Scala

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It saw a lot of Scala film in the film depot near my place recently.

Can I process Scala film as a ordinary B&W film and get a negative?

Can I buy some stuff and do the "Scala Process" at home by my selfto get the slide?

-- noodou (noodou@att.net), July 25, 2000

Answers

No and no.

-- Ellis Vener (evphoto@insync.net), July 25, 2000.

Agfa doesn't sell a Scala do-it-yourself kit. In the US, there are three official labs which can process Scala (NYC, Miami, LA). Check the Agfa website for details. In addition, AIM Color (division of A&I in LA) can process Scala in their .dr5 process. They charge a lot for Scala processing. They can also process many different types of B&W negative film into a B&W transparency. I once spoke with Dave Wood about the .dr5 process and Scala. They will commonly do a clip test/process first sheet on Scala and look at the results. If it doesn't look too good, they will process the remainder of the job as a Scala negative. So - although Agfa doesn't sell or position Scala as a B&W negative film, it apparently can be processed via standard chemistry to get a negative. Processing times and chemistry would have to be arrived at via experimentation. Scala is also priced like color transparency film, so it's not clear anyone would desire to use it as a negative film.

-- Larry Huppert (Larry.Huppert@mail.com), July 25, 2000.

Scala is just your basic silver halide emulsion like any other black and white film. Developing it as a negative is quite possible, but you would have to experiment to get a developer/time combination that you like. As far as processing it yourself to produce slides, it can be reverse processed just like any black and white emulsion. In fact that is precisely what Agfa does and what David Woods' .dr5 process does. In short they all develop a negative image, bleach it away, then fog everything that is left and develop it into a positive image. Again, you will have to experiment to get the best developer formulation and times for the first developer. Although, if I were going to go to the bother of working out reversal protocols for Scala at home, I would also consider other films as well. Personally I haven't liked the examples of Scala slides that I have seen. I use TechPan as my main film for reversal. I get slides with much more punch and better tonality than I have ever seen in a Scala slide.

-- Fritz M. Brown (brownf@idhw.state.id.us), July 25, 2000.

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