Suggested replacement for Kodak E6 kit

R Paul · Dec 17, 2010

no I never published a list of what chemicals I picked up, but it's not a bad idaea so here goes;
Kodak dev starter ll cat no. 185 8158

Kodak e-6 color dev part B cat no.837 2542

Kodak e-6 color dev part A cat no.837 2542

these are 10 liter size

Kodak e-6 first dev replenisher cat no.100 7608
makes 19 liters

Kodak first dev starter cat no. 167 1577

2x Kodak reversal bath & replenisher
ten liter size cat no 112 3611

2x Kodak pre bleach & replenisher
ten liter size cat no 128 6228

Kodak e-6 fixer & replenisher
19 liter size cat no 127 8019

That's the stuff I got
hope it helps
rob

brianmquinn · Dec 29, 2010

At one point I hear that The Photographers Formulary was repacking Kodak C-41 chemistry into smaller sizes. Perhaps they will do the same for E-6 if there are enough requests to do so. I am not in the market to buy such kits now as I send my E-6 to the lab. But if any of you are contact PF and see what they say.

eyeintheworld · Apr 11, 2011

Preparing small batches of E-6 chemistry

So count another frustrated home E6 developer. I just will never get over the thrill of looking at medium and large format transparency film on a lightbox--files on a computer screen just aren't the same.

Here's some helpful information from Kodak's publications, you really have to look, though.

from Kodak pub J-83, page 8:

If you use the one-gallon-size chemicals, mix the solutions for rotary-tube processors according to the instructions packaged with the chemicals. No starter is required for the first developer, color developer, or bleach. Use the reversal bath at 60 percent of the normal concentration (i.e., dilute the concentrate to make 1.6 gallons).

So 1 gal kits don't need any starter. Does this mean that larger bottles mixed as batches smaller than 1 gal also don't need starters? Of course, you'd need a way to preserve and store the extra chemicals, particularly the first and color developers, which are very prone to oxidation.

Mixing quantities we can find here, in CIS-49, Preparing Smaller-Than-Package-Size Amounts of KODAK Processing Chemicals, page 3, which gives amounts for mixing 1L batches. The 5 liter kit recommended mixing a minimum of 250ml at a time.

tnabbott · Apr 11, 2011

R Paul said:
no I never published a list of what chemicals I picked up, but it's not a bad idaea so here goes;
Kodak dev starter ll cat no. 185 8158

Kodak e-6 color dev part B cat no.837 2542

Kodak e-6 color dev part A cat no.837 2542

these are 10 liter size

Kodak e-6 first dev replenisher cat no.100 7608
makes 19 liters

Kodak first dev starter cat no. 167 1577

2x Kodak reversal bath & replenisher
ten liter size cat no 112 3611

2x Kodak pre bleach & replenisher
ten liter size cat no 128 6228

Kodak e-6 fixer & replenisher
19 liter size cat no 127 8019

That's the stuff I got
hope it helps
rob

Thanks Rob. Where do you get these from?

Sean Molin · Apr 16, 2011

So... what are recommendations for E-6 chemistry for home-use? I'm in the United States. I can't find anyone selling Tetenal kits online. The only ones I've found are the Arista kits, but no one can confirm if it has a stabilizer.

Damn you, Kodak. I'm *just* starting E-6 and I will never know the joys of your 5L kit.

brucemuir · Apr 16, 2011

Sean,
do you mean no one has confirmed the presence of a formalin type bug/funji killer?

The arista kit has a Final Rinse but I think this is mostly a photoflo type step.
I got great results with the Arista E6 kit and you can stretch the capacities more than what is indicated in the product description.

Maybe I'll email marv at Freestyle because he has always been very helpful in the past.

