Cross Processing Film (E6 and C41)

When we tell the lab to cross process slide film; strange things can happen.

To develop print film one uses the C41 chemical process.

Well, one used to be able to buy home colour developing kits from AGFA, but now we take it to the local photo lab.

This process is what everyone knows as the usual way to make colour pictures from 35mm film.

(Normally it produces an amber coloured film.)

Colour slide film produces, um, slides. They go in slide projectors. Remember those things?

One of them ole fashioned slide projectors
One of them ole fashioned slide projectors
35mm colour slides
35mm positive colour slides

Different chemicals are needed to produce positive colour slides. The process is called E6.

C41? E6?

What kind of nonsense naming system is this? (Maybe C40 and E5 didn’t work out? How about WD-40?)

Anyhoo. If you want to get wild and crazy then tell the guys at the photo lab to put your slide film through the print film chemicals.

The code word is “Cross Process”.

In other words, you will be putting film that expects to be encountering E-6 chemicals into C-41 chemicals. And it goes a bit crazy! Beef gravy on your ice cream anyone?

I don’t think the other way around works though. The lab guys told me if you put C-41 neg film into the E-6 chemicals then all you get is ruined chemicals and no images on the film.

FUJI 400X slide film (RXP)
FUJI 400X slide film (RXP)

Cross processing messes up the colour and contrast. Wild!

It gets all gritty and grainy! Ooh!

Skateboard photographers in the 90’s just loved it! Gnarly!

It makes the shadows go totally black, so it’s probably a good idea to overexpose a bit.

Below are some examples of cross processing with FUJI Provia 400X.

Cross Processed Homeless Guy

FUJI 400X cross processed.

FUJI 400X cross processed landscape

In daylight the sidewalks get a bit greeny blue and cloudy days look fairly realistic in colour.

The grain is quite tight and noisy in a pleasing manner. Does that make sense? Here is an example of the grain. I really zoomed in on it:

FUJI cross processed grain example

The FUJI comes out of cross processing looking faintly blue grey.

FUJI Provia 400X cross processed

KODAK Elite Chrome 200 ASA slide film

Kodak Elite Chrome 200 slide film on the other hand looks like this:

KODAK Elite Chrome 200 cross processed

Notice how much more purply the film is.

The prints produced are quite Smurfy. A little too Blue in daylight for me.

KODAK elite chrome 200 slide film cross processed
KODAK slide film cross processed

Reds and oranges are nice and poppy.

KODAK cross processed, Tungsten light
KODAK cross processed, Tungsten light

Tungsten or incandescant light comes out all warmy with a hint of green.

KODAK cross process, cloudy day
KODAK cross process, cloudy day

On a cloudy day the Kodak gets very very blue.

Oh; One last thing.

Here is a message from Kodak about the film I just tested:

“KODAK PROFESSIONAL ELITE Chrome 200 Film – Discontinuance:

Due to significantly decreased sales volumes, Kodak is ceasing production of KODAK PROFESSIONAL ELITE Chrome 200 Film. Based on current demand, product is expected to be available in the market through March of 2011.
The suggested alternative for KODAK PROFESSIONAL ELITE Chrome 200 Film is KODAK PROFESSIONAL ELITE Chrome 100 Film.Kodak actively evaluates its professional film portfolio to ensure it’s consistent with customer demands; decisions regarding product discontinuations are largely based on customer demand and sales.

>> Back to KODAK 35mm Slide Films

So darn. All that work for nothing.

But I like the FUJI better,

so there Kodak.

(all photos except the slide projector, slides and boxes of film by Leif Norman. I only stole a few.)

http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsus/en_US/ContentTheme/pbPage.35mm_slide_film

Kodak Elite Chrome 35mm film