half-processed Ektachrome as B&W?

[jtk]

I've processed both E3 and E4 Ektachrome at home using non-kit Kodak chemistry.

The main difference is that the E3 is light-reversed and the E4 relies on nasty chemicals instead (like E6).

Before they're reversed they're true B&W, not the lower-resolution dye clouds they become.

It never occurred to me to try to treat them as literal B&W (not color) film.

Has anybody tried that?

I wonder if E6 kits (which are so simple) would produce B&W POSITIVE slides if used with B&W NEGATIVE film?

 

[Anon Ymous]

They would produce clear base.

 

[Photo Engineer]

E6 films will indeed produce B&W negatives if processed as a negative film, but if you use the E6 FD, it is designed to be foggy as are most reversal B&W FDs. This is to clear out the Dmin.

The negatives will also be yellow due to the CLS layer.

PE

 

[jtk]

E6 films will indeed produce B&W negatives if processed as a negative film, but if you use the E6 FD, it is designed to be foggy as are most reversal B&W FDs. This is to clear out the Dmin.

The negatives will also be yellow due to the CLS layer.

PE

OK..not surprising...

Might there a way to easily modify E6 kits or E6 pro chemistry to reverse the (few) B&W negative films that have clear bases in order to produce B&W POSITIVES (slides) ?

In ancient times I played with that optically with a slide duplicate rig, using Kodalith 35mm film to produce clear-base (but very contrasty) positive slides. I processed the Kodalith in Dektol...did some flashing...got entertaining results but nothing like conventional B&W tonal scale.

 

[abruzzi]

Processing Chromogenic B&W film like XP2 in E-6 will produce a monochrome positive. Unfortunately on the films I've tried it with it has a strong green tint, but I haven't tried XP2, so I dont know if that works better.

Edit: I'll add that I was shooting it at EI 100 instead of 400, and giving it significantly more time in the first developer (about 9.5 minutes IIRC).

 

[Photo Engineer]

OK..not surprising...

Might there a way to easily modify E6 kits or E6 pro chemistry to reverse the (few) B&W negative films that have clear bases in order to produce B&W POSITIVES (slides) ?

In ancient times I played with that optically with a slide duplicate rig, using Kodalith 35mm film to produce clear-base (but very contrasty) positive slides. I processed the Kodalith in Dektol...did some flashing...got entertaining results but nothing like conventional B&W tonal scale.

Yes, use the FD for both the first and second developers, and omit the bleach step.

The times are TBD however.

PE

 

[thuggins]

Yes, use the FD for both the first and second developers, and omit the bleach step.
PE

Can you expand on that? If the "omit the bleach step" refers the the bleach used in B&W reversal, then the original negative will remain. After the reexposure and second development all the silver will be developed and the film will be black. If you are referring to the E6 bleach then the elemental silver will remain unoxidized and the film will still be black. The key to a B&W tranny is to remove the negative image before developing the positive.

And, yes, XP2 makes sweet monochrome trannies in E6 chemistry. I've posted the details several times here.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The bleach and fix in E6 is designed to remove all of the silver metal. You have to use a B&W bleach and fix for this process. And the XP2 works because it forms dyes, whereas B&W negative film has no dyes and therefore would be blank if run through the standard E6 process tail end.

PE