How easy is home brewed E-6?

niimo · Jan 2, 2008

Very interesting, thanks all for sharing your info! I was under the impression that any other developing than B&W is quite dangerous because the chemical are more toxic? Or maybe it's true and you all are just dangerous folk! heheh E-6 is very pricey (I think about $12-15 per roll) around where I live so this may be something I will get into.

srs5694 · Jan 2, 2008

niimo said:
Very interesting, thanks all for sharing your info! I was under the impression that any other developing than B&W is quite dangerous because the chemical are more toxic? Or maybe it's true and you all are just dangerous folk!

Two points:

"Dangerous" and "toxic" are relative terms. Something can be more dangerous than another thing but still safe enough for whatever one's comfort level is.
Even B&W processing varies in danger. A pyro developer is, by most accounts, more dangerous than XTOL. Ever hear of uranium toner? It was somewhat popular once.

I don't claim to be an expert on it, but my understanding is that E-6 (and other color processes) involve chemicals that are nastier than the average B&W chemical, but these chemicals aren't so nasty that they're unreasonable to use in a home darkroom. Read the documentation that comes with whatever kit you buy (and/or check up on the manufacturer's Web site) and follow its advice and you should be fine. I certainly wouldn't describe E-6 processing as "quite dangerous," although as I say in point #1, "dangerous" is a relative term, so that's a matter of what your reference is.

niimo · Jan 2, 2008

srs5694 said:
Two points:

"Dangerous" and "toxic" are relative terms. Something can be more dangerous than another thing but still safe enough for whatever one's comfort level is.

Even B&W processing varies in danger. A pyro developer is, by most accounts, more dangerous than XTOL. Ever hear of uranium toner? It was somewhat popular once.

I don't claim to be an expert on it, but my understanding is that E-6 (and other color processes) involve chemicals that are nastier than the average B&W chemical, but these chemicals aren't so nasty that they're unreasonable to use in a home darkroom. Read the documentation that comes with whatever kit you buy (and/or check up on the manufacturer's Web site) and follow its advice and you should be fine. I certainly wouldn't describe E-6 processing as "quite dangerous," although as I say in point #1, "dangerous" is a relative term, so that's a matter of what your reference is.

Heh good points! Just knowing there are these "kits" does spark my interest. Thanks for the (sort of) assurance.

kraker · Jan 2, 2008

tim_walls said:
Ilfochrome is indeed beautiful from my currently limited experience (I've only produced half a dozen.) You're right, if your desired end result is a traditional print, E6 is nuts; but Ilfochrome prints are gorgeous and you get to keep the joy of the projector.

Ahh, the joys of browsing APUG. I've just read this and a few other comments, and I find myself already checking availability and prices of Ilfochrome paper & chemistry. This is really tempting me to give printing Ilfochrome a try...

And I think, above all, nothing makes you realise you're a photography bore more than sending an audience to sleep through a slideshow. If you only shoot C41, you're missing out on that

LOL!

Paul. · Jan 2, 2008

Here's a vote for the tetanal E6 kit. £46.00 for 5 litres that will process 60 films. Have reused working strength chemicals 6 months after mixing them with no desernable ill efect and kept stock solutions for 18 months in part full bottles before finishing the kit. As you get multiple uses of the mixed chemicals you just extend the dev times to compensate for chemical exhaustion, it is all in the multi lingual instruction book that comes with the kit.

As others have said it is as easy as falling of a log, get yourself a kit and go for it.

Regards Paul.

How easy is home brewed E-6?

niimo

srs5694

niimo

kraker

Paul.

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