Kodak E6 Kit vs Arista E6 kit

Photo Engineer · Jun 21, 2009

Tom;

That depends on what country you are dealing with. Some prohibit its use outright and others do not. Kodak adopted the approach that they wanted to remove it across the board. It took time to achieve.

There is a lawsuit in Australia over aldehyde hardeners in processes that stemmed from medical X-Ray as one example of outright bans on usage. The work started in the 60s and is ongoing to the present from what I can see. It is interesting to see if the engineers win the race with digital. If color film is around long enough, I suppose there will no longer be any formalin in any process. Kodak stopped using it as a hardener in the 60s in film and paper products.

E6 still uses formalin in the sense that it is present in the pre-bleach, but not in the stabilzer/final rinse. C41 has no formalin whatsoever.

PE

Hell-on-a-stick · Oct 23, 2010

I just purchased the Arista 1qt kit. this information was useful..but I'm still wondering about the 're-exposure' to light? How long do I re-expose, what wattage light, etc? Apparently, (and i keep seeing this in apug forums) i'm eventually going to have to buy the kodak or fuji chemicals and just mix small batches. These kits, from unicolor to digibase to arista seem to be intensely problematic and sketchy at best where the blix and chemicals are concerned. problem is....the initial investment.

Athiril · Oct 23, 2010

I've done as little as holding the film indoors with a typical household light bulb turned on for a few seconds (100w effective tungsten/incandescent), to as much as 30 seconds out in the sunlight (also done several minutes indoors, but thats much less than direct sun

You can radically lower the cost significantly by using parts rather than whole kits.. at least here... can get much more chemicals for lower cost than a C-41 kit or E-6 from Tetenal (~$83 for 1L kit, $176 for 5L kit for E-6, 5L Kodak E-6 single use kit is $162). But I mix and match parts between Kodak and Fuji, and even Agfa, sometimes mix my own bleach and first dev. It radically lowers the cost significantly (for C-41 as well), at least over here, get a lot more for the same cost as a Tetenal kit etc.

Of course, caveat emptor before you do that.

Photo Engineer · Oct 23, 2010

Kodak no longer gives light reversal instructions in any literature. However, if you can find E4, E3 or E2 instructions they give detailed re-exposure procedures that are still valid.

Here is what I found in an E2 pamphlet from about 1955. Expose each side of the film for 5 seconds to the light of a #2 photoflood lamp placed 1 foot from the film. It cautions you to avoid splashing the bulb because it may shatter.

PE

mts · Oct 24, 2010

Instead of a photoflood I use a 150W exterior reflector lamp--the ones designed for use in outdoor fixtures--and use about 30 sec on each side of the Nikkor reel turning it all the time, also 1 foot or less from the lamp. Splashing isn't a problem because these lamps are designed to work in inclement weather. Anyway, the procedure has always worked well for me. I have an outdoor light fixture mounted over the darkroom sink where I process films. I haven't had any shadowing problems by leaving the film in the reel. Bright light bounces all around quite well.

brucemuir · Oct 24, 2010

The Arista E6 kit I used within the last year used a chemical re-exposure step
blix came in 3 parts/bottles

it worked well for me and they just discontinued the Kodak E6 5L Single Use Kits

I haven't teated archival standard but I did but a tape a chrome on my window that receives direct afternoon sun.

It's been there for almost a year and although Im sure there is some fading it's not apparent ? ? ?

David Nardi · Oct 24, 2010

I've been using the Kodak E6 kit in a Jobo Autolab 1000 for 5 years now with splendid results. Worth the effort of mixing 7 chemicals. The 7th is the final rinse.

Tony-S · Jul 7, 2011

Photo Engineer said:
If the Arista kit is 3 solution that means: First Developer, Color Developer, and Blix. I see no place for Stabilzer in there or whatever else can be included for this purpose. If it is absent (IF < please note) then the slides are going to be subject to more rapid fade or discoloring. If the blix is inadequate, then the slides will suffer from a varying degree of retained silver, primarily in highlight areas (MQ silver is harder to blix IIRC) and this will give muddy highlights.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but a search produced it. I'm considering the Arista E6 kit. I also have the Unicolor C-41 kit. It comes with stabilizer, so would that be useful as a fourth step with E-6 films? Or can one make stabilizer if one has Photoflo 2000 and access to formalin?

Photo Engineer · Jul 7, 2011

The E6 stabilzer must contain Formalin in it, or the Formalin must be provided in a pre-bleach step. If you omit this chemical, the film is prone to rapid fading.

PE

Tony-S · Jul 7, 2011

What is the concentration of formaldehyde in stabilizer? If it's just diluted Photoflow 2000 plus formaldehyde, I can make it. TIA.

Photo Engineer · Jul 7, 2011

There have been several formulas, all pretty close and they did vary between C41 and E6 processes.

Here is the range:

Mix Photo Flo 200 as directed.

To 1 L of this add between 3 and 10 ml of Formalin, (37% Formaldehyde in water).

This spans all versions of Formalin Stabilizers used that I know of.

PE

Rick A · Jul 7, 2011

Can I use aquarium grade formalin (37% sol) for this and do I have to use Photoflo or can I use Edwal LFN?

Photo Engineer · Jul 7, 2011

I have no idea. Sorry. I would guess so, but it depends on whether there are other ingredients present.

PE

Tony-S · Feb 16, 2012

Photo Engineer said:
If you cannot follow those instructions then make a stabilizer of about 10 ml of 37% formalin in regular Photo Flo 200 and use that as a final rinse.

Am I correct that this means 10 ml of formalin (which is 37% formaldehyde)?

Photo Engineer · Feb 16, 2012

Tony-S · Feb 16, 2012

Thanks.

Kodak E6 Kit vs Arista E6 kit

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