How hard is cross-processing for a B&W dude?

[Quinten]

Recently I saw some cross-processed slides and fell into a crush on those things. I heard cross-processing is less hard as developing colour films the regulair way, but I also heard developing colour film is damm hard!

I know how to work with B&W and printing colour will be step two so for now I would be pleased to hear how much more comes into play for cross-developing slides over B&W. I heard about hydrogenmeters (ohh dear).

A good website on the process would be huge two, I had a little fight with goolge but I never seem to win from that site.

Have a great evening!
Quinten

 

[Nick Zentena]

Okay I'm a little confused -)

If you're asking about cross processing E-6 film to negative then it's the same steps you need to perform for C-41. I guess you could claim it's easier because the results will be different. OTOH C-41 is pretty easy.

If you're asking about cross processing E-6 to C-41 then just look at any site covering C-41.

Like this one.

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/Zmanuals/z131.shtml

If you are a careful B&W worker then C-41 won't be any harder. All you need is a way to keep the chemicals at the right temp. The colour developer is only 3:15 minutes so it's not a long time.

 

[Bighead]

Simple.... Go to nearest pro shop.. Drop off film, somehow, it gets done all by itself. I have to pay the guy $4 to store the film for 24 hours though. Weird process....

 

[jd callow]

Mix the chems and soup the film.

Be consistent. So that you can adjust things and or get repeatable results.

Use the development time of C41 and the ISO of the chrome as starting points and make adjustments to one or the other and eventually both. Do this to get more of what you want out of the film. Once you start crossprocessing you are saying "I don't care about colour fidelity" So if you don't aim for natural skin tones you won't be disappointed.

C41 is simply
1) dev
-- Stop Opt
2) bleach (check your handy work if you like)
--- Wash
3) Fix
-- Wash
4) Stabilizer
5) Dry

It is easily done with hand inversion, a table top motor base roller, or in trays (not so easy).

Temp is critical in Dev and only important the rest of the way.

 

[srs5694]

I've recently begun doing my own C-41 processing, and I concur with what others here say: It's not significantly harder than doing B&W processing. The worst of it is temperature control, which means using a water bath or processing machine. Other than that, it's no harder than B&W. There are fewer Web resources for C-41 processing than for B&W processing, though, which means you may be left with questions about details when you first start.

I've also done one roll of E-6 slide film (Kodak Elite Chrome 200) in C-41 chemistry (actually in NCF-41, which technically isn't C-41). I just followed the normal NCF-41 steps and got negatives. In my case, they were awfully dense; I suspect that was a quirk of the film I used in NCF-41 specifically, but I don't know that for a fact. The results, as scanned with my film scanner, were a bit high in contrast and a bit heavy on the greens, but otherwise fairly normal. They might have looked odder if I'd printed the negatives in a more conventional way, but I have yet to try RA-4 printing.

 

[Quinten]

Well most important to know is that cross-processing E6 in C41 is no different that regulair processing C41, I must be able to find some info on that. And since the colours are tossed already by the cross processing temp must be less critical than in normal developing where colours should be spot on.

thanks for the tips!

 

[jd callow]

Temp is as important or more. Too much and the neg is too dense to get a print, not enough and you have a single tone image or is too thin to print. As in c41 the dev temp is critical the bleach and fix temps are important but not as. Unlike neg film e6 film has little latitude and less when crossed, so requires pretty exact exposure -- or I should say once you know what you want your exposure latitude will be very narrow.

Just like b&W film you will discover that you can match exposure and development to match (to a degree) scene requirements. Unlike B&W you can not choose a paper/developer(s) or contrast filter combination to bring the neg back in line.