8mm Forum: Developing Super 8 BW reversal film at home

This is topic Developing Super 8 BW reversal film at home in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=011991

Posted by Diego Martinez Ramos (Member # 6201) on January 01, 2018, 12:48 PM:

Hello, I’m new to this forum so I’m sorry of this has been asked before. I recently got my self into shooting some super 8 films with Kodak Tri-x 7266 BW reversal stock. I was wondering what the developing similarities of this specific film were to those of black and white stil-photography film. Can it be processed at home with special tanks and the same chemical processes?

Thank you in advance and have a happy new year!
Diego

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on January 01, 2018, 01:30 PM:

There were special tanks, made in the USSR by Lomo; they do turn up on Ebay, but expensive. I have never developed cine, but used to regularly develop still film, Ilford FP4 and HP5. Would be nice if someone brought out a reversal film that was as easy to develop.

Posted by Jake Mayes (Member # 3292) on January 02, 2018, 07:44 AM:

You can develop it like any other B and W reversal. If you don't mind some processing marks, you can bunch up all the film carefully into a standard 35mm 2 reel dev tank without the reels but with the centre core, and agitate like a madman, and you will get a good result. Swirling motions ensure all film is covered as its a small space for 50 ft of film.

https://youtu.be/7XD4pzIVHMc <- E6 hand processed by above method.

B&W is easy enough as it won't require the temperature control to the degree E6 does. Some do it in buckets, even. Ensure temperature is 20C at least for good contrast.

Reversal films are easy to develop, a piece of cake once you know the process. For colour, you buy tetenal E6 chemicals at £40 for 2.5L, you can get about 15 S8 cartridges out of this at my testing if you use them to exhaustion. For B&W S8 reversal, the foma reversal kit can be used. You can also push process as required.

I could only afford reversal if i processed my own! It averages out very cheap for me.

Posted by Vincent Donovan (Member # 6257) on January 06, 2018, 12:23 AM:

I regularly develop 8mm and Super8 B&W reversal using the technique in this video. The only difference is I use Ilford's PQ Universal developer (diluted 1:5) rather than Dokumol. It works great! [make sure you have subtitles turned on if you don't speak German]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvGCaZy_kUY

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2