Tipster: Cross-processing Our LomoChrome Films as Slide Film
4Although cross-processing C-41 film as slide film isn't as popular as developing slide film in C-41, it's still completely possible and can often yield interesting results.
For this experiment we wanted to try cross-processing our experimental LomoChrome films as slide film, to see what kind of crazy colors we would end up with. However, instead of developing them using E-6 chemicals (as you might expect for a straightforward cross-process) we went really wild with embarked on a technique that involved developing with B&W and C-41 chemicals, which give a similar result to developing with the E-6 process.
Check out the results below!
What is the difference between color negative and slide film?

The main difference between the two types of films is that with color negative film the lightest areas appear darkest and the darkest areas appear lightest. The color negative film is then reversed during scanning to produce the final image. Slide film produces a positive image straight onto the film. The light and dark areas appear as they do in reality.
How Slide Film processing (E-6) works
Before we get to our own process, we need to explain how slide film processing usually works. The most important thing to understand is that with color negative films, the process of "developing" only takes place once, but when you process slide films the films undergo two different developers.
1st : First developer
2nd : Color developer
The first developer reveals exposed negative silver images, which is similar to B&W developing.
Then the process called "reversal bath" takes place (this process can be substituted by physically exposing the films to light.) These days the slide process is called "E-6", but previously this was "E-3" process and the "reversal bath" step was actually just exposing the film to light. The whole process hasn't changed much, but chemicals instead of light started to be used to maintain more stability and quality.
The second developer is just like the C-41 color developer. It reveals the colors on the film.
So now we know how E-6 developing works, we can substitute the necessary steps in our experiment to get similar results. First we will develop the film in B&W chemicals. Then we will expose the film to light. Lastly we will develop the film again in C-41 chemicals. Simple!
Shooting
While silde films have clear film base, color negative films usually have an orange base, which cannot be avoided even when you cross-process. As we used LomoChrome films, the results were unpredictable.
Camera used : LC-A 120
Films used : LomoChrome Purple / Turquoise / Metropolis
ISO setting : ISO 200
Time to Develop
The list below only shows important items specifically for this experiment. Other regular self-developing equipment is not listed.
Items to Prepare
・B&W Developer (We used T-MAX Developer this time)
・C-41 Color developer
・C-41 Bleach
・Fixer (You can use B&W fixer, but don't mix and reuse)
・Stop bath (Water wash works too)
・Photo-flo
・Sous vide
・Digital thermometer
Sous vide is an amazing tool to keep water at a desired temperature, so we would say it's a must-have! For color developer and bleach you can use anything as long as it says C-41 or CN-16 on the label.
Heat up all the solutions at 38℃ or 100℉, including some water for the wash.
Part 1: First Developer
1. Pre-wash the film with heated water to get the film warm
2. Pour the B&W developer into the tank and process it for 9 minutes
3. Pour out the developer and pour the stop bath or water
4. Pour hot water to rinse the remaining stop bath
5. Remove the film from the reels
6. Expose the emulsion side of the film to light for 30 seconds
7. Make sure images appear on the film, then put them back on the reels
Note that the reels aren't easy to load when wet, so it's a good idea to prepare extra ones to reload your film.
After this, repeat the process for C-41 development.
Part 2 : Color Developer
Color films require extremely precise temperature control, so try to make sure your thermometer shows 38℃ or 100℉ constantly. Also, depending on the variations of chemicals you might need to change processing times for bleach and fixer.
Below is the processing time we used for each solution:
1. Color Developer : 3 min 15 sec
2. Bleach : 1 min
3. Fixer : 2 min
4. Wash : 5 min
5. Photo-flo : 1 min
(Between each step you must rinse away any remaining chemicals with water.)
The results!
LomoChrome Metropolis 2021
LomoChrome Turquoise 2021
LomoChrome Purple 2021
It turned out every film still shows its unique base color, and the results weren't that far from what we expected. But it was a big surprise how good they look! LomoChrome Turquoise looks especially stunning, like a cleaner, less muddy version of a Redscale film.


Technically speaking, color developer for E-6 uses CD-3 (color developing agent 3) for its main component, while C-41 uses CD-4. So using C-41 chemicals causes a bit of a color shift when you cross-processing. Also, changes in solution temperature, chemical conditions, and the type of B&W developer you use also affect the outcome of this process. If you're interested, you could try using ECN-2 or RA-4 developer (as they have CD-3) to see how much of a change it makes compared to C-41!
↓Finally, this is what Color Negative ISO 400 looks like when cross processed↓
We hope you have enjoyed this cross-processing experiment! What would you like to see us try next? Comment below!
written by kota_97 on 2024-05-18 #tutorials #experiment #tipster #cross-process #lomochrome-film #tech-junkie #experimemtal
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