How can I get the best results out of this old 2242 Eastman film?

[fabulousrice]

I was recently gifted a good length of expired Kodak Eastman 2242 35mm film.

There isn’t much info about this stock online, so shooting and processing it was done with a bit of guesswork.

My friend processed it with E6 chemicals and got very pink, results, almost nothing showed:

Yesterday I processed my test roll in C41, without much results either (probably only 1 picture in the whole roll was visible):

Both were shot at 50 - 100 iso.

Is there a way to "extract" more results out of this film stock?
I'm open to suggestion, and can donate a couple of rolls to fellow experimenters who would like to try it (if local to the Bay Area).

 

[MattKing]

It is a colour intermediate film, designed for ECN processing. It's speed is really low - ~ISO 1.6.
Here is the current datasheet: https://www.kodak.com/content/produ...SION-2242-3242-5242-technical-information.pdf

 

[thinkbrown]

Yeah, I got solid negatives (with very blue colors) exposed iirc at 3 iso and processed ecn2. It's slow stuff

 

[fabulousrice]

Yeah, I got solid negatives (with very blue colors) exposed iirc at 3 iso and processed ecn2. It's slow stuff

Can I see your best shots with this?

 

[thinkbrown]

Can I see your best shots with this?

I just checked and apparently I'm a liar. I was working with Kodak 2254, not 2242. I unfortunately can't scan any of it right now as I'm a ways away from home.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

It is a colour intermediate film, designed for ECN processing. It's speed is really low - ~ISO 1.6.
Here is the current datasheet: https://www.kodak.com/content/produ...SION-2242-3242-5242-technical-information.pdf

Apart from being very slow, it appears to be a very high contrast film, looking at the datasheet, it might not be well-suited for normal photographic use.

 

[koraks]

Is there a way to "extract" more results out of this film stock?

Here's what I'd do:
Tape a piece of blank C41 film over the lens as a filter.
Pick a low-contrast subject.
Illuminate it with tungsten light or warm LED light.
Rate film at ISO 1 or even a little lower.
Process as color negative, preferably ECN2.
Scan and adjust color to taste.

 

[fabulousrice]

Here's what I'd do:
Tape a piece of blank C41 film over the lens as a filter.
Pick a low-contrast subject.
Illuminate it with tungsten light or warm LED light.
Rate film at ISO 1 or even a little lower.
Process as color negative, preferably ECN2.
Scan and adjust color to taste.

Would the C41 as a filter help balance out the colors, is this the reason?
Is the chemistry very different between ECN2 and C41? I thought ECN2 was just C41 chemicals with remjet remover.

I will follow your suggestions and let you know!

 

[mshchem]

I wouldn't waste life's precious moments on this. Save it for internegative work.

 

[thinkbrown]

I wouldn't waste life's precious moments on this. Save it for internegative work.

Yeah but what if this is the fun part for you? I love screwing around with weird old film

 

[koraks]

Would the C41 as a filter help balance out the colors, is this the reason?

Yes, as an intermediate film, I assume it's balanced to be exposed from a masked color negative.

Is the chemistry very different between ECN2 and C41? I thought ECN2 was just C41 chemicals with remjet remover.

It's very different but you can process this film in C41 as well. The colors will be wonky, but they'll be wonky anyway, so arguably it doesn't really matter much.

 

[mshchem]

Yeah but what if this is the fun part for you? I love screwing around with weird old film

Call it Phoenix IV,

 

[farpointer]

Call it Phoenix IV,

Package it in striking boxes with a scrap of C41 as a filter and sell it as “Funky Duochrome”

 

[fabulousrice]

I got lucky yesterday.
At first I tried processing a roll shot with SLR using somewhat old CineStill C41 chemicals for 12 minutes, but that didn't reveal much unfortunately,

I got more lucky processing the 2242 in Rodinal, with 40ml + 960ml (1+25), for 7 minutes, variation on this chart.
The shot was motion picture film shot at around 1/60 of a second.

Lost the color, but since I'm mostly shooting motion film with it, it's giving me hope that I can use it for something decent!
I'm not sure if it's worth keeping on experimenting with color chemicals with this film stock, and I'm not sure why the difference was so stark between the 12 minute C41 bath and the 7 minute Rodinal bath. Obviously one bath was stronger but I thought the extended duration would make up for it.

