Is formalin necessary for e6?

trendland · Apr 28, 2017

nevintagefilms said:
I would be astounded if Kodak attempts to re-introduce Ektachrome at a 12,50-14,50 USD price point. If they do it will die a miserable death. Velvia 50 can be had via online distributors for around $12/roll with ease and no additional discount. The closest equivalent to Ektacrhome, Provia 100F or Velvia 100 for $11. If the new product comes in costing more than the already available product it will be doomed. After cancelling E100 in 2012 all remaining slide-film users changed to Fuji, who was already more popular in the first place. Why would you switch back? I doubt a new E series will be in any way superior to the Fuji line of chromes.

I know that as well as you mentioned it.
My very last E100g films are out of a press pack (20 pices 135-36) the regular price was $160,- the discound I have
payed was $79,-.
So the price to each film was $ 4,- to me.
I got 80xE100G and after some times I noticed Ebay prices of last discontinued
Kodak Elitechrome 100 : $69,- to the boxed 5xElitechrome 100 ??
Let us wait to the end of the year.

Hope it will not increase up to $23,95 one of rolls new Ektachrome.

We should be happy with any price less than $20,-

with regards

dmr · Nov 24, 2018

Might as well bump this thread instead of starting yet another one.

As a background I picked up a small size Arista E6 processing kit in anticipation of the new Ektachrome which is supposed to arrive Any Day Now (tm). (Why the Arista? 'cuz I've had very good luck with the Arista C41 kit.)

In reading TFM from the Arista kit (scan below), I was surprised that there is no "final rinse compound" or "stabilizer" or whatever, and yes, I read and re-read the sticky from PE and much of the follow-up threads including this one.

My main question is along the line of has more/new information come about that would change the thoughts of this since the new Ektachrome came out?

Anyway, it looks like my options are:

Process EXACTLY as TFM in the Arista kit says, water only, deal with spots as they come up. Hope that colors last a long time.
Use a Photo Flo solution after the final wash for spotting, hope that colors last a long time.
Use the "Mix up Photo Flo 200 as directed on the bottle, To one liter of this add 3 - 10 ml of 37% Formalin solution" solution after the final wash.

For those of you who are more familiar with E6 processing than I am, what is the consensus of what's best to do here, assuming the film is the new Ektachrome 100.

Thanks again.

Photo Engineer · Nov 24, 2018

Kodak says Formalin and until they change this, it musts contain Formalin. This prevents loss of Magenta dye in highlights and browning of images among other problems.

PE

dmr · Nov 25, 2018

Thanks PE!

Fortunately I have sources of formalin and Photo-Flo so it's really no problem.

trendland · Dec 11, 2018

Photo Engineer said:
Kodak says Formalin and until they change this, it musts contain Formalin. This prevents loss of Magenta dye in highlights and browning of images among other problems.

PE

Well - I remember that typical brownish cast with some "Panther" E6 Kodak. It is not that much to say the slides are unusable ( after more than 20 years) but I also can imagine how it would look like without Formalin.
The films have been developed from labs in that period you refered - at the time Formaline was 100% within Kodaks standard development.

with regards

PS : The problem isn´t in that way, in general, that one will identify any cast at once. It will come after several years ( perhaps after decades ) and this issue will make it to an imense problem - because : Then It Is Too Late !

trendland · Dec 11, 2018

dmr said:
Might as well bump this thread instead of starting yet another one.

As a background I picked up a small size Arista E6 processing kit in anticipation of the new Ektachrome which is supposed to arrive Any Day Now (tm). (Why the Arista? 'cuz I've had very good luck with the Arista C41 kit.)

In reading TFM from the Arista kit (scan below), I was surprised that there is no "final rinse compound" or "stabilizer" or whatever, and yes, I read and re-read the sticky from PE and much of the follow-up threads including this one.

My main question is along the line of has more/new information come about that would change the thoughts of this since the new Ektachrome came out?

Anyway, it looks like my options are:

Process EXACTLY as TFM in the Arista kit says, water only, deal with spots as they come up. Hope that colors last a long time.

Use a Photo Flo solution after the final wash for spotting, hope that colors last a long time.

Use the "Mix up Photo Flo 200 as directed on the bottle, To one liter of this add 3 - 10 ml of 37% Formalin solution" solution after the final wash.

For those of you who are more familiar with E6 processing than I am, what is the consensus of what's best to do here, assuming the film is the new Ektachrome 100.

Thanks again.

Formalin is more and more under official regulation ( from strange reasons ) and this will probably complicate the avaiability in the future. Today some exeptions in different countrys are with Formalin for fishes.... !

with regards

dmr · Dec 16, 2018

trendland said:
Formalin is more and more under official regulation ( from strange reasons ) and this will probably complicate the avaiability in the future

I "acquired" a small bottle of it from a former cow-orker who works in a lab. From the recommended dilution in the formula, it will outlast me!

Photo Engineer · Dec 16, 2018

There are substitutes such as Trioxymethylene.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trioxymethylene

It decomposes into formaldehyde with acid or base, but must be controlled to prevent excess pH shift.

PE

Is formalin necessary for e6?

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