Is there any way to develop old Ektachrome E-3 process film?

Anyone have insight into old Ektachrome E-3 processing? Anyway to test develop some

old

film?

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Silly, I know, but I just acquired a Graflex Speed Graphic complete kit - and the twelve 4x5

sheet

film holders seem to be loaded with unexposed Ektachrome E-3 process film. I was going

to

shot a couuple exposures and try to get developed. The camera and equipment is pristine

-

as are the film holders (the former owner obviously takes better care of his equipment

than I

do - there's a lesson in there). I wanted to see how weird any image might be from this

film

(assuming it is not totally fogged).

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Helpful responses appreciated:-)

The first step in the E3 process is black and white. If you process your film as B&W it'll give you a printable negative, perhaps very fine grained, certainly very flat.

 

I'd expose a sheet, rating the film at 50 (convenient), then process as if it was Tri X that you were pushing two stops. In other words, you're trying to be sure you've got a developed image and you're trying to make it contrasty. Look at that first sheet, go from there.

 

If you want to get fancy, put the camera on a tripod, stop the lens down all the way, make multiple exposures on sections of the one sheet by moving the dark slide an inch at a time...

 

I processed a bunch of it for a year or two after it was discontinued. Not as accurate or sharp as E4, but lovely. As you probably know, after the first development the film was "flashed"...it was exposed to light...then redeveloped.

I should have said "it MIGHT give you a printable negative " :-)

Yeah, read about the flashing...

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No way to get a color image out of it?

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I have 23 sheets - I'll do the dark slide trick to see if I can guess it's speed (well, the kit was

complete, came with info on Ektachrome 50 and 64... so I know it is around there - I guess

the trick is to see how to develop it...) and development properties...

I've successfully processed 50-yr-old film that had been EXPOSED when it was new...it was Verichrome Pan...a picture of my family. The main trick was to guesstimate processing time with convenient B&W developer, which in my case happened to be Edwal FG7.

 

But you're after color. Maybe you'd get amusing color negative results by processing C22 (ie cross-processing). C22 was a very easy color neg process...I wouldn't be surprised if you could find it in some musty camera shop somewhere, or some filthy old photolab that somehow stayed in business over the years. C22 went away in the mid seventies, E3 went away a little earlier. Unless you have hangers or other 4X5 processing equipment, you might simply tray process. For small trays you might try small Rubbermaid boxes...

 

Incidentally, E4's main advantage was that it was processed without that awkward flash-step...dark all the way. The second developer accomplished the same thing as the flash...the magic ingredient may have been citrazinic acid, but it was probably more complex than just that. But you COULD reverse E4 by flashing...I don't recall if that involved E3 second developer.

 

E3 first developer should get you a printable, if bizarre, color neg...if you can get some, or maybe C22 chemistry, you're traveling in time :-)

I believe filmrescue.com processes E-3 for $39 a batch, so that

tells you the price of curiosity. I would just buy new film.

Just in case it is of any interest, here's the BJP version of the E-3 process (not the official Kodak process) from the BJP Annual, 1966:

 

First Dev

Phenidone 0.5 g

Hydroquinone 6.0 g

Sod. carbonate (anh) 40 g

Sod. sulphite (anh) 40 g

Pot. bromide 2.0 g

Sod. thiocyanate 2.0 g

6-nitrobenzimidazole nitrate 2% soln 15 ml

Water to 1 litre

 

Stop

Chrome alum 30 g

Water to 1 litre

 

Clear

Pot. metabisulphite 20 g

Water to 1 litre

 

Bleach

Pot. ferricyanide 80 g

Pot. bromide 20 g

Disodium phosphate (anh) 10 g

Sod. carbonate (anh) 3.0 g

Water to 1 litre

 

Fix

Sod. thiosulphate (cryst) 160 g

Pot. metabisulphite 10 g

Monosodium phosphate (anh) 4.5 g

Water to 1 litre

 

Colour Dev.

Trisodium phosphate 12H2O 40 g

Caustic soda 5.6 g

Sod. sulphite (anh) 2.0 g

Benzyl alcohol 5 ml

Ethylenediamine sulphate 8.0 g

Pot. iodide 0.01 g

Citrazinic acid (2-6 dihydroxyisonicotinic acid) 1.3 g

CD-3 10 g

Water to 1 litre

 

Stabiliser

Formaldehyde (35-40% soln) 6 ml

Wetting agent (eg Triton-100) 10% 10 ml

Water to 1 litre

 

Timing, temps

First dev 10 min, 24 degC =/- 1/4 degC

Rinse 1 min, 20 to 26 deg C from now on.

Stop 3 to 10 min

Wash, running water 3 min

Expose 2 x 15 sec at 12 inches from No 2 Photoflood

Colour dev 15 mins

Wash, running water 5 min

Clear 5 min

Wash, running water 5 min

Bleach 8 min

Wash, running water 1 min

Fix 4 min

Wash, running water 8 min

Stabiliser 1 min

Dry below 45 degC

 

May also be used with E-2 materials.

Agitate 5 s every min for 35 mm, 5 sec every 20 sec for roll and sheet film.

All solutions, except stop, should be dissolved at 35-40 degC. Stop should be dissolved cold.

CD-3 should be added just before use. Mixed colour dev does not keep.

Citrazinic acid is used as a restraining agent to prevent an excessively dense and contrasy dye image.

The benzyl alcohol enables the colour developer products to get into the waterproof dye former particles.

re citrazinic acid, in E4 you could tweak it to adjust contrast...hardly anybody did that, but it helped with our slide dupes on proper duplication film.

Wasn't the fogging agent in E-4 some nasty butylaminoborane stuff?

Oddly enough, Helen, my initials are BJP. Hmmmmm...

Helen, don't recall. I remember citrazinic because it sounds musical.

 

Yes, something in E4 was very nasty...worse than E3. Must have been the "new" redeveloper.