Processing color film in B&W chemicals???

stradibarrius · Jan 9, 2011

I the Gallery this morning I saw two images posted by John Meadows "Kodachrome64 in Rodinal". I thought the results were very nice.
Can color film just be processed in B&W chemistry like it was B&W film????

Pinholemaster · Jan 9, 2011

Yes, but each type of color film will require different development times just like different B&W film. You should test for best results.

Remember, when you photograph using color film, you are actually shooting B&W. The color is added later in the development process.

Color film has three layers of B&W emulsion, each sensitive to different parts of the spectrum (to say it simplistically — since all three layers are sensitive to the blue spectrum, thus the reason for the yellow filter built-in to the emulsion to separate the red and green layers from the blue).

Shoot, develop, and have fun to your hearts content.

stradibarrius · Jan 9, 2011

Is there a good reason to do this or would you do it if you only had B&W chemistry?

Steve Smith · Jan 9, 2011

With Kodachrome it's the only way to do it now.

Steve.

Ottrdaemmerung · Jan 9, 2011

I've heard reports of people developing K-14 process Kodachrome in B&W chemistry and getting good results, once the carbon remjet backing is stripped off. Threads exist elsewhere here on APUG describing how to do this. I tried a roll of old K-12 process this way and it was a complete failure, but your mileage may vary.

Using B&W chemistry on color C-41 print film works but leaves the heavy orange mask intact, so it is difficult to print or scan through, though it can be done. Since processing your own C-41 is rather easy, I'd personally recommend souping C-41 in B&W chemicals only if you're in a bind and have no other option.

stradibarrius · Jan 9, 2011

Is this process something that is done out of desperation or are there artistic reasons to do it? I have never really thought about this before and the obvious question is "why not just use B&W film"?

removed account4 · Jan 9, 2011

hi barry

i have done this mainly because the labs near me
have all closed down, so i have no place left to process anything bigger than 35mm.
i don't want to ship all my 120 or 4x5 or 5x7 sheet film all over the country to have it processed for 4$/sheet of 4x5
so i have started to do it myself in coffee ... and the grain is smooth and beautiful when processed this way ...

the BIG downside is there is a dye layer ( yellow for chromes, and blue for cn ) on the film
that is difficult to print through, so the film ends up being useless, unless you are a wizard
or do some sort of "hybridization" to it ...

like with everything YMMV

stradibarrius · Jan 9, 2011

Well...I guess I'll just have to give it a try for myself and see. I have noticed on Flicker, that some people are getting a look almost like split toning...

markbarendt · Jan 9, 2011

stradibarrius said:
Is there a good reason to do this or would you do it if you only had B&W chemistry?

I'd only do it if I had no choice.

stradibarrius · Jan 9, 2011

That makes sense to me. I didn't know if there were some wonderful results and that was why people did it.

Paul Verizzo · Jan 10, 2011

I'm going to try the opposite in the next few days: B&W in C-41 developer, then stop and fix. Why? I'm mostly curious to see what happens with the (insert proper long technical name here) developing agent that has long been known to be inherently very fine grain.

I have lots of B&W doing nothing, so it's just a fun/curiosity thing.

Processing color film in B&W chemicals???

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency