Worth doing your own E6?

<p>So, I've got the Jobo processor and the darkroom - is it worth trying to do your own E6? I've got like 10 rolls of 120 Velvia to do and I can either drop it off at the local lab (which no longer does dip-and-dunk, but rather Jobo themselves) and it'll take about a month, or I can enter the wild world of my own E6 processing.</p>

<p>One major concern is how long it would take - I don't want to blow a whole day on it.</p>

<p>Alternatively I suppose there must be some E6 labs still out there I can ship to...</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>I don't think that you should start developing E-6 when you have several critical rolls, as a small temp change can create a big color shift. Sending out would be by far the best option. </p>

<p>When I have a big order to develop, I send my color film (E-6 and C-41) to <a href="http://www.philadelphiaphotographics.com">Philadelphia Photographics</a>. They charge $7 per roll of 120, and the rolls have always come out clean and dust-free.</p>

<p>I don't do it anymore because it is temperamental, and has become more expensive. In the 70's and 80's (the last time I did E-6), it was dirt cheap to do it yourself. I blew several rolls at first, mainly because there were not forums to look up info (or even the Internet). It is probably more cost-effective to have a lab do it, and the one I use does an amazing job.</p>

<p>Thanks Nicholas & Michael - that's what I suspected!</p>

<p>Matt. I do E-6 every once in a while. The newer kit are less temperature critical. In the old days (70's-80's) there was a +/-1 degree. the newer kits are from 85-105 degrees. Your biggest concern would be the 110 spools for the film. look up some of the other threads on this in PN. MTCW</p>

ed,<P>

 

"<I>I've got like 10 rolls of 120 Velvia to do..."</I><P>

 

Originally Matt had a typo saying "110 Velvia". That was quickly corrected to "120 Velvia" last night. Are you still seeing "110 Velvia"?

<p><a href="http://www.theslideprinter.com">www.theslideprinter.com</a><br>

dip and dunk, quick turn around, pro quality, and free shipping. A combo thats hard to beat.</p>

 

<p>With most color processing, except printing, there is very little creative influence that the operator can exercise. I wouldn't bother since there isn't any advantage over home vs lab. With B&W films, or printing color, it's another story. The variations in film developing B&W, is mind boggling. Color films require accurate, single time and temp, with the single manufacturers suggested chemistry. Not a lot of room for creative manipulation.</p>

<p>If I lived miles from a lab and mail service, I'd consider it. Or if I were housebound.</p>

<p>I do have the 120 spools (sorry for the typo), but in any case, based on all the responses, I definitely think I'll go to a 3rd party.</p>

<p>This has been incredibly helpful - thank you to all.</p>

<p>For the record - I tried it only once in my Jobo, as I never shoot E-6. I needed 35mm copy work in a rush, and the fastest mail order E-6 service I could get in regional Europe was a week. Well the results were perfect to my eye. As good as any lab. Practically speaking, unless you are in a rush, or really want to get into E-6 processing, it's likely not worth the trouble. But that is not because the Jobo isn't up to the job - it is.<br>

The very successful commercial photographer I bought my machine off ran 5x4 film E-6 process five days a week in the same machine, and built a very successful business on the back of it.</p>

<p>Also consider that shelf life for color chemicals (color developer, IIRC) is short compared to black and white chemicals so you must use your chemistry up fast (meaning waiting until you have a lot of film to do at once) to get the most from your money if processing at home.</p>

<p>O.P.</p>

<p>Well you could go out and shoot another 20 rolls of E-6, and then you would have 30 rolls to run. That would make it worth the 'trouble' to use your machine! <br>

If it's all about convenience, shoot digital.</p>

<p>The beauty of the Internet is you can always count on someone to say something "constructive" they wouldn't say in person...</p>

<p>Ooops!<br>

And I thought you posted the question because you wanted informed opinion! That's exactly what I volunteered. As far as I can see, I'm pretty much the only poster on this thread postively encouraging you to actually try what you are considering (processing E-6 in your Jobo). But then again, maybe you weren't serious about the question after all.</p>

 

<p>Well, if so, you have a curious bedside manner...</p>

<p>And there I was thinking this is a photography forum and that you were actually interested in the topic you posed. For someone who is apparently such an authority on internet etiquette, a polite <em>thanks for the help</em> for the only 'constructive' opinion offered in the forum etiquette would have been appropriate, instead of your surly nonsense <em>dot dot dot</em></p>

