This is my first time cross-processing slide film at home. This roll of Ektachrome 200, expired many years ago so I am not yet sure whether the chunky grain is the result of using an alternative chemical process (C-41 instead of E-6), the age, or an older technology. Nevertheless, I’m rather happy with the results. The colours look accurate with a good amount of saturation and plenty of fidelity — which is more than I expected.
I have one more roll of the same emulsion which I hope to shoot in the coming months and process as a positive (the way it was meant to be). It then should be evident whether getting the “proper” chemicals is worth the extra effort and expense with this film.
Fixing Polaroid SX-70 not ejecting dark slide as the motor drive runs continuously.
After returning from a multi-day hike, I found that my SX-70 would whirl its motor without stopping when I inserted a fresh pack but the dark slide would not come out. The articles online were not helpful and the repair manual called for the replacement of an entire block — which was as helpful as the 1-800-number the camera had printed near the rollers for a toll-free helpline.
Thankfully, I found a YouTube video that showed exactly the reason and a way to fix the issue: youtube.com/watch?v=BH8Q6X…. It was a little difficult to watch and there was an important part of the process missing: how to remove the rollers. Eventually, I figured out that the rollers (the entire block that pops open for the film to go in) could be removed by squeezing the left hinge which would free the assembly quite easily. I then followed the instructions (stretched the spring to replace the fragile plastic bits) and the issue was resolved.
The longest part of the process was removing the leatherette from the bottom of the camera which I prized for its distinct quality over the older models. It took a lot of ginger prying and alcohol. My brother found a glue (which I’m waiting for now) that should help me fix the leatherette semi-permanently so that it could be removed without much trouble later: mcmaster.com/7467A72/
Thanks! I haven’t had any data transfer issues since (I’m still using the same scanner!) but I have a strange issue that causes my XAs to reverse scanning order every other strip I insert. It’s very odd but the image quality is the same and I’m determined to use it until it gives up.
I’ve been inverting all my negatives using this method (I’ve developed an automated tool that does most of the work for me): analog.cafe/r/how-to-scan-…. This is mostly so that I get full control over the process; it’s particularly helpful for scanning films like Aerocolor IV that have a clear base.
Polaroid 600 is quite a bit different from SX-70, but I know that some of these cameras have close-up lenses and you may even be able to find an attachment.
A great write-up Dmitri. Interesting to hear of your recent data transfer issues — My RPS 10M (Same scanner?) has started encountering similar issues.
Was the inverted version you’ve posted created using your preferred tool? Silverfast HDR 8 can do a decent job (See attached) but I have to agree with you on the UI.
Here’s a short vlog of the Lomochrome Color’92 sample roll going through re-spooling, home development, and some of the results that I got with it: youtube.com/shorts/1vlwzcd….
As you can see from the video, Color’92 negatives are pretty dark compared to other C-41 films (Portra 800 in this case), but that shouldn’t cause any issues with scanning. I haven’t tried printing it in a darkroom though.
My negatives turned out looking very purple. Here’s what one of the frames in this article looks like on film. I had no issues with it after scanning. Hope this helps!
Edit: I replied earlier but it didn’t show up on the article because of a bug. I fixed it, so, hopefully, no more lost replies. 😅
I really enjoy the tendency of these cameras to shoot at wider apertures. Most point-and-shoots tend to avoid narrow depths of field, which makes Mju I/LT-1 somewhat special. Aside from minimizing motion blur, their lenses render bokeh beautifully to my eye.
It seems to like to shoot wide open as well, though maybe not too the extreme the mju ii does. You can actually find the exposure chart of mju II online and it starts to stop down after 1/125th (it goes to down to 1/1000 @ f11 in bright light so no f16 or smaller!). It’s a great camera but I also have a lot of slightly out of focus shots because of this.
Yeah, that‘s possible. On my mju I, and especially the mju II the lens seems to be almost better at close range though. I have some extremely crisp portraits with the mju ii where you can see every detail in the hair, fabrics, skin etc.
The AF-600 is actually quite well known for the lens and it’s size, and still not too expensive for some reason. The Fuji DL-500 is more overlooked but actually the more enjoyable camera in real use imo. It goes by like 10 different names (no kidding: camera-wiki.org/wiki/Fuji_…)
I’ve always wanted to try the Tiara and I have seen some very nice shots taken with it. But I have never found a good deal on it, and the ebay prices are a bit more than I would like to pay for a compact.
Shame about the softening of the lens at close focus. I have a Nikon AF600, it’s almost as small as both the TC-1 and the Tiara, 28mm and the lens is just incredibly sharp at around infinity. But at closer range it’s a lot softer for some reason. So soft I was wondering if there was some sort of focus calibration error. But no, after checking it’s just a lot softer at those ranges unfortunately. At 5m-infinity it’s probably one of the sharpest point and shoots. The Tiaras older brother the Fuji DL-500 is another overlooked 28mm point and shoot. Lens is very good, but probably not as the Tiara, small size, and best of all it moves the lens into focus at half press like the TC-1 making it very snappy and enjoyable to use. These can be had fairly cheap as well.
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