E-4 Processing Kit - found in garage - from about 1975

retired_observer · Tuesday at 5:55 PM

New Photorio forum user, just found you by search engine, first post

I just found an apparently intact Kodak Ektachrome E-4 Processing Kit in my garage. I have not worked with film since about 1975 so this is 50 years old. Inside: bottles still have liquid although I did not open them, plus packets of powders (bleach, color developer, fixer, etc) and even the printed instructions. Would this kit be of interest to anyone, or are the chemicals so old as to be unusable? Is it worth anything? Or perhaps be good for a museum donation?

Thanks.
in Seattle

Don_ih · Tuesday at 8:02 PM

retired_observer said:
Is it worth anything?

Probably not. The process is ancient history and the chemicals are likely completely dead.

Mick Fagan · Tuesday at 8:05 PM

Welcome to the forum.

I would suggest you either keep it as a little in-house photographic museum of your own, or perhaps seek out some photographic museum in your country.

I'm reasonably sure a complete home E-4 processing kit would be welcome somewhere. I've never seen one, it would be interesting if you could post a photo of your kit.

ags2mikon · Tuesday at 8:22 PM

I remember using those 50+years ago. Post a picture if it is not to much trouble.

F4U · Tuesday at 9:11 PM

Neato. i remember E4 and C22, but never did color. I wonder what the big difference is between E4 and E6

mshchem · Wednesday at 1:36 AM

Welcome to Photrio!

I remember that there's a pretty poisonous chemical, a dry powder that came in a glass bottle, required dissolving in very hot tap water.

koraks · Wednesday at 2:59 AM

Welcome aboard @retired_observer !

mshchem said:
Welcome to Photrio!

I remember that there's a pretty poisonous chemical, a dry powder that came in a glass bottle, required dissolving in very hot tap water.

That would probably be the TBAB reversal agent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borane_tert-butylamine Nasty stuff alright.
The color developer itself is also toxic and can be assumed to produce irritation of skin & mucous membranes (among others).

mshchem · Wednesday at 12:07 PM

koraks said:
Welcome aboard @retired_observer !

That would probably be the TBAB reversal agent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borane_tert-butylamine Nasty stuff alright.
The color developer itself is also toxic and can be assumed to produce irritation of skin & mucous membranes (among others).

I loved processing the old Ektachrome in E3 and E4 chemistry. I remember that the emulsion was so soft before drying that with very little effort one could scrape the emulsion off with one's fingernail. It wasn't a big deal, no one used squeegees.

I processed quite a bit of C22 negatives as well. Ektacolor S and Kodacolor-X, both just wonderful films. Kodacolor-X with blue flash using genuine Kodak process and printing. No one has ever done amateur color prints better than when Eastman Kodak did everything in house in massive facilities. Humans doing the work "Ai" Actually Intelligent

retired_observer · Wednesday at 2:30 PM

ags2mikon said:
I remember using those 50+years ago. Post a picture if it is not to much trouble.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Here are a couple of picts.

I also have the "quart" size stainless container with 4 helix inserts that you would thread the film into before processing.

Don_ih · Wednesday at 6:06 PM

I'm not sure about the chemicals in that pack, but there are chemicals you are just not allowed to ship in the US. So, if you think of selling it, look into that.

MattKing · Wednesday at 6:27 PM

Moved to the Colour Film, Paper & Chemistry sub-forum - because it just seems right that it be done!

F4U said:
I wonder what the big difference is between E4 and E6

Among a myriad number of differences, if you develop E4 film in E6 chemicals at the correct E6 temperature, the higher processing temperature will cause emulsion damage - it may slough off almost entirely!
And of course, Ektachrome-X (yech) was designed for E4 - which is reason enough to want an entirely different processing regime!

F4U · Wednesday at 7:07 PM

Looking at that E4 kit with all those little bottles of noxious potions, one might wonder what would happen if someone poured them all into a small lake. You'd end up with 10 foot tall bass with 2 heads, big teeth and 4 arms, terrorizing a small town. As for improving color reversal film, I believe the K14 process was the pinnacle.

Don_ih · Wednesday at 8:07 PM

F4U said:
one might wonder what would happen if someone poured them all into a small lake

Nothing would happen.

Pour it into a glass and drink it, maybe you'd get sick or die. Even in a swimming pool, it would do nothing.

RalphLambrecht · Wednesday at 8:30 PM

F4U said:
Neato. i remember E4 and C22, but never did color. I wonder what the big difference is between E4 and E6

I thought E4 is color negative andE6 is color transparencies.

F4U · Wednesday at 8:43 PM

RalphLambrecht said:
I thought E4 is color negative andE6 is color transparencies.

No, they use the E for Ekatchrome. E3, E4, and E6. And C for the color print film like C22 and C41. But I never did much color because color isn't permanent, unless it was Kodachrome and Cibachrome. But it's still neat to see an old complete kit like that.

CrazyCockatoo · Wednesday at 8:49 PM

See if a local photographic museum wanna take it as collection, or selling it on eBay?

ags2mikon · Wednesday at 10:14 PM

Thanks. That brings back pleasant memories from the summer vacations from the the early 1970's. Processing the slides and mounting them. I think I can even remember the smells. From the chemicals that is. Thanks for the memories.

MarkS · Thursday at 7:34 PM

E-6 replaced E-4 starting in 1976, with the introduction of Ektachrome 64. And soon many other emulsions would follow. The E-4 process required you to re-expose the film to light mid-process, so the old films could not be developed in the new chemistry. The graphic design on your packaging suggests that it's pre-1974, not that it matters at this point.
E-6 was a huge improvement, in that it was faster, more stable, allowed better color, and was less poisonous. It quickly became the industry standard (as it still is, 49 years later).

E-4 Processing Kit - found in garage - from about 1975

retired_observer

Don_ih

Mick Fagan

ags2mikon

F4U

mshchem

koraks

Moderator

mshchem

retired_observer

Don_ih

MattKing

Moderator

F4U

Don_ih

RalphLambrecht

F4U

CrazyCockatoo

ags2mikon

MarkS

E-4 Processing Kit - found in garage - from about 1975

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency