8mm Forum: Home Processing Super8 / 64T

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Posted by Ian Kemp (Member # 548) on October 19, 2007, 01:19 PM:

Hi,

Ian here - although my nickname is 'Ric' [Smile]

i am in the throes of home-developing some Sup8 Tri-X b/w in the trusty Lomo tank; but what about 64T please - ? Photographic bleach is either non-existent in the UK or on the Official Secrets List, as far as stockists are concerned? Even Kodak are stubbornly silent over the issue, even though they themselves apparently manufacture a photo bleach called "R-10", but enquire after it and you may as well shout down a bottomless well, expecting a reply?

Albeit, do i really need a bleach, since my precious celluloid is invariably (self) transferred to dv, so that my friends can also enjoy my adentures with a film camera? Can i not develop the 64T as a negative, without bleaching it, then invert the tones digitally?

Many thanks,

R

Posted by John Whittle (Member # 22) on October 19, 2007, 02:38 PM:

Well you can't develop a reversal color film as a negative without the bleach, in fact you can't develope a color negative with the bleach. What happens is the bleach really turns all the silver back to a silver halide and then when it's passed into the fixer it removes the silver from the film. If you wanted a negative you'd skip the MQ or the first developer which is a black and white developer.

Are there still any Ektachrome processing kits available? If so that would be the way to go. Alternatively the formulas are available in the processing manuals. I think you can find those in the profesional lab area of the Kodak website, but it's been some time since I looked.

This is a bit of an adventure, I did home processing of Ansochrome 8mm stuff back when I was a kid and it took about 45 minutes to complete all the wet steps at 70 degrees.

John

Posted by Bart Smith (Member # 780) on October 19, 2007, 03:00 PM:

If you're anywhere near London the no.w.here lab in West Hampstead are running a one day Super 8 course on the 23rd of November. It includes hand processing 64T.

I reckon you would get more answers to your question if you were to post on www.filmshooting.com.

Most of the people I come across who try to do colour reversal in a Lomo tank seem to come to the conclusion that it's just not worth the bother compared to the relatively cheap cost of getting a commercial outfit to do it. Factor in the cost of the chemistry, the hassle of keeping the temp relatively constant, and the TIME involved (John Whittle mentions 45 mins above), and you may well come to the conclusion that life is too short.

Give the guys & girls at no.w.here a go. I'm not directly affiliated with them, but they are an interesting bunch to go and visit. A couple of people I know have done the same course and they enjoyed it very much, although both of them are now adamant that they will never try and home develop 64t again!

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on October 19, 2007, 04:52 PM:

The first and second developers are the critical part in the colour process. The bleach or Bleach/fix basically go to completion so temp and time are not so critical.

John is correct in that all you need to find is an E6 Chemistry kit.

The one sold in the UK by Silver print (Tetenol) is still available:

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/chem20.html

Kev.

Posted by Bart Smith (Member # 780) on October 20, 2007, 01:42 AM:

You can find detailed instructions if you follow this link. Scroll down the page a bit.

http://www.super8camera.com/processing.php

Posted by Ian Kemp (Member # 548) on October 20, 2007, 05:47 PM:

wow - this is the only forum to come up trumps! [Smile]

i think i will compromise, having gone through all the twists and turns required to land a Lomo tank: start out with b/w home processing then gingerly put one reel of 64T aside for home development, in any one project

very good news about the E6 kit - with thanks!

i have attended a no.w.here course in the past - it was brilliant, but there is quite a leap between watching the development process and doing it yourself: i am itching to home-develop some Tri-X i just filmed

will update - thanks to all!

Ric / Ian K

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