A DISSENTING VOICE. Oh dear!! A member who doesnt agree that the C.R.C. formulae is all that it`s cracked up to be! Ed. Herson of Area 11 says "I`m not all that happy with the results from the formula" And he goes on to state that it`s not his processing... for he has NEVER used the CRC brew!!

Ed. refers to the distribution of slides to show the result... could this be the slides sent out some time back taken and arranged by Tony Chuter? I imagine so... which Ed. admits was bright but he didn`t like the colour redention. He mentions the slide of domestic articles which he compares with the actual products and complains that the colours do not tally. He then sent off a film he had exposed of, apparently, similar domestic packages and had this processed by Kevin Craske with similar results to the distributed example.

He is, as he says, quite aware of the difficulties of attempting to assess colour values and cites the early days when Kodachrome always provided a healthy-looking South American tan of flesh tones. Ed. realises that transparencies are intended to be viewed by tungsten light rather than daylight. But he apparently tends to get a slight magenta cast... though he says that the slight tinge is, perhaps, insufficient to be named as a cast. Ed. then mentions that when he does processing himself he used an early Rayco formula with white light reversal and this is acceptable.

As he accepts - to each his won! There can be little argument colour is something so very personal. What suits one is anathema to another. But a slight bias to magenta with new Konica, I have not come across. Perhaps, Ed. you should contemplate giving the NEW Konica a run... but with the C.R.C. Formulae in full.

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BIGGEST IS BEST!! Southampton member, Tony Chuter, raised a pertenant point to me during one of our regular exchanges of view on tape. It seems to me he had exposed around six cassettes during a late burst of `summer` - in early Autumn - if you see what I mean - so decided a bigger mix of chemicals would be sensible on this occasion.

Whilst preparing the mixes he had a thought - the more volume one uses the less effect a slight - even very sight - discrepancy in weighing a chemical would have on the final solution. Obviously, too, this would apply in particular to the tiny amounts of, for instance, Citrizinic Acid in the Colour Developer and Dimazone `S` in the First Developer.

Carefully as one might be such small quantities as 0.37grams of Dimazone `S` or 0,24grams of Citrazinic Acid, in a final quantity of 300mls must clearly provide more chance of error than does 1.2grams in a litre. So clearly it must be sensible to `save up` - in the freezer - the exposed films in order to prepare the larger quantities of solutions which would then be utilised to their full potential and so avoiding any waste.

There is also an added bonus in this system. All the films will have benefited by being `dunked` in fresh - or near fresh - solutions and it has always been established as good practice to use fresh solutions rather than stale ones... though, of course, the Bleach and Fixer will keep well over a long period.

DISTILLED IS NOT SO SAFE. It has mostly been assumed that distilled - or de-ionised - water used for mixing solutions, is the safe way to achieve the ultimate in quality when processing - particularly in colour. Not so, says Cavin M. Rayburn, an American Chemist from De Moins, Iowa. Writing in Darkroom Techiques he states, with considerable conviction, that distilled/de-ionised water, used for mixing developers, gave more grain and negatives were less sharp than when using ordinary tap water.

It was thought that the reason for this was that the distilled/de-ionised water had a less hardening effect on the emulsion thus allowing the silver grains to move - whereas the minerals in tap water effectively hardens the grains preventing their movement.

The writer tested the theory by using a series of cut films, exposed in pairs, processed and printed one from each pair in developer mixed with tap water and the other from each pair in solutions using distilled/ionised water. Time, temperature and agitation were carefully monitored and enlargements made to 14" x 11". The prints made from the negatives developed in distilled/ionised water devs. were quite grainy and unsharp. The difference was quite marked, says Mr. Rayburn who explains that he works only in black and white and wouldn`t know how colour materials would be affected.

Well, neither would I! But it`s a sobering thought and turns on its head the pre-conceived assumptions that distilled/ionised water for solutions is essential, or at best, desirable if we are to obtain pristine results.

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FREE FOR MEMBERS. A first class catalogue, in full colour, listing many photographic items - indeed I venture to suggest that every piece of darkroom equipment is within its pages - is the latest issue from First Call Photographic Supplies, Cherry Grove Cottage, Gotton, Chedding Fitzpaine, Taunton, TA2 8LL. Although priced at £1 the catalogue is free to C.R.C. Members... but an envelope 12" x 9" with two stamps would be appreciated.

RE - JUVINATED YOUR PROBE! It is certainly a good idea to look to your pH meter probe occasionally - and what better time than in the winter? The usual procedure is to give brief dips in concentrated acid and/or alkali followed by a water rinse and over-night conditioning in a pH 7 buffer.

DYE STABILITY. Just what are the factors in E.6 film that determine dye stability? The question came from a reader of Darkroom Techniques, and admirable American Magazine. Answer: questions of stability are of perenial concern and the long term stability of colour materials is undoubtedly influenced more by the dyes incorporated by the manufacturer than by any other factor.

Dye chemists at major photographic manufacturers never rest in their quest to produce both the best colour and the longest dye stability. Which means that stability should be improving all the time.

I too, will go along with the views of the chappie over there and I am sure most of us will agree that both colour and stability of colour film continue to improve.