Home Processing Question...

[supa_ate_sixteen]

Hey,

I know this topic has been chatted about a lot here but I couldn't find anything in the search engine. So I'm using a G3 tank with the following instructions. Please refer to processing procedure quoted from http://www.super8filmmaking.com/s8proc.htm below:

Tri-X Reversal 7278 or Plus-X Reversal 7276, use the following processing steps:

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SOLUTION and suggested NUMBER OF WINDS AT 68F (20C):
FIRST DEVELOPER: 12 (Or 8 at 80F -- This is the most critical step. Decrease number if fully processed films are consistently too light; increase if too dark.)
RINSE: 4 (change water each time)
BLEACH: 10 (8 at 80F)
CLEARING BATH: 8 (6 at 80F)

Now remove cover of tank, add water, and re-expose film under a bright 200 to 500 watt light or in sunlight for two to three complete winds.
Cover tank and continue:

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Okay so I followed the above and when it came to re-exposure time I saw blotch patters throughout the emulsion. I'm thinking maybe I'm winding to fast? I do believe I overexposed the film a bit by using the first dev for too long and got poor results. I'm just curios if these steps are correct with your experience.

Andi if you want to maybe go over the rest...

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SECOND DEVELOPER: 8 (6 at 80F)

You may now rinse film (5 winds running water) and dry, OR if you want to harden emulsion and make film less prone to scratches (recommended if the film is expectd to have heavy usage) add the following steps:

RAPID FIXER: 2
RINSE: 2
HYPO CLEARING AGENT: 2
RINSE: 5 (running water)
PHOTO-FLO (optional):2

======================

I'm just trying to get this thing down with consistent results really. I've gotten good, and I've gotten teribble. I just don't want to try home processing in a serious project unless I know I will get a usable image.

THANKS FOR ANY INPUT

[supa_ate_sixteen]

Most importantly I'm just wondering if the solution order is correct. It says to do first Dev. then rinse and then bleach. I'm thinking for some strange reason you need to do the fixer before re-exposure. C'mon I know one of you know this basic B/W reversal processing stuff.
:roll:

[S8 Booster]

Don´t know if these linx may help you but there are some info on processing there.

TRI-X:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/produ ... l#reversal
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/produ ... l#negative

PLUS-X
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/produ ... 7276.shtml

[Chris-B]

Hello,
Are you sure you had the film on the reel emulsion side out?
Also what might help out is to wet the film before you start, give it two winds in water before the first developer, I always do this before I develop any film with any method. You could try giving the film a longer re-exposer time, it is almost impossible to over re-expose try 5winds.
The only other thing I saw was the fix time seemed to short I would give it about 4 winds (but if your film is fixing properly then just carry on the way you have been).

I think you’ll just need to find out what best works for you. You will probably find many different times and methods all over the net for G3 processing of B&W. The Widescreen Centre in London does a kit designed to process Plus-X and Tri-X in the G3 tank and it comes will full detailed instructions, you could always try their kit it will process 6 to 8 cartridges. There site is http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/ there might be a US site that does a similar thing I know http://www.vgaction.com/motionpicture.html do the T-Max direct positive kit. Did you make the chemicals up yourself or buy a kit?

I don’t know if this will be any help to you, but I sure someone else on this board will have more suggestions. Good luck,
Chris.

[supa_ate_sixteen]

Hi there,

thanks for the replies. Yes, I am using the TMAX dev kit that came from Action camera (one of the links on the list) I did do pre-rinse. I will try once again and record my results. any more suggestions appreciated.

[mattias]

You could try giving the film a longer re-exposer time, it is almost impossible to over re-expose

just curious. is it really just "almost" impossible? seems like the more exposure the better d-max, and that's it. even exposing for a million years won't create any more silver than what's already in there? the gamma has already been fixed by the first developer, right? or is there some other photo chemical process i'm forgetting about?

/matt

[Chris-B]

Hi Matt,
When I wrote almost impossible I was referring to drying out the film during the re-exposer. Sorry, I should have been more clear on that.

The way I do processing at the moment is by just using a 4 film stills tank because I can get the film developed really quick (about 11mins in total for neg and about 20 for reversal, that doesn't include drying). I just lift the big ball of film out to re-expose so there is a real danger of the film drying out. But I guess that the way supa_ate_sixteen would be doing it in the G3 would be to fill the tank with water take the lid off it and do it that way, unless it’s one with the little side window to shine through.
Sorry again if I have confused the issue.

It would be great if supa_ate_sixteen could let us know how the processing worked out and how the problems were overcome.

Chris.