<p>Look, if you didn't intend your original post, and to some degree follow up posts, to have a degree of "snark" in them, then I apologize and thank you for your input. I read essentially, "If you're too lazy to do your own E6 then shoot digital," which isn't a very friendly way of being "constructive".</p>

<p>Anyway, assuming I was wrong in reading the snark (again, if so I apologize), then I would still have to disagree that you were the "only" one offering a "constructive" opinion. They were all useful, even if all of them weren't encouraging me to do my own E6.</p>

<p>I take it you have a Jobo and do your own E6 and can give me some advice as to how easy or hard it is and/or how long it takes and what I should look out for etc.? Did you find it worth doing when you did it?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>You know - I am the one who absolutely needs to apologize to you Gerard. I see now that you were adding this to a prior post about how you ran an E6 processing business. I read the post about "shoot digital" as coming from someone else - I thought it was their first post saying, again, "If you're too lazy to do your own E6 then shoot digital", which by itself seemed insulting. Now I see it was a follow-up and in context it isn't insulting.</p>

<p>My humble apologies, and yes, thank you for the constructive information.</p>

<p>Apology accepted Matt.<br>

As I said, it's very doable. I understand the other posters reservations about whether it's worth the effort, hence my suggestion about shooting more E-6, or waiting until you have more E-6 to run and then trying it. Personally, if you have the time, I think it's interesting to test it out for yourself. And although I haven't push / pulled E-6 in the Jobo, it can be done, and can contribute creatively to your results. Others on here have implied color processing is not a flexible, adjustable stage in the image-making process - which is largely true for C-41 processing, but not at all the case for E-6. Like B&W processing, there is a lot that can be done in the development stage. All other considerations aside, that lab who offer you a 1 month turn-around; what if you want a clip test done? Does that turn it into a 2 month turn around?<br>

You are one of the lucky ones who own a Jobo, - they are a hard proposition to beat.</p>

<p>Thanks and sorry again. I'll definitely consider doing a larger batch like you suggest, though at some level I would prefer my first batch to be smaller! Also in a way I would prefer less "latitude", meaning I'd rather the results be consistent when it comes to slide because when I shoot slide I'm locking my "vision" of the image at time of shot (ie: I know how Velvia behaves and I plan it in the shot - I don't want latitude accidental or otherwise after the fact). B&W I might be thinking more how I would want to adjust things (even there I have to admit I like to have consistence and then handle the PP after the negative is fixed in stone).</p>

<p>As far as the lab goes, they used to do E6 dip and dump as a business and he is a great guy. He mostly does E6 as a side thing now, so I really can't blame him. That said, I am obviously willing to wait some since I don't have a preview screen on the back of the camera, but there's a limit. Still I feel guilty at the idea of using someone else - he has been very good to me over the years. I may just live with it. I'd rather give him the money.</p>

<p>It definitely can be done with the Jobo. What kind of Jobo do you have? It's faster and more convenient if your unit includes the so-called "lift" accessory. This is what Jobo says about it: "<small>Filling and draining of chemicals and rinse water from the tank or drum is done with the JOBO Lift. This enhancement ends wet hands and messy counter tops, improves timing accuracy, and gives better chemical distribution." </small><br>

<small></small>But it's still a lot of work with a manual Jobo like the CPE. You should probably use a 3-Bath-Kit, as sold by Fuji Hunt or Tetenal. You simply don't have enough bottles in a CPE (there are six slots) for 6bath + don't forget that the tempering baths in between have to be at process temperature.<br>

If you are seriously into film photography, I'd suggest trying to find a used Jobo ATL automatic processor. Compared to what they originally cost, these fine machines can be had at a bargain now. The ATL 1500 (or its earlier sibling the ATL 1000) is relatively small and programmed electronically. Only downside: it needs to be connected to the water supply. With the ATL 1500 you pretty much push the button and come back when the machine is done. These machines used to be popular with the press and the military.<br>

If you haven't done any serious film processing first, by all means try out some C41 or black and white first. I processed my C41 films in a CPE2 for a number of years and the results were fine and definitely an improvement over some of the local labs in Germany. Make sure you have an accurate thermometer to double-check the temperature against the Jobo's thermometer - the latter measures the temperature of the water bath, not the temperature of the chemicals in the bottle. Not always the same.<br>

P.S. I've been thinking about offering a basic darkroom technique course in Prague or another popular holiday destination in Europe. Anyone interested? Please have a look at my Prague photos at http://pragueinphotos.com</p>