E6 processing at home, your tips and tricks

[bags27]

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Reviving this thread to report:

Good news for home-developers: Tetenal C-41 (or something very close to it) is being brought out by Adox. Tetenal's E-6 may be next up for Adox.

https://www.fotoimpex.com/chemistry/adox-c-tec-c-41-negativ-kit-rapid-for-12-16-films-to-mix-1000-ml.html

Bellini's e-6 is very difficult to source right now in the States, but I got lucky and snapped up 2 1 liter boxes. 

[Einst_Stein]

If you are willing to invest on JOBO rotation (drum) processor, it can manage the temperature and agitation consistency very well.but it is very expensive and hard to find these days (eBay, of course).

Alternatives, you are choosing between consistent temperature control or consistent agitation.

For consistent  temperature control, I use thermal controlled water bath, that is, fill the shower tub with water, heat it with temperature controlled bath heater (a floating heater). You can get it from Amazon for less than $100.  With this, you need to be consistent in agitation.SKYWOT Pool Heater, Immersion Water Heater 304 Stainless Guard for Water Heater with Thermostat, Auto Shut-Off Timer - Ideal for Pool Heater for Above Ground Pool and Bathtub Heating 

SKYWOT Pool Heater, Immersion Water Heater 304 Stainless Guard for Water Heater with Thermostat, Auto Shut-Off Timer - Ideal for Pool Heater for Above Ground Pool and Bathtub Heating https://a.co/d/byip4jd

For consistent agitation, you can get automatic roller to work with your drum, (~$100 from eBay). Unfortunately, you cannot out it in the water bath. https://www.ebay.com/itm/175753472403?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=4hjYgXnBTam&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=6eaN4jsKSzi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 

 

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[bags27]

I use our sous-vide to maintain temperature (please don't tell my wife!) and there are common sense ways of keeping constant temperature, like having the water and tanks in an insulated picnic basket with a top. Various tricks like that. Everyone creates their own style.

But I develop c-41 and e-6 often with a bit of temperature variation and all seems to come out fine, especially if one scans their negatives. Then, most variations can be adjusted in post.

Maybe the thing that convinced me that there is greatest flexibility than is thought was when I ran a 3rd batch of Tetenal e-6 many days after starting it, and with the same time/temperature as the first batch. The negatives came out looking a bit dark and I was convinced they were inferior because of my processing. But after I scanned them and brought them into Photoshop, the colors were terrific.

C-41 and E-6 instructions have warnings about lax developing and how few rolls to use before a fall off in efficacy. I'm beginning to think this is to protect themselves and promote buying more kits.

The electronic roller kits work pretty well, even with Paterson tanks: just put electrical tape around them to give them the width of a Jobo, and, from what I hear, Jobos leak more often. Certainly, a lot more expensive. But they do have those neat clips that makes it a lot easier to double up 120 film. 

Edited March 25 by bags27