Slide film in RA4

[darkosaric]

Hi all,

last weekend I developed couple of films for my lomography friends. Since they are open to unusual results - and I had only RA4 chemistry - we used this. In Jobo 2000 tank I put three C41 films and one slide film. C41 films developed ok, but slide was totally dark, so sign of picture at all. I know people cross process slides in C41 chemicals, so i was expecting something from RA4 as well. Slide film was old, and they told me that they are not sure was the camera working at all - so that is why I am asking: did anybody tried slide films in RA4?

Thanks,

 

[Daire Quinlan]

If you got something off the C-41 films I'm surprised you didn't get SOME sort of image from the E6 films. I'm assuming that you're cross-crossing the slide though i.e. you're developing as a negative in RA4 chems. In that case if it's completely dark it'd imply that the entire film has been fogged at some point. Any edge markings evident ?

 

[darkosaric]

I was surprised as well. No edge markings on slide at all - totally looks like it was not touched by chemicals.
C41 films looking ok - beside color offset that will be for sure visible in scanning/printing - no difference from normal lab developing.

 

[polyglot]

By "completely dark", does it have the black look of processed/unexposed slide film, or is it a more of a milky-dark of unprocessed film?

If it was black, that probably means that the colour couplers worked and you got dyes in the film. Given that it was all black and you processed it as a neg, is there any chance the slide film was fogged?

 

[Daire Quinlan]

just to clarify, when you say 'totally dark' do you mean that the roll of slide was completely transparent ? Or that it was almost completely opaque ? The former would suggest that it got fixed before developed or something, the latter would suggest that the entire roll of film had been exposed at some point and completely fogged.

 

[darkosaric]

Sorry for not being precise: it is more of a milky-dark of unprocessed film.

 

[Daire Quinlan]

Sorry for not being precise: it is more of a milky-dark of unprocessed film.

I'd leave it to dry before deciding though, slide can often look a bit weird when you take it out of the tank first. I often think I haven't fixed it long enough when I take it out, and then by the time it dries off for a few hours it appears normal.

 

[Rudeofus]

What were the dev parameters you used for developing your slides? Temperature, dev times ...

I have made the observation that E6 film needs very potent developers: E6 FD at normal working strength would develop B&W film in a few seconds at room temperature, and E6 CD is more concentrated than RA4 CD and at pH 12 instead of 10. In the same fashion, RA4 BLIX is more dilute than E6 BLIX. If you used normal RA4 times, I am not surprised about your results.

As a first step, you may want to greatly increase dev and BLIX times, and do operate at 38°C.

 

[darkosaric]

What were the dev parameters you used for developing your slides? Temperature, dev times ...

I have made the observation that E6 film needs very potent developers: E6 FD at normal working strength would develop B&W film in a few seconds at room temperature, and E6 CD is more concentrated than RA4 CD and at pH 12 instead of 10. In the same fashion, RA4 BLIX is more dilute than E6 BLIX. If you used normal RA4 times, I am not surprised about your results.

As a first step, you may want to greatly increase dev and BLIX times, and do operate at 38°C.

Temperature was around 30-35°C , developing time was around 7-8 minutes. This is good info - next time I will try slide only (not mix color negative and slides), and try longer developer time with 38°C.

 

[Rudeofus]

Temperature was around 30-35°C , developing time was around 7-8 minutes. This is good info - next time I will try slide only (not mix color negative and slides), and try longer developer time with 38°C.

My recommendation is you use fully exposed test clips and check, how long you need to develop for full density. For starters, you will need about 7-10 times as much development as you need with B&W film.

 

[polyglot]

I can't speak to development, but RA4 blix is really really weak. You could try running it through some proper C41 bleach/fix to see if that clears it and maybe reveals an undeveloped image?

 

[darkosaric]

I can't speak to development, but RA4 blix is really really weak. You could try running it through some proper C41 bleach/fix to see if that clears it and maybe reveals an undeveloped image?

Next time I will try it (right now I don't have c41 blix). Thanks.