CLOSING THE RED EYE! That annoying `red-eye encountered in flash shots is caused by a reflection from the chooid layer of the retina at the back of the eye. The effect usually follows a shot in low light and where the flash is close to the camera lens catches the reflection from the blood-rich layer through the wide pupil.

So the avoidance of this reflection is easily acheived by seperating camera and flash so that the reflectuion can no longer be seen by the camera.

No firm rule can ge given as to how much seperation is needed to avoid red-eye as this will change in relation to pupil diameter and shooting distance.

Some of the newer 35mm autofocus viewfinder cameras have `red-eye` elimination systems which uses a series of pre-flashes, of lower power, to reduce pupil size before the main, and more powerful, flash.

We do live in a tremendous - and mystifying - age of electronic wizardry do we not?

KONICA `NEW` EMULSION. Thre appears still to be some confusion in regards to the identification of the Konica `New` emulsion.

There really shouldn`t be! The `NEW` film has an emulsion colour quite different to the `OLD` which was of a greenish appearance. The `NEW`, on the otherhand, moves towards the yellow. The two are quite different.

SOFT WATER. Flyn Willicombe, writing in the booklet circulating with the Area 20 folio, asks for information regarding the use of Chelating agent in combination with the very soft water supply in the West Country.

I can`t offer any first hand help from my experience for the very simple reason that the water up here on the east Coast is as hard as blazes. But I would hazzard a guess to the effect that the emulsions of the modern E6 films are now hardened to a point that would negate any worries in relation to hard or soft water supplies.

The pH of the initial water is quickly overcome and moves toward the figure needed for the various baths when the chemicals are needed.

THE GARDENING DOCTOR. A welcome telephone call from one of the "elder statesmen" amoungst our members - Dr. Neill of Barnsley - brought the equally satisfying news that he is fit and well apart of course from the usual aches and pains inseperable, apparently, amoungst the more advanced age groups.

Dr. Neill, though assured me that he had been gardening most of the day he phoned me!

A recent cataract operation has also improved his eyesight quite considerably so he now has little trouble getting out and about.

THE IDLE PROBE! Albert Morley of Area 11 has had trouble with a pH probe which had become `idle` so he bought a new one which had an instruction leaflet containing suggestions for two solutions recommended for storage. These differed according to the kind of probe. Albert chose the wrong one!

But no matter! He had the idea to dunk his sluggish probe in this `wrong` solution. After this storage the probe returned to its former robust self and has recovered all its lively virility. The needle of the meter now moves with a sprightly step, as it were, before settling confidently to its proper station.

So what is this magic concoction? Very simply it is 22.35gms. of Potassium Chloride dissolved in 100mls. of water. This gives a pH value of 4. Of course it is necessary to store the probe in an air-tight container to avoid evaporation. Albert achieves this by using a vessel with a soft plastic lid into which he bored a hole slightly smaller than the probe so that it is a tight fit.

At Albert`s suggestion I contacted Alan Bell, a former member and an authority on these matters, in order to ensure that the solution does no harm to the probe. Alan assures me that there will be no damage to the instrument. Indeed probes are filled with a saturated solution of Potassium Chloride: he further pointed out the danger of storing a probe in an alkaline solution which tends to dissolve glass in the long term.

FAREWELL CAROUSEL. After 26 years Kodak have discontinued the Carousel range of slide projectors and are bringing out new models - Ektapro 3000, 5000, 7000, & 9000 intended for professional use and costing from £300 to £700... without lenses! There is a new range of lenses and the new cold light system uses an 82volt/300watt mirror lamp which gives a more accurate colour temperature than the 24volt type.

The projectors are designed to be linked to computer. Simda and Elmo have similar projectors in the same price range whilst Kindermann and Rollei offer computer linked models at a lower price range. The cheapest Video projectors, which cant provide a large screen image anywhere near slide quality, are now DOWN to £2500 or thereabouts. So there`s still a future for the quality slide and tape show for large screens and audiences.

TOP LINE COPIES. A recent batch of slides from Tony Chuter of Southampton included some actual copies from colour shots. I was amazed! They looked to me as near perfect as could be and I would say that it would be near impossible to improve on these excellent examples. For most of you will know that copying, with colour, is never easy and so seldom successful.

But Tony`s were. Not by half either! Superb, they were. One shot on the old, but now restored completely, warship The Warrior, included the Union flag and the colours of this were, well, lifelike.

Just shows that copies can be accurate if well exposed and processed: and can be acceptable like their originals, just with that little extra care at all stages of their production.

Incidentally Tony mentions yet another new film - Novachrome which has recently appeared... do I know anything about it? I dont. Do you? It`s apparently `cheapish` and comes from Spain.