Developing Ektachrome for B&W enlargment or contact prin

[Poco]

Over a year ago I bought an 8x10 camera off of ebay which came with several boxes of Ektachrome 64 & 100 and Vericolor I & II. Is there any processing technique of these that would result in negatives suitable for B&W enlargement or contact printing? I'm perfectly willing to accept off the wall results, so long as I can make some kind of use of the stuff. Altogether, I probably have over 150 sheets and it seems a shame for it just to sit there getting older.

 

[Konical]

Hello, Poco,

Can the Vericolor be processed in C-41? If so, you could use Panalure (without safelight, of course) for standard black and white prints from the color negatives. If not, you could experiment with your favorite B & W developer; it shouldn't take more than two or three sheets to zero in on an approximate exposure index and developing time.
I assume that the Ektachrome is new enough to use E-6. If so, why not just shoot it normally and then make a copy internegative on T-Max 100 and go from there.

Konical

 

[Poco]

Konical,

I'd rather not go the E-6 route as the expense of having 8x10s processed for a questionable B&W end product seems unjustified.

I did once try to develop some of the Ektachrome in Rodinal and ended up with welding goggle stuff -- completely black negatives. Now, it's just possible I'd managed to badly fog the film before development (long story) but it seemed unlikely at the time, so I went no further with testing. But you're confirming that some of the conventional B&W developers should result in at least SOME sort of image forming? If so, I'll certainly try again.

 

[glbeas]

I think its possible Rodinal has something in it that activates the color couplers in the film. I once tried swapping rodinal for the first developer in the E-6 process just to see what I got and it resulted in a fully black piece of film.
Try Dektol, I know that will work on color film for a B&W result.