120 Velvia processing

[Lee Metcalfe]

Hi all..
I'm thinking of starting to do my own processing but wondered if it's more hassle than its worth, and should I leave it to the professional lab...
Any thoughts welcome especially if your already processing your own film..
Many thanks
Lee

 

[John Allen]

I'm thinking of doing the same. At least, for b&w. Color is a bit more temperature sensitive, so I'm less sure about doing that. Are you getting the developing and scanning done now or are you doing your own scanning?

 

[Lee Metcalfe]

Hi John..
No not gone any scanned yet, getting a scanner soon. I get my film done at Digitalab in Newcastle. They charge £18 a scan so I'll wait till I get my scanner to start scanning.
Yes this is what I've read about the temperature is crucial for positive film and this what concerns me.. Its certainly cheaper developing your self, a £45 2.5 litre kit will process 30 120 rolls..

 

[John Allen]

It's been a long while since I did any developing. There was a time when I had a darkroom and did both developing and prints. I don't really see much sense in doing prints anymore, so I'm thinking of getting a tank and a few other things plus chemicals to start doing my own in the kitchen sink. I've done the process enough times that it should be really easy to get back into it. My one worry is dust. We've got a lot of dust here. I have a thought that a plastic garment bag with some strategically placed holes might work out well for drying while keeping the dust to a minimum.

 

[John Allen]

There are other people on here who do their own developing now. One or more of them will probably have some suggestions.

 

[Pete Askew]

To develop E-6 you do need good temperature control and good consistency. It might be worth looking at a Jobo processor. C41 is a bit more forgiving.

 

[Lee Metcalfe]

Thanks Pete.. I'll look into that

 

[Ian Grant]

I began slide processing with Ferrania around 1972, it was an awful process every step critical. I moved on to E3/4 that was easy and then E6.

E6 basically only has one critical step the First developer that needs tight time/temperature control, other steps are to completion and slight temperature/time variations have no adverse effects. I was processing E6 very regularly, at least twice a week, from it's introduction until the late 1990's and just used a regular Paterson tank for 35mm & 120 and a Jobo 2000 (inversion tank) forv 5x4.

You don't need a Jobo processor just a bowl of water to keep the Processing tank at the right temperature, I used a 2nd bowl to keep the rest of the chemistry at the right temperature. Of course if you have a Jobo processor it's easier but definitely not essential. In the 20+ years I processed E4 then E6 films I never had a processing issue.

Ian

 

[Lee Metcalfe]

Hi Ian.
Thanks for your reply.
Lee

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks , Ian. I have never processed E6 outside of a machine (ATL1000/1500) and that is interesting information. We used it a lot for micrographs but switched to print film in the 90s and then digital for colour.

 

[Ian Grant]

I used to buy most of my 35mm slide film from Barfen (AW Young etc) in the UK, first E4 (processed E3) then E6 in 100ft/30m rolls, It was actually Fujichrome 100 which could be seen on the edge markings. I also used 400 ASA films and pushed them to 1600 for concerts until Kodak and Fuji released special push process high speed films. Later I bought bulk rolls of Fujichrome 50.

I'd be shooting bands live maybe 1 or 2 times a week so did a multi film E6 process for push processing and a similar push process C41 for XP1/2. so many hundreds of films over the years just in regular Paterson tanks.

Ian