E-6 Color developer, extended development?

[1kgcoffee]

Was developing some e-6 film the other, and got around to thinking during the CD stage what would happen if I were to extend or decrease development? What if I modified the temperature?

Color shift, change in saturation or contrast. What exactly would happen?

The first developer would obviously have an effect on contrast and might push or pull the film slightly.

But lets say I want more saturation and warmer color temperature. Without using a polarizing and warming filter, how would you achieve this in development? To lower contrast, would you overexpose and underdevelop?

 

[Anon Ymous]

PH adjustment can alter colour balance, but a warming effect would be better done by using an appropriate filter. In my experience from homebrew E6, low CD pH will shift colour to magenta while higher than normal would lead to green. This is in line with the technical literature, speaking of which, many of your questions can be answered by it.

 

[Anon Ymous]

Oh and lower contrast can be achieved by shorter FD time, but any alteration in FD time can result in differences in colour balance.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Extended development will cause over development of the top emulsion layer. This will cause a change in color balance. Color films are not like B&W ones where you can change the development time and temperature, etc. Color films are designed to work best under fixed parameters. So not a good idea.

 

[Ian Grant]

Altering first development in E6 has a large effect but the 2nd colour developer is pretty much to completion so you can't over develop.

With E3/4 you had to alter the first and second develoment time when push processing so quite different.

Ian

 

[Photo Engineer]

The E6 CD does go to completion, but at the same time it is a very active and highly solvent developer so some changes can continue if you overdo color development. Most likely is muddier colors and higher Dmin. Changes in pH or temperature can cause severe crossover.

PE

 

[Rudeofus]

E6 development means three color layers developed to same Dmin and same contrast, and to achieve this for all E6 films thrown at it. Changing one parameter of E6 developer will change multiple result parameters, and it will do this most likely out of sync between color layers and in different ways for different film stock. I am sure one could reformulate E6 kits to develop one type of film for extra warmth, but slapping a warming filter on your lens is easier, faster and cheaper. There are instructions for pushing&pulling with most E6 kits in case you want to adjust contrast.

 

[1kgcoffee]

Thanks for the knowledgeable responses.

My developer kit is almost exhausted. May experiment on some velvia at a higher ph and post about it here.

 

[BMbikerider]

My question is WHY? A lot of research has been done by the manufacturers of both the film and the chemical manufacturers which will give an optimum image. Given the price of E6 film nowadays, possible total wastage is something that should be considered before experimenting.

 

[Ian Grant]

My question is WHY? A lot of research has been done by the manufacturers of both the film and the chemical manufacturers which will give an optimum image. Given the price of E6 film nowadays, possible total wastage is something that should be considered before experimenting.

E6 kits have been around a long time, when used fresh the 2nd (colour) developer is far more active, it will have developed the reversal part to completion before the recommended time, with no side effects, but of course each subsequent re-use it will be slower. In the close to 40 years the E6 process has been around there's been no tales of adverse effects of slightly extended colour development, as it's too completion it can't over develop.

However as Ron Mowrey pointed out excessive development may well have other effects not due to the development process itself which can't go further. It's a question of how much extra might be an issue, it's going to be quite a step change not an extra 30 seconds or even a minute or two.

Ian