[MF3D.FORUM:836] Re: Processing E-6

[Mike Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brenda Nowlan wrote:
> 
> > Mike Kersenbrock wrote:
> >
> > I'm not too far ahead of you, I've done maybe a half dozen
> > "batches" thus far.  And I use tetenal's chemistry
> > (the "three step" which really takes four steps).
> 
> I haven't seen tetenal chemistry.  Where do you get it?

>From the normal places like B&H, Adorama, local Jobo dealer, etc.
It's German made, and distributed in the U.S. by Jobo (who
also sell the German Jobo rotary processor I use).

> Both the Beseler and the Chrome Six 3+ are the same as far as # of steps and with
> the exception of the time for color developer (Beseler 6 min @ 100F and Chrome 4
> min @ 100F).
> 
> > Also the number of reels being done in a
> > batch influence the processing times.
> 
> I didn't know that.  Why would that matter?  I pay attention to the pouring time
> and the emptying time.

If one has a HUGE tank as in commercial processing it won't matter
(I think).  You really didn't say what you were processing "in",
so I had made some assumptions, possibly wrongly.  On the other
hand if you're making up batches of chemistry whose capacity is
somewhere near the number of rolls you're doing, then the 
mechanism would be what Brian mentioned (as explained in the
Tetenal booklet for their chemistry).  If one makes up a batch
that can handle 12 rolls, and I process one roll, the "strength"
of the liquid is about the same during the first and last minute
of it's time the film is in it.  If I processed 8~12 rolls at once,
it'd be full-strengh during the first minute, but wound down
during the last minute -- so it'd need to be in there a bit longer
to have the same processing effect as the 1-roll case.  The Tetenal
booklet gives some "offsets" to apply to processing  (it doesn't
change on a per roll, it's something like 1~4 rolls something, 5~8
add a bit, etc).  It also talks about how some steps are really
"minimums" (the bleach/fix one I think) as such, rather than
right-on numbers (like the two developer steps).


> > Is the first developer working out okay (not a bit on
> > the dark side)?
> 
> Yes, with the exception of some cameras that I have been trying out.  Thanks for
> the advice Mike.  I'm doing another round of processing this weekend.

Good luck!

Mike K.

P.S. - I haven't had any trouble with color (as in "green") that others have
       had.  My only problem has been in darkness of the images, and I think
       that it's just the film (Provia 100F) because store-processed comes back
       a little on the dark side too (and perhaps why I read suggestions that
       it be shot at ISO 80 instead of 100).  I've too many variables, I've
       a new camera, a new film, and trying my own processing all at once.  :-)


> 
> Brenda