[Guest]

Hi supa_ate_sixteen,
I think I have found the solution to your problem. Looking at you processing steps it seems you are not doing a rinse between the bleach and the clearing bath. This can lead to stains on the film.

The leaflet title “Instructions for Processing Super-8 Black & White Film in the Doran G3 Tank” has a wash step of 5 winds/minutes after the bleach. After the bleach step is a wash step, quote “Wash - This must be thorough to avoid stains on the film.” Maybe this will help the blotch patters that you mentioned.

You also mentioned that you might overexposed the film in the first developer. I find that if on re-exposer the highlights are clear or nearly almost clear, that the first developer was ok.

If you give it longer in the second developer you will get a darker image. So if you think you might have over done the first one extent the second by a couple of winds/minutes.
I hope this is of some use to you and let me know how it turns out,
Chris.

[supa_ate_sixteen]

Hello everyone and thanks for your gracious comments. I also used to develop my film in one of those larger four film cansisters, actually with better results than I'm getting with the G3. I will try the wash step mentioned after the bleach and post my results here.

Now the real trick is has anyone tried to "cross-process" their reversal for negative? I've heard some talk about someone processing K40 as B/W but what about ektachrome or maybe even the Velvia Barry is selling?

Thanks again, I love this place!

[supa_ate_sixteen]

Okay so I developed yet another roll with yet again terrible and ever so strange results. Heres what I did:

I figured I would use my old method of just bunching my film into a pasta ball and then placing it inside a steel processing container used for 35mm still development. This method is much faster than the many winds needed back and forth in the G3 tank.

First, I used an old Super 8 film that I shot about 3-6 months ago. Film was stored in a cool dry place.

Second, I used the same chemicals I used from last week which were brand new at the time. I remixed the bleach, but used the same developers and clearing bath which were stored in tightly closed bottles left in a cool dry place, but warmed up before use.

Heres what I observed. After the clearing bath, the solution from the clearing bath became extremely dark, as if the emulsion had just oozed from the film and into the solution. When it came to re-exposure, I noticed the film was a yellowish brown. I also noticed if I just rubbed my fingernail lightly across the film, the emulsion would scrape right off with ease. After using the second developer, I opened the container and the color of the film returned to to a normal B/W reversal. Unfortunately, only about 2-5 feet scattered through the roll had an image on it. All the rest seemed to have been rinsed or scratched away in the development process.

Now I'm a little frustrated with this because I have NEVER been able to get consistent results (not even bad consistent results). So can someone explain this emulsion and the clearing bath for me? Are my chemicals already bad? Was my film left unprocessed for too long? Where there is an image on the film, it looks great! Blacks were black, and the whites were fine too. Its just too bad that I can only count about 20 or so frames out of the whole roll!

Confused in California...

[supa_ate_sixteen]

Wow, talking to myself is starting to get fun... So I let the film dry and now the emulsion doesn't scrape right off like it did before. I guess this is just simple logic. But anyway, I just want to know if someone can explain why the clearing bath removed so much of the emulsion. How do I prevent the emulsion from melting off the film at all? Does this happen due to harshe agitation? I was shaking that little steel container pretty good.

[supa_ate_sixteen]

Developed another roll. This time no agitation to the film. Results were better, but still much of the film is rinsed away through the chemical process. I'm wondering if either my chemicals were not mixed properly, the method of using a steel processing canister and not the G3, or just having the chemicals too hot is to blame. Also getting splotchy results in development but I think that just might be because of the canister and places where the film is not making good contact.

Who here is actually getting good results in home processing anyways?

[supa_ate_sixteen]

I guess no one? :? ?

[Guest]

Hello supa_ate_sixteen,
I think if you are going to have the final piece presented on video then negative processing is the way to go. It’s far easier than reversal processing, in fact it is very easy to do.

Take a look at my previous posts for the timings for processing Kodachrome K40 as black & white negative. You will end up with a negative with an orange look. I assume if you edit on video you will do it on your computer using something Premier or Media Studio. So you just need to transfer it into black and white, reverse the image (to make a positive) and adjust the contrast slightly. It'll look great!!! (Hopefully).

With the chemicals you have you should be able to process K40, Plus-X or Tri-X as negative. Although you might need to buy some stop.

For Tri-x in stills tank.

Developer ?? (try about 8mins to start with)

Stop for 2mins (if you have any, if not rinse with water for about 3mins changing water about every 60secs)

Fix for 3 -5mins

Rinse 15mins with running water if possible.

You should easily be able to adjust these times for use in the G3 tank. For the G3 to start with try Developer 12mins, Stop 3mins or Rinse 5min then fix for 3-5mins.

With neg if it's too light give it more time in the developer if it's too dark give it less.

Good luck with this one,
Chris.