programme called `Interleaf`. So the next step was to photograph technical drawings/diagrams I produced with other graphic software direct from the screen. When I investigated the cost of pre-paid processed slide film I found it to be prohibitively expensive for my undertaking. But my local camera shop `Great Western Cameras` told me of the ease with which I could process my own slides. I must admit I was a bit dubious about this as I was going from knowing absolutely nothing about photography to what I would term `semi-professional` stage. However I decided to continue, and purchased the necessary kit.
The results of the first screen shots were very encouraging (except for that dark diagonal stripe. Where did that come from? Thats the point where I had to learn about film and shutter speeds, and how to use them correctly. I solved the `stripe` problem when I remembered about screen refresh rates on VDU screens. The next batch of slides were just what I was aiming for. Well that was me well and truly hooked. The more I read about photography the more I wanted to learn. To cut a long story short. I purchased a copy of the `Rayco` chemical formula by David Richardson. I rang Rayco to place an order and by chance spoke to David. I could not have asked for a more helpful person. It was during this conversation he told me of the `CRC` even supplying a contact address. The rest as they say is history.
As a novice at photography I have little to offer, but the following might be of help to anyone. I could not get sufficient quantities of water at the correct temperature for processing and for some of the rinse stages. So I constructed bath which doubled as an equipment storage container
when not in use (it also kept it out of the way of my wife who will insist on using her kitchen when I need it). The shopping list for construction:-
1. A large `stacking` storage box from your local DIY store. This will hold about 10 gallons of water.
2. A thermostat from a `Home Brewing` bucket. The heating is supplied by a kettle element 700 watt rating. This combination allows a quick heat-up, and good control over temperature stability during processing.
3. A plastic drain tap from some source. This allows draining of the tank when processing is finished and filling filling of the processing drum during rinses.
If any club member is interested I can supply them with a sketch of the construction.
I conclude by giving my thanks to the author of the EP2 formula, it gives me excellent results.
I have seen in the newsletters the term `washing` instead of `rinsing`. Could you repeat the procedure for my benefit as I was probably not a CRC member when you last did so.
I need to work with a film speed as low as possible. I can get some speed reduction by `pulling` during processing, but my slides have a strong `blue` colouration. Is this due to me trying to obtain a speed that is too slow or to use of a stop bath (which I have seen mentioned in the newsletter). I have been told that it is possible to shoot any film at any speed, providing it is processed correctly. Can any knowledgeable member tell me how to shoot slide film e.g. 100ASA at 10ASA and process it correctly.
Dennis O`Connor (Area 20).TECHNICAL COMMENTS
1. For photographic (and all but the most exacting scientific purposes) the difference between cc`s & ml`s can be ignored - they are the same for practical purposes.
2. In the E6 process the difference between "rinse" & "wash" is important. Rinse: Tank should be rapidly filled with water agitated briefly and immediately emptied. (my own practice is to shake the spiral free of reversal/conditioner solution, rinse out the tank and carry on). The point of this is that the reversal/conditioner chemicals need to be retained within the film emulsion to take their part in colour development/bleach . The rinse merely removes excess.
Wash: Tank is rapidly filled with water and changed every 30 seconds until the wash time stipulated is completed. The aim is to remove all soluble chemicals from the film.
3. A Stop Bath is not recommended. The 1st. development is intended to taper off in the ensuing wash. It is almost certainly the cause of the blue cast complained of.
4. The best and easiest way of reducing unwanted film speed is by the use of neutral density filters placed over the camera lens. These can be obtained with a known factor of light absorbtion so it should be possible to find one or a combination to reduce 100ASA to 10ASA. Unfortunately these may not be readily obtainable from amateur photo shops.
I am a bit puzzled about the need for such a slow film speed. Pointing my SLR at the normal TV screen I found that 100ASA just about adequate using a slow shutter speed to overcome stripe. Perhaps computer screens are brighter? Could the problem be solved by having a black background to the line drawings and text, as in teletext?
Brian Savage. Technical Advisor.