Re: Elitechrome slide processing

[James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au>]

Michael Kurkowski wrote:

> the best thing you could try is,
>
> Put a few rolls of film through the camera and take them to different
> places for processing. (Just do it with 100 asa print film, for cost
> reasons, try a few different one hour labs).

I got a couple of cheapo rolls of film and ran them through the camera. I then
looked at the films I had just run through. As there weren't any scratches on
the films I assume that it is a problem with the processing. Also the random
nature of the scratches means that it can't be my camera. And I took it back to
Ricoh and they said they couldn't find any sharp edges inside it. I don't think
taking it to a processing place would prove much. Its better to look at the
surface of the film straight out of the camera.

> Out of interest where do you get yours processed? Who do they use to
> process the slides?

I just take it to the local chemist and they send it directly to Kodak. I think
Kodak are contracting out to another company now because the slide mounts have
"Pakon" written on them instead of Kodak. A few years ago when they had Kodak
mounts there was nothing wrong with the processing. It all started when the
"Pakon" mounts appeared. I'm going to complain to Kodak tomorrow, but I don't
think it will achieve much.

> I use Fuji Sensia II (either 100 or 200) and have found it a far superior
> film to the Kodak Elitechrome, but that's personal preference. I get mine
> processed via a place in Ivanhoe, who outsource it to a company in
> Caulfield I believe. Price for me is the same, $15.95 for processing. I
> have also experienced one long scratch from a couple of rolls. This has
> only happened in the last two months. If the place you use, uses the same
> company to develop the slides, the boxes will have changed colours from
> black (about 3 months ago) to red, now back to yellow in the past few
> weeks.

I think Elitechrome 100 produces the best colour balance for Australian
conditions but as you say that's personal preference. The scratch wrecked an
excellent photo of the double headed Kinder train leaving Bacchus Marsh, so I'm
not very happy about it! Also one photo of J515 leaving Woodend with the RTM
charter has a finger print on it. That is really pathetic!

> As far as film prices for the Fuji goes, i pay $8.95 per roll for
> 100asa/36exp at Camera House on Elizabeth Street, for the 200 asa / 36exp
> its a bit more expensive, averaging around the $16-$17 mark. For the price
> difference between the Fuji and Kodak though, I much prefer the Fuji still.

For the Elitechrome its $12.95 at Micheals for 100 asa / 36exp.

> As far as the life of films goes, modern E6 films (i.e. Fuji Sensia, Kodak
> Elitechrome, Ektachrome, etc) aparently last quite a lot longer than
> previous films of similar type. Kodachrome is nice if you can put up with
> things like two week turnarounds for processing, and the high risk that you
> will never see it again, but most importantly, the hopeless colour
> reproduction (Since when did freightcorp have a black livery?). My slides
> will be digitally archived by the time they start fading (aparently, no
> less than about 20-30 years if kept well).

My dad used to use Kodachrome back in the 1950's and 60's and the colour has
lasted quite well for the age of the slides. Even though the 1950's ones are
starting to fade, the colour is still there.

> Earlier Ektachrome films though, aren't so lucky. I remember one of my very
> first gunzel shots, when I was 6 years old, with an instamatic camera I got
> for my birthday. The photo was an R class locomotive, taken out the side
> window of a Comeng. It was the first time I had ever seen a steam loco
> other than Wheezing William (coff coff, Puffing Billy even). The photo (for
> the record, taken in 1985 or 1986) has been kept under pathetic conditions,
> and has slightly faded already.

The 1960's Ektachrome slides go blue after about 10 years. My grandfather's
slides from a Tasmanian tour in the 1960's are all blue now. :-(

--
- James Brook -

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