Anyone tried Cinestill CS-6 (D6, T6 and/or D9)?

[JWMster]

"New to me" is the Cinestill E6-type slide film processing kit. Rather impressed with the data on enabling a lot more flexibility in working with E-100 and the relative cost as well. Looks to have many benefits and might change my approach to color film.... especially if the D9 (Dynamic Range) works as promised.

Curious whether anyone has tried this?

 

[JWMster]

Okay... so no one has yet? Let me try to stoke some interest: The D9 process is not E6 but a variant that the Wrights claim gives 9 stops of "usable dynamic range"... so that positive film begins to have the dynamic range of positives, scans more easily too. The T6 process allows turning E-100 as though it were a Tungsten balanced film. Ditto for D6.... which is simply the usual daylight E6 process but with 2 chem steps. Looking at pricing for these on Freestyle, I am also intrigued that the pricing looks to make this process considerably less expensive than C41. Okay. So it has my attention.

I know all of us prefer to KISS. But as I dive into LF, I'm open to how I continue to work the color process. B&W is my mainstay, but I have been stocking C41, too. Maybe now I'll throw some E-100 in, too.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

Frankly to me it looks a bit like snake oil. Even if I were to find a tungsten balanced light, why would I not just use a filter? I also don't see how they're extended the dynamic range by doing anything other than simply reducing dmax. The sample image they posted was not promising.

I shoot a lot of slide film probably because I'm some kind of masochist...but E100 has plenty of latitude IMHO. It's a remarkably accurate film, I would not want to alter it personally.

Cinestill makes some interesting products but I process a lot of their film and the QC issues with their remjet removal process are more the rule than the exception. At this point I just have to put in the order notes I provide "X roll had issues common to Cinestill films." and leave it at that. These experiences has given me a skeptical eye toward their new products, fairly or unfairly.

 

[JWMster]

Actually, I think that's fair re: films. I've "tried" their films and resolved to stick with the Kodak and C41. I'm running my first E-100 though, and typically send slide film out rather than process it in-house. Listening to Clyde Butcher's remarks on the recent Large Format Podcast about slide film and the high probability of thin negatives, my instincts were re-inforced. Yet heard about this D9 and wondered what was up and whether maybe there is something new here. Perhaps unfairly, I find it hard to imagine the Wright Bro's have a background in chemistry to come up with this on their own and so tried to find out whether the "new" Tetenal was behind this... as the principals promised new and renewed releases upon reconstitution of the company last year. But there was no story there best as I can tell.

You actually developed some B&W while we were moving last year and let me say that you guys did good work and even offered the rarity of feedback. Much appreciated. So thanks for your comments here. Much in agreement and looking at this with a raised eyebrow as well.

 

[Donald Qualls]

All they've changed from a standard E-6 kit (for the Dyamic and Tungsten balance versions) is the first developer -- as you can see by the fact you can buy the first devs for the three variants separately, while the fogging color dev and blix (total of three chem steps, not two, or four if you count final rinse) are the same. That doesn't require a major background in chemisty; at most it requires hiring a consultant with a pretty strong knowledge of E-6 materials and process to alter the way the first dev affects the layers in the film.

 

[fs999]

In Europe we will have to wait september...

 

[fs999]

Has nobody tried the CS-6 D9 dev ?

 

[peoplemerge]

I’ve just run a roll through D9 today. It’s drying now, but looked promising as it went into the cabinet. It was for a friend so I can’t say for certain how it would have looked using a different dev.