[Leica] Developing E-4 Ektachrome at home

[John McMaster]

Just spend $42.50 and keep your hands clean?

http://www.rockymountainfilm.com/e4.htm



-----Original Message-----
From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.uk at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Howard L Ritter Jr
Sent: 20 June 2018 16:43
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Developing E-4 Ektachrome at home

I’ve read that E-4 and E-6 processes are very different, and that E-4 film will be ruined by E-6 processing. For one thing, E-4 film needs a pre-hardening step that E-6 doesn’t employ, to keep the emulsion from detaching from the film base. I think this might be the main obstruction to home processing.

It’s been surprisingly unfruitful to google this topic.

—howard

> On Jun 20, 2018, at 07:48, John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> AFAIR, E4 was lower temperature than E6 - many decades since I shot Kodak colour IR ;-)
> 
> john
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.uk at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Montie via LUG
> Sent: 20 June 2018 08:23
> To: lug at leica-users.org
> Cc: Montie
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Developing E-4 Ektachrome at home
> 
> If it were me, I'd be shopping around for a single shot E-6 kit (Formulary, B&H, etc.) There may be some still around. I'm thinkin E-4 film will render a usable image (if properly exposed) processed in E-6.
> Could be wrong, again, it's been decades...But something to check on. ;-/
> 
> Montie
> 
> 
>>> Does anyone know anything about home processing of E-4 Ektachrome as a B&W negative?
> 
> My brother just came across Dad’s old View-Master stereo camera, opened the back, and discovered that it had a partially exposed roll of film in it. He sent the camera to me and I figured out how to rewind the film. (Thank you, Mike Butkus at Orphan Cameras, butkus.org <http://butkus.org/>) When I took it out, I found that it’s process E-4 Ektachrome, which I was told was marketed from 1963-74. I suspect the film was shot toward the early part of that period. I’d like to see what images of me and my sibs might be on it.
> 
> It can be processed at some expense by several commercial labs, but they’ll develop it as a B&W negative. I’d think this could be done at home, since it’s the color and the reversal that take the exotic chemicals and the technique, correct? I know there’s a caveat about the need for hardening of the emulsion of E-4 film prior to processing, so this might make it impossible to do at home.
> 
> Any instructions, experiences, or guidance appreciated.
> 
> BTW, I’m running a roll of Ilford Delta 100, the highest ASA the camera is calibrated for – and it goes down to ASA 4, for original Kodachrome! – through it now. It might yield some interesting images for those who can fuse stereo pairs by staring at them onscreen. If so, I’ll post them.
> 
> (This camera has an innovative system with linked ASA, shutter speed, and aperture dials, calibrated for subject brightness and for illumination level – and even for summer or winter! – obviating the need for a light meter. As I recall, it was quite effective even with the slide film that it had to use. It had fixed-focus lenses and a viewfinder that incorporated a spirit level below the field of view, as leveling is critical for a stereo camera. A flash attachment with its own built-in split-image rangefinder for determining the correct aperture setting was available. Because the stereo effect was more pronounced the closer the subject, two degrees of close-up lenses were available, going down to 20". Conceptually and mechanically, it’s a fascinating camera and system.)
> 
> 
> —howard
> 
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