|
Author
|
Topic: 100D - High Grain?
|
Jake Mayes
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 119
From: Bath, UK
Registered: Sep 2012
|
posted November 17, 2012 11:18 AM
Hi guys! I processed yesterday by hand an EKTACHROME 100D cartridge as usual. It was mine and my (now former) housemates final day out we had, in foggy weather as well, got some amazing B/W photos and footage. The footage looks really nice, but i noticed the grain structure is different to what I am used to from 100D, but the same colours i have come to love from 100D. It is grainy.
More than 64T on a good day. I processed it same as usual, (I am sure my temperature was spot on, colour balance was superb)! It is a nice effect that I would like on some films, but on others would ruin them! I need to debug my process used. I set the meter on automatic, then set it to manual and set it to the same place as it was on auto, to stop it changing during filming and causing a light/dark change.
Chemicals were tetenal E-6.
FD time was 6:15 seconds, fresh chemicals were used, at 38C. Agitation is strong, like i usually do.
First wash had some agitation, was 30 seconds.
CD was 6:15, I always add 15 seconds as a rule, CD goes to completion. Agitation is strong, like i usually do. (I use large amounts of agitation as the way the film is coiled up in the tank, to enable fresh chemical to all areas of the film.
Second wash 30 seconds,
Blix: 8 minutes, aerated, Done in room light.
Wash for 15 minutes at 30C, stabiliser for 1 minute, then dry.
My usual process, nothing was different. Maybe the foggy day was playing with the lightmeter a bit? Never seen grain like it. It has not been stored in a fridge for three weeks due to the move, i doubt that is the problem, if it is sensitive to three weeks out of a fridge then that is sensitive....
The grain structure is not obtrusive, and adds to the effect the day being so foggy!
Any ideas as to what might have happened? All i can think of is the change in water quality used to mix the chemicals, some retained silver, or the lightmeter, or me being off in exposure. The meter was set for just off the horizon. Could have caused underexposure when filming the grass where we were.
A really nice pleasing mystical film I have on my hands! I love it, but i would like to reproduce the effect as there are some situations that desire it!
Jacob
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jake Mayes
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 119
From: Bath, UK
Registered: Sep 2012
|
posted November 17, 2012 12:27 PM
I noticed the water here is softer and of much better quality than my previous property. To bill, i have always had a sharp, smooth, crisp result with 100D, although I have always hand-processed it. interesting... Maybe it could be the solvent action of the FD varies between lab formulas, an individual lab's formula used, and water used, i presume a lab would mix with distilled. However, the level of chlorine is high, you can smell it unless you boil and let it stand first, which I did while mixing. I have used a water filter when mixing chemicals before with good results, i might consider using one now, although until I reuse the chemicals with a second film I have no way of telling.
The look really suited the day, but when i saw the grain i was shocked as with 100D is have noticed its lack of grain as opposed to other stocks. And the grain was not the grain typical of VNF stocks (different colours on visible grains), nor the 64T grain of the appropriate colour, it was blackish grain, although it was most noticeable in the highlight areas, not in the shadow areas. The foggy day really added to effect, it was such a beautiful day, the B/W photos i took of the horizon and developed tonight have me in awe as much as the scene itself. We were on the outskirts of Bath and the suburb where we had lived, and the foggy horizon was so beautiful. Some of the movie is us in the suburbs before we got there, the grain was more noticeable when we got to the rural area part of the movie (the latter 2/3rds).
As i home process I do not run control-strips, rather test-strips when required, control strips cost! I plan to shoot a test strip to see what the heck happened. The grain completed the movie to me, despite the size and how noticeable it was. I will shoot a test over the next week, I am still in the process of moving so last night and tonight is my first processing sessions for weeks! I will shoot 30 seconds of test under similar settings, then adjust the exposed by +/- 0.5, and develop the same.
What a riddle it is!
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
