Expired Cibachrome, Ektacolor and Ektachrome

[aca91]

Hello,

I just got a box of expired ektachrome 5x7 e3 process film, a box of cibachrome and one of ektacolor photographic paper. It is an old stock but I think that something may come out of it. Do you know how should I start testing? I have a darkroom at home, but I have no experience with color emulsions, can you give me a clue? Should I buy raw chemicals? Thank you for your help.

 

[msa]

Expired doesn't scare me, most of what is in my fridge is now expired, and I've been shooting a lot of Kodachrome 25 lately, which is 15 years old and still fine.

Cibachrome is still being made (as Ilfochrome.)

Last I was aware, RA-4 chemicals are still available, so that Ektacolor may be doable at home as well.

That said:

I'm not sure the E-3 is going to be worth your time.

Kodak has published instructions for making your own E-4 process chemicals, so they might be willing to share the list of E-3 ingredients with you, and the process, but you'll be on your own for the mixing and doing. They haven't produced E-3 chemicals since the mid 70s.

If you were to be lazy, you could try cross-processing it in B&W developer (presuming you have some you'd be willing to sacrifice) but that will probably just yield a B&W negative.

 

[aca91]

Do tou have the link of the instructions? Also, do you know if I can preprae my own chemicals for RA4?

 

[msa]

Not for E-3, I think you'd have to ask them and see if someone has a copy of an old flyer or would be willing to give you the list.

Closest thing that I do have a link for is the E-4 instructions:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/cis111/cis111.jhtml

For RA-4, chemicals are still available:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/business/retailPhoto/techInfo/zManuals/z130.jhtml

 

[Photo Engineer]

E3 will not go through E4 chemistry AFAIK, even when fresh!

EKTACOLOR paper does not go through RA chemistry. It used EP-3 or EP-2 chemistry depending on version. It also goes bad after about 5 - 10 years and Ektacolor paper has not been made for longer than that! Ektacolor Plus I believe was the last version of Ektacolor paper and it was out in about 1990. Supra came out in the 90s along with the RA process.

PE