I switched back to film for my personal work a few months back and this morning I had my first chance to do my own E-6 developing on 4 35-mm rolls.

It was so much fun even with all my foibles. :D

I learned I need to get much better at getting the film on the stainless reels. I ruined a small section to over lap on one roll and there are a fair number of kinks in the edges or all the rolls. I don't think I was pulling enough to get started straight and then when I lost my pinch on the film I would get the kinks and had a tough time sorting them out. In the film loading instructions I got with one of the stainless tanks, which is somewhere close to my age of 50, it shows a curved loader that looks like it pinches the film, does anyone know if these are still made or where to find one or if they actually help.

Any other hints would be appreciated.

I was a bit worried about timing since I haven't got a great timer. The only timer I had handy today was the clock on the stove, minute count only, and that worked out fine. Nice to know a few seconds one-way-or-the-other is workable.

I was in a hurry so I was mixing chems at the same time as I was developing and that was a stressor. I know I was inconsistent in agitation because of that.

I did get very close on the temps but not within the +/- .5 degree recomended.

I got to play with my pakon slide mounter which once I figured out how it works was an absolute joy and very fast to use.

Now I'm waiting for dusk, I want to see them big.

All-in-all it has been a great day so far.

Congratulations from another E-6 newbie! 6 rolls of 35mm and 2 rolls of 120 was too much for one session - spending an afternoon leaning into the Nova drum processor I use for a water bath was hard on the back. In future I think I will buy a larger kit and mix the chemicals from concentrate one-shot, instead of mixing a 1 litre kit and having to use the whole lot.

Pleased with the results though. One roll has a slight magenta cast, but as it was sharing the tank with another which turned out fine I think that may just be a hazard of using expired film rather than the processing. Pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to load two rolls of 120 on a single reel.

Not looking forward to hand cutting and mounting the 35mm slides. Need to see what mounting machines ebay can supply!

Ian

I use an inexpensive digital watch, which includes a stopwatch, to time development. It cost me about $10.

Not looking forward to hand cutting and mounting the 35mm slides. Need to see what mounting machines ebay can supply!

Ian

I got my Pakon MM100 on ebay for $35 I think plus shipping.

You can get mounts cheap here http://www.jron.com/clearance.htm

I use an inexpensive digital watch, which includes a stopwatch, to time development. It cost me about $10.

I know I have something around the house like that but I wasn't finding it and I wasn't going to let anything stop this project.

Virtually all mobile phones today have stopclock, so if you have mobile phone... :)