DISTILLED ... OR NOT DISTILLED? Way back in January last year I wrote regarding the possibility of distilled/deironised water being actually responsible for producing MORE grain and less sharp images. This shattering news came from America - where else? - and was explained as being the result of the distilled/deironised water having a softening effect on the emulsion - allowing the silver grains to move whereas the minerals in tap water effectively harden the emulsion and so prevent such movement. All of this, it was admitted, applied to the black and white silver image.

At that time the question was... did this theory affect the colour reversal process? The answer to that now comes from a reader who writes in a recent copy of Darkroom Techniques and it hands out crumbs of comfort for us in the Colour Reversal Club.

It is explained that grain applies to black and white materials as a result of the opaque silver metal particles produced during development and it is the size and shape of these which dictate the appearance of grain.

In colour reversal no silver metal particles remain after the processing. So there is no true grain. Following development transparent dye molecules are formed around each exposed silver halide particle. Subsequent bleaching and fixing removes all silver metal and silver halide leaving a final image composed only of dye... AND NO GRAIN. Which is, indeed, good to know.

KONICA HOLDS ITS OWN! From the Pearles I recently received a selection of slides fresh from their most recent processing session ... and my, oh my, were they good! Excellent! First class!!

The glowing adjectives apply to the technical quality but it can also be tagged on to the excellent and attractive pictorial content. For there was yet another example of the outstanding sun-set shots in which Rita excels. Also several specimens of "Mushroom" fungi, which seems to abound down there in Essex, but which also provides unusual `subjects` for the cameras of the Pearles.

But, for me, there was an added bonus! The fact that the selection was on different emulsions - Konica, Fuji, Velvia and Agfa - and probably holding its own in every way was our very own Konica! Yes the shots on this emulsion were, in my view, every bit the equal of the much more expensive rivals.

That, indeed, is a bonus which we can all share!!

MISTAKES. George Sparkes, Area 22 Secretary draws my attention to an error in the penultimate line on page 6 of the January issue. The final words should read `were LESS consistent`.

In the same issue, but on page 15, the first and second line at the top should be `the short rinse following the REVERSAL bath` ... not, of course, the First Developer as printed. I am grateful to Rita Pearle for pointing out this one. My apologies.

DENSITOMETER PROVES IT! A further item from major Pearle of Colchester is of considerable interest to us weighers and mixers - and particularly to those of us who enthuse over the merits of Konica film - explains a test made via a densitometer on four films, Agfa, Fuji, Velvia and Konica all of which were processed together, in the same tank, using the same solutions, all of which were mixed to the C.R.C. formula.

Initially Major explained to me that the blacks of the Konica did not meet the standards of either the Velvia or the Agfa emulsions. This opinion was arrived at, I hasten to explain, BEFORE the densitometer test. At this point, he says, the Konica was a perfectly acceptable neutral, as was the others, but not comparable in density. It was not, he maintains, as black as it should have been.

Looking at the three films under a bright light Major says it DOES look less dense than the Velvia or Agfa. BUT, and here`s the very pleasant eye-opener, under the densitometer, the difference is so minute... you can really forget about it.

Major concludes by saying he was so pleased by the overall performance of the Konica and especially that all three films processed so perfectly together in the same tank and with the same C.R.C. solutions.

The three examples sent to me - Agfa, Velvia and Konica - showed a distinct mauve cast. They were of the unexposed ends and the mauve cast was evident on all three but more heavy on the Agfa and Velvia - but barely disernable on the Konica. When viewed via a small pocket torch and then some nine feet from a four foot strip light ... clearly the Konica holds its own in an unmistakable way against the much more expensive rivals.

THE CHEMIST DOESN`T SELL EM! Bill Reid was telling me a while, back of a minor contretemp he had with his local chemist. He had, it seems, bought quite number of bits and pieces at various times over the years, for his weighing and mixing, but, returning on the particular occasion, he found a new chap in charge.

Bill bought a few bottles, and other oddments, then asked for a couple of syringes - for measuring, you understand - the chap got quite shirty. Well real nasty, actually! Even though he made it quite clear that the syringes were for and also pointed out that he didn`t even want the needles.

But no joy! Bill still didn`t get the syringes! One can, I suppose, understand that the chap has to be careful these days of drugs and thugs... but, at the same time what harm can be done with a syringe minus the accompanying needle? Maybe this chap thought Bill had a seperate supplier of needles!

Mind you I`ve long felt that chemists these days are a strange animal! For I`ve yet to find the chemist who actually SELLS chemicals! The local butcher still sells meat! The greengrocer will offer you cabbages, turnips and tomatoes! But the chemist... ask him for a couple of pounds of Sodium Thiosulphate! Or 500 gms of Sodium Sulphite! He`ll look at you `gone out`.

Time was when I could walk into the local branch of Boots and buy a full Winchester of Hydrochloric acid - for, from memory 1s/9d - just simply by signing the poisons book! No trouble, but now! Lucky if you can get 100gms of Borax or Sodium Bi-carbonate... and that will be pre-packed and could well cost an arm and a leg! And for the assistant to smile and be even remotely helpful? You must be joking!