Vonder · Apr 16, 2011

A few years ago I bought a 5L Kodak kit and some 5L jugs. It's sat in a basement closet ever since. I bought it for "Doomsday" which may or may not come - when E-6 is no longer made - and when it does, I only hope the film and chemicals are still in good enough shape to work. I have used the Tetenal kit and sleeved, unmounted slides from 5+ years ago still look great. This is Provia 100:

Sean Molin · Apr 16, 2011

brucemuir said:
Sean,
do you mean no one has confirmed the presence of a formalin type bug/funji killer?

From everything I've ready, I haven't seen any confirmation on a formalin-esque stabilizer... but I've seen others ask.

If you've got someone you've dealt with, definitely ask them!

Lamar · Apr 16, 2011

Just Purchased Arista Kit

I'm on my last Kodak 5L E6 Kit now and have not been able to find another one anywhere in the US, either online or at retail stores in Georgia. I also looked for the Tetenal kit online but all I saw were "Discontinued" or "No Longer In Stock" notices so I just purchased an Arista kit from Freestyle. When it gets here I'll let you know what it has in it.

Sean Molin said:
So... what are recommendations for E-6 chemistry for home-use? I'm in the United States. I can't find anyone selling Tetenal kits online. The only ones I've found are the Arista kits, but no one can confirm if it has a stabilizer.

Damn you, Kodak. I'm *just* starting E-6 and I will never know the joys of your 5L kit.

Sean Molin · Apr 16, 2011

I haven't heard *anything* bad about the Arista kits, and you can get them in 1 pint, 1 quart, or 1 gallon (which is 3.7L, so not too far off from the popular kits) sizes... I just am curious as to if I need to buy formalin as an extra.

I wonder if not having any 5L kits has to do with shipping regulations in the US.

wildbill · Apr 17, 2011

It has been stated here (apug) multiple times why 3 bath kits aren't ideal for archival processing. There's a reason why it's called e-6 damn it. I've used the arista kit too but i'd much rather use separate bleach and fix if it's better in he long run. You haven't heard anything wrong with arista processed film but has anyone tested the film to see if it meets e-6 standards over long term storage? While it'll work, 3 bath kits aren't a replacement for 6 bath kits.

Vonder · Apr 17, 2011

It really doesn't matter what's best any more. We're left with what's available. Archival died with Kodachrome. Great E6 film left the building when Astia bit the dust. While nobody claims the 3-bath kits will produce slides that last a centurty, does it really matter since the capture, the image, can be scanned and saved, or printed archivally? Shoot some film, develop it, enjoy the day.

Roger Cole · Apr 17, 2011

I just yesterday dug out some E-6 slides I shot in the 80s and processed in three bath Unicolor chemistry. They still look great. Of course I don't have the originals to compare and they could fade a fair amount and still look great but I think three bath E6 is quite good enough.

Sean Molin · Apr 17, 2011

This still doesn't answer if the Arista kits have a stabilizer. And yes, I scan everything immediately so okay with them not lasting a century... but 10 years would be nice.

Diapositivo · Apr 18, 2011

IIRC the problem with blix is not long-term slide preservation, which is fine. The problem is that a blix slightly lessens contrast and saturation, and slightly enhances grain. If developing results are satisfying with a blix kit, it can be used without problems. The problem is that results are supposed to be, up to a certain extent, "suboptimal".

This according to what I remember reading on APUG (PE mainly).

I can easily find a 6-bath kit but if I weren't able to find one I would use a "blix" kit without reservations.

Fabrizio

EDIT: I just found just this warning in the Jobo website:
Both Kodak and Fuji do not recommend processing Lumiere, Elite, Velvia, Sensia, Provia and other tabular grain-type films in any three-step E-6 type chemicals. For these films, or any critical work, JOBO recommends using the six-step E-6 process (see above). For some amateurs and small volume professional photo processors, the three-step chemical may produce acceptable results. However, the color balance may not be optimal, and the complete clearing of residual silver in the film may take longer in the bleach-fix step than the recommended times.

