Kodachrome Super 8 processed in colour using 1938 formulas

[adycousins]

Using the couplers and colour developers from the 1938 Mannes & Godowsky patent, the first developer from the 1972 Bent & Mowrey patent, and the Red and Blue printing details from the K14M Theory Guide it is possible to process Kodachrome as colour reversal.
I built an Arduino controlled device to measure the light levels (readings in microwatt seconds per cm2) and pass the film over the lamps and filters at regulated speed in order to do the Red and Blue printing stages

Non of this would have been possible of course without reference to the detailed and patient responses of Ron Mowrey and others on this site. I hope you find the details below useful.

I processed a Super 8 cartridge (shot as anamorphic) last week using a Lomo UPB-1A tank and the method detailed below, this is the scanned film:



Modified K14 process

1. - 05:00 remjet removal bath
2. - 04:00 wash
3. - 04:00 First development
4. - 02:00 wash
5. - 05:00 remove film from Lomo spiral
6. - 05:00 remove remjet - 04:00 Red exposure
7. - 1000 micro watt seconds per square centimetre through Kopp 2403 filter, 5mm thick
8. - 03:00 Reload onto Lomo spiral
9. - 01:00 Add Cyan coupler to developer (on magnetic stirrer)
10. - 12:00 cyan developer bath 20°C (constant mild agitation)
11. - 03:00 wash - 05:00 remove film from Lomo spiral
12. - 05:00 Blue exposure
13. - 230 micro watt seconds per cm2 through Schott BG25 glass filter, 5mm thick - 03:00 reload onto Lomo spiral
14. - 01:00 add yellow coupler to developer
15. - 10:00 yellow development bath 20°C (constant mild agitation)
16. - 03:00 wash
17. - 08:00 White light exposure
18. - 01:00 Add magenta coupler to developer
19. - 05:00 Magenta development bath 20°C (constant mild agitation)
20. - 03:00 wash - 08:00 Ferricyanide bleach bath 24°C - 01:00 wash
21. - 06:00 sodium thiosulphate fixer bath 24°C
22. - 06:00 wash
23. - 01:00 stabiliser bath 24°C

Formulas

• Colour developers from Mannes and Godowsky Kodachrome patent 1938: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ed/13/21/8e8f88900704dc/US2252718.pdf - Note: I used isopropyl as the solvent for the yellow coupler
  
  
• First developer from Bent and Mowrey Kodachrome patent 1972: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/b6/0b/e3/fc2c18d455bfd3/US3658525.pdf
  
• Re-exposure details from Kodachrome K14M Theory Guide: https://125px.com/docs/unsorted/kodak/tg2044_1_02mar99.pdf - I used a Schott BG25 filter for the Blue printing, the Fish-Schurman LB3 filter specified in the 'Guide' is no longer available.

 

[Don_ih]

Truly impressive.

 

[AgX]

Yes, a great endeavour. And at last a way to save all those Kodachrome S-8 cassettes from oblivion (if not b&w processed).

But how viable do you consider this process for any darkroom worker who just wants to use his cassettes properly? I mean one has to built a controlled fogging apparatus.

 

[adycousins]

Yes, a great endeavour. And at last a way to save all those Kodachrome S-8 cassettes from oblivion (if not b&w processed).

But how viable do you consider this process for any darkroom worker who just wants to use his cassettes properly? I mean one has to built a controlled fogging apparatus.

I think its viable - but it requires some committment - I have no formal training in photographic processing and did it in my kitchen. The Red and Blue printing device I made is to address the particular demands of processing motion picture film (8mm & 16mm), for stills it would be possible to use an enlarger, to test the light levels a very cheap Arduino-based solution is easy to make - I didn't know anything about Arduino or programming but Rob Tillaart wrote a freely available code library with example code based on my description of the problem.

 

[warden]

So impressed with this inspired project. Congratulations!

 

[ic-racer]

Nice! fantastic job!
I still prefer B&W 8mm movies.

 

[mshchem]

Wow!