Black and white slide film processing

Ben johns

Ben johns

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I’d like to try to black and white slide film like fomapan r but I want to double check how you process it. Is it normal E6 chemicals?
 
I did this about 40 years ago and seem to recall it was quite a process (if you pardon the pun) compared with normal B&W; more akin to E6 processing (in those days), with several temperature critical baths required. It was fun to do, the results came out OK (a roll of 120 6x9) and it was good to scratch that particular novelty itch, but it was the first and last time. I'd suggest you do a roll of 35mm though, then at least you buy some slide mounts and project the results, otherwise there's probably no real advantage over scanning negs these days - other than the novelty factor that is.
 
I have ordered two roll of Agfa Scala to try it out but I'm going to send them off for reversal processing. The Fompan R chemicals have capacity to develop 8 rolls but you'd need to develop that many for it to be cost-effective. SilverPan Labs do the required processing. (Sorry I've accidentally turned on underline and can't switch it off !
 
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Control+U toggles between underlined and not.
 
I vaguely remember processing 16mm reversal cine film at school in the school darkroom. We had a big perspex tank with as spool to wind 50' of 16mm film from the camera magazine onto, under a red safe light. Then we followed a multistage process. It wasn't a big deal as I remember. Can't recall how we did the processing unfortunately but it didn't involve so many stages as the one described, as I recall. I feel sure the process involved flashing the film to expose the unexposed emulsion at some stage, maybe after reducing the silver after first development.

Anyway, the project was to take a film during the last week that the last steam engine at Atlas Mills in Bolton was running, A Musgrave 1500 hp triple expansion job with a 40' flywheel, a bit of a monster. I believe that the rope way was hundreds of yards long, we got a chance to look round the mill, although most of it wasn't operational during the last week. The cameraman ran the first of two magazines and then apparently the second. Sadly he ran the second sequence using the first magazine, how I don't know, perhaps the magazines are reversible, so we got a double exposed run and one completely blank. At least the exposed magazine was well exposed. Don't know what happened to the film after. Think the camera was a Bolex with a three lens turret. I thought it was quite funny at the time but we did lose something important I suppose.
 
I remeber reversal processing Ferrania colour film when I was at school in the 1960s. We (The Camera Club) pooled our pocket money and bought a bulk length of Ferrania slide film. We would load it into cassettes and distribute it to club members. When eveyone had used their film we would buy the chemical pack and go in to school on a Saturday to process eveyones films. We borrowed the constant temperature water bath from the Chemistry department and I seem to remember that it took most of the day to process all the films (we didn't have any multi film tanks).
I have been reversal processing PAN F since the early 1970s using a home brew recipe of chemicals passed on to me from a friend of my father (I think) which I now see are pretty close to those on the Ilford site.
I really enjoy making slides, B&W or colour, a slide show is such fun!
 
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