Usagi · Apr 18, 2011

Ouch! Just finished kodak's sigle use e-6 kit and ordered tetenal's 3 step for replacement.

I wasn't aware of grain issues.

Sean Molin · Apr 19, 2011

Okay, here's a flat out question I'd like a flat out answer for:

Being in the US, what are the available E6 kits I have access to, and from where? I'd optimally like a full 6-bath, and I'd like to not have to buy gallons of each at a time...but god, I'd take anything right now. The Arista 3-bath kits are the ONLY thing I can find.

Roger Cole · Apr 20, 2011

I was thinking, and I believe my previous post was in error. I did find 1980s slides, but I'm pretty sure those were six step. The three step came out later. I did use three bath, though. I'm not sure if it may be different for more recent films but I recall when the three bath stuff came out a friend who ran a lab at the time tried it in comparison to the six bath and actually preferred (slightly) the color from the three bath.

Lamar · Apr 20, 2011

Instructions For The Arista Rapid E6 With Chemical Information

Just got the Arista E6 kit in. This is all it says about the chemicals in the BLIX:

BLIX PART A
Contains: Ammonium Thiosulfate
BLIX PART B
Contains: (Ethylenedinitrillo) tetraacetic acid EDTA

N467RX · Apr 22, 2011

Is there a way to obtain the Tetenal E-6 kit in the US?

amuderick · Apr 23, 2011

I got mine here:
Webb Cam LLC
241 North 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-1722
(215) 923-8380
webbcam.net‎

Oddly, I was harassed by the owner about buying the kit and was told to get a digital camera. Super weird...since he probably makes more money off the kit every few months than he would selling me a digicam.

belichten · Apr 23, 2011

Tetenal sells a "stabilzer" which includes formaldehyde, but since I live in the EU i can't tell if this is available in the US.

i tried to find a datasheet for the contents but couldn't.
maybe this helps.

AlbertZeroK · Apr 24, 2011

N467RX said:
Is there a way to obtain the Tetenal E-6 kit in the US?

You can get it shipped from overseas, someone sells it on ebay, it's EXPENSIVE though about $150-200 shipped. The cheapest 6 bath set up is about $600-700. The only other alternative is the Unicolor 3 bath kit, also known as the artisan kit available from freestylephoto.biz

There are no other options in the US.

Personally, I picked up new cubes of fuji chemicals from a lab that locally stopped developing film for dirt cheap ($50 / cube.)

N467RX · Apr 24, 2011

AlbertZeroK said:
You can get it shipped from overseas, someone sells it on ebay, it's EXPENSIVE though about $150-200 shipped. The cheapest 6 bath set up is about $600-700. The only other alternative is the Unicolor 3 bath kit, also known as the artisan kit available from freestylephoto.biz

There are no other options in the US.

Personally, I picked up new cubes of fuji chemicals from a lab that locally stopped developing film for dirt cheap ($50 / cube.)

Nevermind. I'll stick to the Arista 3 bath kit then.

SkipA · Apr 25, 2011

Ian Mazursky posted a link in a thread on another forum to his site where he has a spreadsheet that lists all the Kodak EAR6 and E6 10 Liter component CAT numbers, as well as corrected dilution instructions for making working solutions from them. Ian said that the Kodak CIS49 publication instructions for "Preparing Smaller-Than-Package-Size Amounts of KODAK Processing Chemicals" are incorrect for the EAR6 and 10 Liter components. Kodak reportedly confirmed that, and they indicated that they planned to update the document. Ian built his spreadsheet with the help of Kodak to get the corrected dilutions.

Downloads page at Ian's site: PrePress for Photographers - Downloads

Ian's spreadsheet: Splitting Kodak E-6 Chemicals xlsx

If you are interested in using the 10L or EAR6 components to make your working solutions from, you may find Ian's spreadsheet helpful.

Here are all of Kodak's Z-119 Process E-6 manuals.

Suggested replacement for Kodak E6 kit

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency