E6? Cross processing? WHIH?

<h2>This is a complex question to me (although hopefully the answer would be intuitive to some of you) so please let me go through it step by step.</h2>

<p>- A German retailer (Maco) sells what they call “Rollei Crossbird” film in 35mm, 120 and (of specific interest) to me) 127 format.<br>

- This film is basically sold to produce what they call “creative photography” through cross-processing in C41. They say this will produce unpredictably different colours according to the original exposure time (?).<br>

- I couldn ‘t care less about that. However, they also state the the film will produce slides in brilliant, natural colours if developed in E6. Indeed, they specifically say that this film means slides can now again be obtained in 4x4 format. This is logical, because I understand that this film is actually Afgacolor II. This is apparently still being manufactured for aerial photography, and Maco buys it in large quantities and cuts/respools it.<br>

- I exposed a first roll with a Topcon Primo Jr, and gave it to the lab with the specific written indication that it was a slide film and had to be developed in E6.<br>

- The results cannot even be scanned. The film is apparently positive as it should,. but both the images and the frames around them are of a very, very dark blue tint that makes it nearly impossible to distinguish what is in the photos.<br>

- I did send samples to Maco asking for a suggestion about what went wrong, but got no answer. I suspect the lab got it confused and they tried to develop my film as slides (as I said) however using C41 (as the film label say), but before getting mad at them I would like to ask for you advice.<br>

Any suggestions?</p>

 

<p>Isn't Agfacolor a negative film? I can't account for your results except to say that a normal c-41 film developed E6 will turn positive and very cyan/greenish depending on the film. If you shoot it at the rated iso, it will also be very underexposed and soft--most need 3 stops more exposure and some of that should be in push processing to bump up the contrast.</p>

<p>Current slide films, E6 films, processed in c-41 generally are very heavily colored purplish and end up being negative--they are a bit contrasty to print because they have the contrast you expect from slide films.</p>

<p>So, I am a bit confused with the heavy blue, overexposed and positive as it doesn't fit my experience with cross processing.</p>

<p>Heavy blue would be very underexposed, at least when processed in E-6.<br>

Right now, I think the best choice in 127 color film is Portra 160NC in 46mm width.</p>

<p>I cross process all my slide films. I like the unpredictability with the color shifts and funky colors I get.</p>