 

[MultiFormat Shooter]

Can I see your best shots with this?

I don't know if it counts as "best," but I was able to get this from it.

Sundress

• MultiFormat Shooter
• May 4, 2026
• 3

FPP Sun Color (Kodak 2242) shot at EI 1 (meta data says 6 as that is as low as the camera goes)...

 

[lamerko]

A while ago I impulsively got hold of a large roll (2000') of Fujifilm F-CI 4502 (8502 PET). I have very little information about the film, but it's something like an internegative with remjet and an orange-red mask, processed using the ECN-2 process. If I'm not mistaken, the film is balanced at 2854K, which is a bit warmer than the standard 3200K. A correction with an 85B + 81C filter will bring it to daylight balance, but it will cost a full two stops.
I haven't tried it yet - not for any other reason than the can is too big for my little room. But I'll still try to load a few rolls for testing

 

[fabulousrice]

I don't know if it counts as "best," but I was able to get this from it.

Sundress

• MultiFormat Shooter
• May 4, 2026
• 3

FPP Sun Color (Kodak 2242) shot at EI 1 (meta data says 6 as that is as low as the camera goes)...

Very impressive! Great photo. Did you use a filter of any kind to balance the colors, or did you do it in post?

 

[fabulousrice]

A while ago I impulsively got hold of a large roll (2000') of Fujifilm F-CI 4502 (8502 PET). I have very little information about the film, but it's something like an internegative with remjet and an orange-red mask, processed using the ECN-2 process. If I'm not mistaken, the film is balanced at 2854K, which is a bit warmer than the standard 3200K. A correction with an 85B + 81C filter will bring it to daylight balance, but it will cost a full two stops.
I haven't tried it yet - not for any other reason than the can is too big for my little room. But I'll still try to load a few rolls for testing

What's your "little room"? Is that where you bulk load?

 

[MultiFormat Shooter]

Very impressive! Great photo. Did you use a filter of any kind to balance the colors, or did you do it in post?

Thanks! I did it in post. I pretty much just used "auto white balance," in Photo Shop Elements, nothing too fancy. The image was much more "brown," as an uncorrected scan. This film was processed in ECN-2 chemistry (linear cine processor) so the colors are probably going to be somewhat different from C-41 processing.

 

[lamerko]

What's your "little room"? Is that where you bulk load?

I don't have a dedicated workspace - I use the bathroom at home, which isn't exactly the most convenient place for this purpose…

 

[fabulousrice]

I don't have a dedicated workspace - I use the bathroom at home, which isn't exactly the most convenient place for this purpose…

Hey that's cool, me too! It's pretty small but super dark without windows which I love. I usually throw some pillows on the ground and get comfortable haha. I've been able to bulk load from 1000ft cans and with a friend who sits there to learn! It's just a bit crowded.

 

[Kayo]

I got lucky yesterday.
At first I tried processing a roll shot with SLR using somewhat old CineStill C41 chemicals for 12 minutes, but that didn't reveal much unfortunately,

I got more lucky processing the 2242 in Rodinal, with 40ml + 960ml (1+25), for 7 minutes, variation on this chart.
The shot was motion picture film shot at around 1/60 of a second.

Lost the color, but since I'm mostly shooting motion film with it, it's giving me hope that I can use it for something decent!
I'm not sure if it's worth keeping on experimenting with color chemicals with this film stock, and I'm not sure why the difference was so stark between the 12 minute C41 bath and the 7 minute Rodinal bath. Obviously one bath was stronger but I thought the extended duration would make up for it.

View attachment 423707

Perhaps black and white development?

 

[fabulousrice]

Perhaps black and white development?

I'm not sure I understand your reply, black and white development is what I was explaining that I tried and that worked out fine, (at the expense of colors obviously).
("I got more lucky processing the 2242 in Rodinal, with 40ml + 960ml (1+25), for 7 minutes...")

Still have to try Korak's advice from Apr.23.

 

[Kayo]

I'm not sure I understand your reply, black and white development is what I was explaining that I tried and that worked out fine, (at the expense of colors obviously).
("I got more lucky processing the 2242 in Rodinal, with 40ml + 960ml (1+25), for 7 minutes...")

Still have to try Korak's advice from Apr.23.

Sorry skimmed through the thread lol