Publications on pushing C-41 film

[Romanko]

Are there any published recommendations from major C-41 film manufacturers on pushing film? I only managed to find a table of contrast vs. development time for Kodak Aerocolor IV.

https://www.kodak.com/content/pdfs/KODAK-AEROCOLOR-III-Negative-Film-2460-datasheet-en.pdf

The Kodak Portra 800 datasheet includes characteristic curves for normal speed as well as ISO 1600 and 3200 though no details on how to achieve these speeds are given.

 

[Mr Bill]

Hi, have a look at Kodak's pub Z-131, section called "Push-Processing Kodak Professional Portra Films." Page 2-9 is the first reference but looks like the same thing is repeated for each processor type.

Essentially they suggest to increase development time by 30 seconds for a "push 1" and a further 30 seconds for a "push 2."

 

[brbo]

The Kodak Portra 800 datasheet includes characteristic curves for normal speed as well as ISO 1600 and 3200 though no details on how to achieve these speeds are given.

You don't achieve these speeds. You only expose at 1600 or 3200. As for how to achieve push1 or push2, commonly it's what @Mr Bill said.

 

[Romanko]

Hi, have a look at Kodak's pub Z-131, section called "Push-Processing Kodak Professional Portra Films." Page 2-9 is the first reference but looks like the same thing is repeated for each processor type.

Essentially they suggest to increase development time by 30 seconds for a "push 1" and a further 30 seconds for a "push 2."

Thank you @Mr Bill. I did not expect to find it there.

You don't achieve these speeds. You only expose at 1600 or 3200.

This is one of the reasons I wanted to find a reliable source of information on push processing. Z-131 claims:

"
You can push-process PORTRA 400UC Film to an exposure index of 800,
and PORTRA 800 Film to exposure indexes of 1600 and
3200, and produce negatives that yield good-quality prints.
"
To me this suggests that it can be pushed to ISO 1600 and 3200, but they probably meant something along the lines of "set your camera/light meter speed at EI 1600 and 3200 and with a bit of luck your prints will not be complete garbage."

 

[Rudeofus]

To me this suggests that it can be pushed to ISO 1600 and 3200, but they probably meant something along the lines of "set your camera/light meter speed at EI 1600 and 3200 and with a bit of luck your prints will not be complete garbage."

If you meter at any area with EI = ISO speed, then you always know: areas 4 stops darker than that will barely register on my negative. Push development of modern film raises contrast, which means, that areas 2 stops underexposed will likely reach the same density at a 2 stop push than normally exposed areas would have at normal development. But this is achieved by raising contrast, not film sensitivity, i.e. areas 4 stops underexposed will still barely register on film.

If you scene has little overall contrast, i.e. no areas of interest are more than 2 stops darker than the part you use for measurement, then your negatives will "yield good quality prints".

 

[Romanko]

Thank you @Rudeofus. This makes perfect sense. I saw several examples of "pushing" Portra 400 and I would not call the results "good quality images". I assume with a less forgiving film they will be completely unusable.

I wonder if there is any benefit in increasing contrast of underexposed film in a hybrid workflow (scanning the negative) compared to digital post-processing.

 

[Steven Lee]

no details on how to achieve these speeds are given.

Others have already commented on this, e.g. pushing doesn't increase film speed. But you should also be aware that pushing CN film causes color shifts. It's all in the Z-131 document that @Mr Bill mentioned above.

 

[Romanko]

Others have already commented on this, e.g. pushing doesn't increase film speed.

The more I read about push processing the less I like it.

 

[foc]

Personally, I never liked push processed C41. My own opinion always was either, to use the right film ISO/ASA for the situation or rely on the film's exposure latitude.

 

[Fatih Ayoglu]

I have push processed Portra 400, 1 stop and printed few frames. Results were good, yes more contrast and grain but then, if you need to do that and you cannot open your aperture more or slow down the shutter speed, then I think, its good option to have for a sharp image. I would prefer grain, contrast or color shift over less sharp images.

 

[Rudeofus]

I saw several examples of "pushing" Portra 400 and I would not call the results "good quality images". I assume with a less forgiving film they will be completely unusable.

In some cases pushing is all you have. You can not use Portra 3200 instead, because it does exist and never did. Pushing is what made sports photography possible 50 years ago. Yes, the images are very poor in quality compared to what digital cameras give today, but I do like the dramatic look of these old pics.

I wonder if there is any benefit in increasing contrast of underexposed film in a hybrid workflow (scanning the negative) compared to digital post-processing.

There are some old style films like HP5+ with very long toes, which can benefit quite a bit from forced development. Hyperoptimized films like most color films, but also TMAX, Neopan and Delta will benefit a lot less. For this reason alone I would not dare make a general statement about push processing.

There is also a digital inspired trend these days towards much higher image contrast in general. Many people would consider perfect zone system prints bland and lacking punch. This may also be a motivation for push processing, justified or not, and again: image dependent.

 

[foc]

Pushing is what made sports photography possible 50 years ago.

Very few sports photos were in colour, pushed or not, 50 years ago. Most such photos were B&W in the early to mid 1970s

Colour for publication would have been transparency film and I'm not too sure how E4 Ektachrome would have handled, colour wise, being pushed, although Kodak did offer push processing of Ektachrome160 to 400 speed.

IIRC Ektachrome 400 speed (E6) didn't become available until late 1970s

Maybe someone has better information as my memory is not what it used to be.

 

[Rudeofus]

Very few sports photos were in colour, pushed or not, 50 years ago. Most such photos were B&W in the early to mid 1970s

As far as pushing is concerned, the issues with color and modern black&white film are quite similar. It's old, traditional black&white film, which has no peer in color, apparently there was never a market for "old, traditional" color film.

And yes, I had those old black&white sports pictures in mind.

 

[lamerko]

This article mentions what you can expect when pushing/pulling. The article is for ECN-2 films, but the same applies to C-41 films.

 

[foc]

This article mentions what you can expect when pushing/pulling. The article is for ECN-2 films, but the same applies to C-41 films.

Thank you for the link. I think the following sums it up best.

Summary (Push Processing)
Push processing is not recommended as a means to increase photographic speed. Push processing produces contrast mismatches notably in the red and green sensitive layers ( red most) compared to the blue. This produces reddish- yellow highlights, and cyan- blue shadows. Push processing also produces significant increases in film granularity. Push processing combined with under exposure produces a net loss in photographic speed, higher contrast, smoky shadows, yellow highlights and grainy images, with possible slight losses in sharpness.