Has anybody any experience of processing XP2 or Kodak T400 films in E6 reversal chemistry. I am looking for a cheaper way to produce B&W transpariences than using Scala. Any info or comments would be welcome. Chris Moyse

-- Chris Moyse (chris@cmoyse.freeserve.co.uk), February 15, 2000

Answers

i remember seeing someone on here mention that he tried this recently, with what he described as terrible results.

-- brad daly (bwdaly@scott.net), February 16, 2000.

E6 is a definite "no,no" for B&W reversal. All the silver is bleached away, with the intention of leaving only the coloured dye image, and since B&W film ain't got no dye image, you're left with nothin'.

I used to make copy slides by laying the body of an SLR on the enlarger baseboard, focussing via waist-level finder, (i.e. with the prism off). After a bit of experimentation to find the exposure time, it was a fairly easy thing to do, and allowed a bit of cropping as well.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), February 16, 2000.

Ammendment to the above. Of course, XP2 is chromogenic, but the dye coupler is geared towards C41 chemistry, I'm not convinced it would work in E6.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), February 16, 2000.

While we're on the subject of slides from chromogenic B&W, I recently received a Dale Labs mailer for free C-41 processing, 4x6 prints, and slides. I understand that the slides are corrected (or incorrected, as the case may be) for exposure and color, like prints are. Has anyone used this service for T400CN? I'm curious about what color casts are likely to occur on the slides.

-- Matthew Hunt (mph@astro.caltech.edu), February 16, 2000.

Yes, I've done XP2 in E6 chemistry. The result was a very contrasty piece of film that was blue/cyan in color. Of course I did not get the color crossovers and strange renditions that would have occured with color negative film processed in this manner. I saw no reason to experiment further. This is probably NOT a good way to get B&W transparencies.

-- Henry Ambrose (digphoto@nashville.net), February 16, 2000.

there's a lab in LA called aimcolor (http://www.aimcolor.com) that will do b-w transparencies from regular b-w film. at $14.00 per roll, it seems expensive to me.

i think kodak has a kit with which you can process tmx-100 into transparencies. polaroid also has some kind of positive-negative 35mm kit with which you get a positive and a negative, i think.

perhaps someone more familiar with this stuff than i knows exactly what i'm talking about.

-- brad daly (bwdaly@scott.net), February 18, 2000.

well, as far as the polaroid goes: they make some 'INSTANT' slide films, a few versions of color (high contrast, etc.) and a few black and white as well. you have to process them yourself, which it isnt really a problem if you have one of their machines (i belive the chemicals are acutally contained in the film itself). you can find a "polaroid processor" on ebay for under 30 bucks. the film (called "polapan" costs about 15-17 per roll (?). i hear they yield sastifactory results, but yet have to try it. well, good luck. Jerry

-- Jerry (hazard01@earthlink.net), February 19, 2000.

Dear Sirs, I whish I could take profit out of your wonderful pages on B-W photography asking about something concerning the possibility of developing XP2 and HP5 with a same developer without loosing too much in terms of grain and general quality of image. If I use C41 process with normal films , as HP5, what will happen exactly on the final result?

Thanks a lot for your kind attention.

-- emilio locatelli (emilius.l@libero.it), February 24, 2000.