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Has anyone tried it. Considering giving it a go just for the sake of it, but the chems are costly anythoughts?
and please use their services
Home developing of slide film?
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Peter B
Double Numpty
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There's some info in this thread from 2017 https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...-slide-with-e6-chemicals.662012/#post-7936414
I've just bought a Tetenal 3 bath E6 kit, but I'll need to shoot quite a bit of film over the next few months before I make the kit up.
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Yes, and it's not really any more difficult than C41...just a couple more steps. Don't be put off by all the tales on Internet forums saying it's hard. I used to process my own slides in the kitchen sink when I was a kid, and they all still look great. It's a bit of effort, but completely worth it when you pull those beautiful little 'stained glass windows' out of the tank. 
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I used to process own E6 many many ( 25+ ) years ago, the main benefit is speed, takes about 30 mins ish from start to finish from memory, rather than the week in the post and back from a lab.
Plus you could push or pull the film just by adjusting the developing time if you'd made a mistake on the ISO setting or needed a faster film than was in the camera.
As long as I processed sufficient film with the chemicals, from memory, it has marginally cheaper than lab costs at the time with the satisfaction of processing them yourself, I'd quite often come back from an Airshow and have the images that night.
Cheers Chris
Plus you could push or pull the film just by adjusting the developing time if you'd made a mistake on the ISO setting or needed a faster film than was in the camera.
As long as I processed sufficient film with the chemicals, from memory, it has marginally cheaper than lab costs at the time with the satisfaction of processing them yourself, I'd quite often come back from an Airshow and have the images that night.
Cheers Chris
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The only issue is the temperature of the liquids is a lot less tolerant than you'd be used to so it's easy to end up with colour casts on your film. Although these days it's a simple fix in your post processor of choice so not really the big deal it once was.
Go for it. Nothing like seeing a few strips of positives hanging up to dry. Little stained glass windows
Go for it. Nothing like seeing a few strips of positives hanging up to dry. Little stained glass windows
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As has been said the critical thing is temp.
One must be very exacting with the first development. The colour and blix development temp is not so critical. Otherwise the slides will have a colour cast. 1 deg is not acceptable unlike B&W.
I have doen the lot B&W,colour,negs,slides.....
The only reason I would ever do processing of colour negs or slide film is to save time IE a publisher neeeded them before a lab could process the film. Otherwise it is far better to let a lab do it. Benefit v Risk / Hassle.
Unless you just want the challenge.
One must be very exacting with the first development. The colour and blix development temp is not so critical. Otherwise the slides will have a colour cast. 1 deg is not acceptable unlike B&W.
I have doen the lot B&W,colour,negs,slides.....
The only reason I would ever do processing of colour negs or slide film is to save time IE a publisher neeeded them before a lab could process the film. Otherwise it is far better to let a lab do it. Benefit v Risk / Hassle.
Unless you just want the challenge.
Let's play with some numbers:
DIY:
- A Jobo cpe2 & tank : £200
- E6 kit from Tetenal: £50, good for 30 rolls
Lab:
£6 per roll (+ postage)
Given this toy example, if you plot the costs out you'll see that the lab is cheaper if you process fewer than ~45 rolls, after that DIY is cheaper. Of course you don't need the Jobo just a sink full of tempered water, that way DIY is far less costly right out of the gate. Super exacting first dev is crucial if you care about roll to roll consistency (something the pros demand). If you just want an image it can be less exacting.
I freeze unprocessed rolls and do them in one go when I have about ~5-6 rolls, with freshly mix chemicals.
DIY:
- A Jobo cpe2 & tank : £200
- E6 kit from Tetenal: £50, good for 30 rolls
Lab:
£6 per roll (+ postage)
Given this toy example, if you plot the costs out you'll see that the lab is cheaper if you process fewer than ~45 rolls, after that DIY is cheaper. Of course you don't need the Jobo just a sink full of tempered water, that way DIY is far less costly right out of the gate. Super exacting first dev is crucial if you care about roll to roll consistency (something the pros demand). If you just want an image it can be less exacting.
I freeze unprocessed rolls and do them in one go when I have about ~5-6 rolls, with freshly mix chemicals.
OP
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I'm definitely just a hobbyist who develop purely for the fun of it. I don't mind losing some rolls here and there.
In fact I have access to a workshop 3d printer laser cutter I bet I can make a single/duel heated rotating bath
In fact I have access to a workshop 3d printer laser cutter I bet I can make a single/duel heated rotating bath
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If you do that please share the results! I tried to down that path a long time a go and figured a good strong motor, heating elements, temperature control and water proofing everything would have cost me far more time and money than an used Jobo (or a large tub of water).