aaron_muderick

<p>To my knowledge, there is no publicly known code system for identifying the age of Polaroid prints based on the numbers printed on their backs. If you can measure the print size, whether it is coated, whether it is B&W or Sepia, you could determine what kind of film it was, and narrow down the age range.</p>

<p>Just develop it as 120-size B&W. You don't need to tell anyone it is 620. It is the same size as 120.</p>

<p>I have retrieved an SD card from the bottom of the Assawoman Bay in Maryland. I dropped it there in January and wasn't able to retrieve it until May. It worked fine. I'll betcha you can clean that card up with alcohol or contact cleaner and it will work for you.</p>

<p>Kill the Poladroid. It is a nice shot. I don't think it needs any of the 'effects' to make it work: polaroid-frame, vignetting, creamy colors, or bleach bypass. Just try to take pictures.</p>

<p>You don't need an automated processor to use those chemicals. Your motor agitator will help remove some tedium. You'll need fairly good temperature control though you can do averaging (start at 103, end at 97 = average 100). <br>

I use the Kodak E-6 kit with great results.<br>

Good luck!</p>

<p>I am working on a personal project to duplicate MF chromes. I scanned at 2400DPI on my Epson 4990 and sent the files in to dr5.com to be output on their 8K CRT film recorder. The results weren't perfect but I believe all of the error was in my scanning and processing of the file. I could see no evidence of any kind of artifact of the film recording process. <br>

dr5.com maintains a quality line of CRT and LVT recorders. Give them a try.</p>

<p>not quite sure what you are talking about. all color negative films are extremely forgiving of overexposure. underexposure...less so. Ektar is no different.</p>

<p>It is $63 USD. Add in some VAT and 50 pounds sounds about right.</p>

<p>I use a Kodak E-6 5 liter kit. It is the best quality available to the amateur. I refill the head space on all the bottles using canned air (Dust-Off or whatever brand also contains difluoroethane). I have kept kits in various stages of emptiness for 9 months using this method at 60F. The last roll looked as great as the first to my eye. You can also experiment with freezing...many others have mixed their solutions and then frozen it in 500ml bottles. They have had success with this as well...though it is clearly against the recommendations of Kodak.<br>

Go with the 6-bath kit. You want your images to last a long time right? Trust the fact that blix is not quite the same as a separate bleach and fix.<br>

I don't live in the UK so I am not sure of availability to you.</p>

<p>The recently discontinued Kodak E100GX. Or E100G with a warm filter over the lens.</p>

<p>I've generally had very good luck developed 30+ year old film. Recently I had a roll of Kodacolor-X that I attempted to develop as B&W. I ended up with terrible results. I thought I had screwed something up. But, upon further inquiry, I was told that the film had been stored in the attic (150F in the summer) for 30 years. And, I believe that is why only the slightest traces of image remained on the film.</p>

<p>You can find out a very useful solution here: http://www.kryptosinistographer.com/2008/03/at-home-e-6-pro.html<br>

You can easily modify an aquarium thermometer to the temperature range you are looking to use. Also, you can use a steel tank with a neoprene wrap to insulate well enough to maintain the necessary temperature during development. Lastly, it is an 'average' so if you see a 3 degree temperature drop over the development time, just start 1.5 degrees too high at the beginning and things will work out well.<br>

Good luck!</p>

<p>I know this is a film board but if you are looking for low-light performance, then digital is the best choice. I shoot lots of film. I shoot ISO 3200 instant film all the time and love it. But, technically speaking, you will get far better results with a latest rev of Canon or Nikon's DSLR. Check out some low light performance reviews on dpreview or luminous-landscape.<br>

That said, try Provia 400X with a 2 stop push (ISO 1600) or special order some Fuji Natura (ISO 1600) from Megaperls. Those are your best bets IMHO.</p>

<p>Provia 400x is technically superior at ISO 400, 800 and 1600 to all other available slide films. There are a variety of reviews online. Use it and you won't be disappointed.</p>

<p>E-6 is easy.<br>

http://www.kryptosinistographer.com/2008/03/at-home-e-6-pro.html<br>

I do 4 MF rolls at once. It takes about an hour start to finish. I read a magazine and change chems as the buzzer goes off. Only the first step is really time sensitive. The rest are 'to completion'. Costs me $1.50 / roll in chems using the Kodak 5 Liter kit.</p>

<p>I picked up a box today that contained 5 Mighty Light bases, attachable bulbs with reflectors and power supplies for AC power. It also contained some top attachment that acts as a remote trigger when it sees the other strobes fire. The construction appears to be late 50's or early 60's. I tested everything and it works. Some of the wiring needs to be redone due to cracks in the insulation.<br>

My question is whether these old Mighty Lights are worth using. I tested them on my Wein Flashmeter and got guide numbers between 40 and 60 depending on the bulb.<br>

That really isn't much oomph. Is that why there are 5 of them in a box? Or, has age taken its toll on the capacitors (or maybe the bulbs themselves). <br>

Any thoughts, ideas, or information appreciated.</p>

<p>I lusted for one of these for a long time. I read online about how critical C-41 and E-6 are to time and temperature and how difficult they are. Then, I decided I would never buy one...just too much money for a piece of equipment which is no longer supported and no longer has available spare parts. <br>

Instead, I decided to go it alone and do it myself. I spent < $100 on stuff and get perfect results.<br>

http://www.kryptosinistographer.com/2008/03/at-home-e-6-pro.html<br>

If anyone tells you that you cannot do this 'homebrew' they should know better. E-6 was *designed* to be a home-friendly process. C-41 is designed for machine but my setup should work just fine for C-41. <br>

It just isn't that hard. Go for it.</p>

<p>Answers to questions #2, 3, 4, 6 and more can be found here:<br>

http://www.kryptosinistographer.com/2008/03/at-home-e-6-pro.html<br>

Good luck!</p>

<p>Lynn,<br>

<br /> You may find this link helpful. I scanned about 10,000 negatives and slides in all sorts of sizes using my Epson 4990. I was very happy with the results. The resolution was high enough that I doubt I'll ever have to worry. Honestly, the resolution of the scan was probably above the crappy camera that the photos were originally taken with.<br>

http://www.kryptosinistographer.com/2008/03/scanning-old-ma.html</p>

<p>I use oral syringes (no needle). It works great and allows me to mix exactly what I need with no mess and very minimal cleanup.<br>

I use a single syringe and fill my jars in order. Each chemical is designed to allow some level of contamination from the previous step. As long as you wash out the syringes fairly well with pumping water, and go in order, you'll have no problem.</p>

<p>Have the Kodak E-6 kit imported and you can process 40 rolls yourself at much lower cost. It is not that hard to do. All you need is a few supplies and a sink.</p>

<p>There are plenty of vendors who can ship E-6 kits to you. B&H just chooses not to ship liquids.</p>

<p>Yes Ron, they will. But the effect is more akin to color shift and problems with the Dmin and Dmax...you won't get a 'push' effect.</p>

<p>I've got to recommend do-it-yourself E-6. I can do 4 rolls in an hour and they are perfect. Pay to have the kit shipped in to you (40 rolls per $60 + shipping). If you want to know more, PM me. I don't want to hijack this thread.</p>

<p>You can scan the dried negative from Fuji instant peel-apart materials and get resolution sufficient to print at least 11 x 14. See here:<br>

http://www.flickr.com/groups/polaroid_/discuss/72157613458436137/</p>