slide film in b/w chemistry

I've looked in the forums, but haven't seen any answers. Forgive me

if I've overlooked them. Anyway, I have inherited some old E-6

slide film (expired 1974-1979) and would like to process it in b/w

for fun. One roll is Ektachrome X, one is tungsten 160 and the

other is infrared. Any ideas for which dev. to use and what

times???

I'd recommend HC-110 for its anti-fog properties -- it seems to work very well with old film. That said, I couldn't begin to suggest times for Ektachrome -- best I could do is point out that modern ISO 400 C-41 film seems to need to be processed like Tri-X pushed one to two stops (based on times given by others who have gotten scannable negatives).

 

If it were my film, I'd put it on eBay as a collectible and use the proceeds to buy expired TMY or Tri-X. ;)

Is E-6 that old? Or is it E-4?

Perhaps e-bay is a better place; my life has too much fun in it anyway.

 

Good question about the E-6/E-4. The tungsten film is E-6 and that box is open, but the (I should have stated which films they were in the first place) EX-120 and the IE 135-20 are unopened and it is not stated on the box about which process to use.

 

However, if anyone has any other processing suggestions, I'm all ears.

Jim;

 

Regardless of it being E6 or E4, any B&W developer will work. Use a time appropriate for a similar speed B&W film.

 

You will be dissapointed though regardless of the films condition. They will have a heavy yellow cast due to the CLS yellow filter layer, and will be unprintable using VC papers. You will have to use graded papers or scan the negatives.

 

The image will probably be degraded in sharpness and grain as well due to the lack of proper edge effects imparted by the color processing chemistry.

 

Good luck to you.

 

Ron Mowrey

The 1975/1976 Kodak Photographic Products catalog P2-1 only lists E3; E4; and EA5 "Ektachrome" type processing.<BR><BR> EA-5 is for aerial films. <BR><BR>In print there was both C22 and C41 then.<BR><BR> In Kodachrome; all is K14; accept for the old Kodachrome II; type A; which was K12; the old process,.