P3D RE: B/W Slides?

["Brown, Fritz LABS" <brownf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve Stultz wrote:
Has anyone out there who has a darkroom done any b/w slides?

 I write:
 Any black and white film can be reverse procesed to yield positive
transparencies.  I've been doing quite a bit of it lately.  There are
problems though.  First my number one choice of films, Technical Pan, is on
the Estar base which depolarises light and therefore isn't projectable in
projectors that polarize the light before the slide.   Scala has the same
problem if I remember right (not on Estar but the base does depolarize).
The base on Ilford films does not affect the polarisation of light but they
all have a neutral density "fog" in the base so your highlights are gray.
Unusable in my world.  I haven't worked with Tmax films much and don't know
if they are suitable for projection or not.  I did try reversing them once
and didn't like the results.  I used the protocol published by Hans Deitrich
in 1988 in Darkroom and Creative Camera Techniques (now known as
PhotoTechnique).

My personal choice for reverse processing is to use Technical Pan film.  The
resulting slide is a bit contrasty but I like the results.  I have about a
seven to eight stop dynamic range (ie contrasty) and consequently accurate
metering is essential.  I also bracket important shots in 1/3 stop
increments.  When I meter I take both a general reflected light meter
reading, as well as metering important highlight and shadow areas to
determine how I want to place the exposure.  In the end the results are
worth it.  Unfortunately the resulting stereopairs are only viewable in a
viewer or by using a projector with the polarizers after the slide in the
light path.

Dave Kesner is anxiously prodding me to get a film that can be projected
worked up to produce acceptable slides at an EI that is more convenient.
When I have it I will let any interested people know.

My protocol for reverse processing Technical Pan follows:

Expose: EI 12

Solutions:
First Developer:  1:20 HC110 + 2g/L Na thiosulfate
Bleach: 9.5g K Dichromate + 66g Na Bisulfate.  QS 1L
Clear Bath: 50g Na Sulfite. QS 1L
Second Developer: 1:10 HC110

Protocol:
First Developer   	10 min
Wash
Bleach		3 min
Wash
Clear		2 min (max)
Wash
Expose		1 min each side to light
Second developer	5 min
Wash
Fix		3 min
Wash
Hypo Clear	1 min
Wash		5 min
Photoflo
Dry

 -Fritz M. Brown