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[Phaeton]

I have a question regarding film processing.

During the last Solar Maximum from about 2000 to 2004 I took up Aurora photography as a hobby when I realized you could see the Aurora anywhere in the USA during the most active part of the 11 year solar cycle.
I used my Petri Racer 45mm f/1.8 with a Aux wide-angle lens that I have had for about 42 years, I tried many films but used Kodak MAX 400 the most. I have mostly pictures from the last cycle but I did scan a few of my shots with the film scanner attachment, you can see in one of the pictures I did not clean the scanner very well it was taken on Nov. 21,03, the other picture was taken over my neighbors farm on a different night. I used a tripod, cable release and the f/1.8 stop for about 30 seconds. Any advice on film selection or technique would be appreciated.

I found a processing kit "Hewes Products Calumet Student 35mm Film Processing Kit $66.99" on line and would like to know if something like this would work to process my film so I can scan the film into my computer and print my pictures?
Walmart, Sam's and many other places have quit selling film and plan to stop processing too. Most of the other Aurora photographers have switched to Digital for their shots and I'm going to do that too but I would still like to use my film camera. During the last cycle I took my film to a local photo lab but they would take several day's to process the film and print the pictures and sometimes a CD but by the time I posted my pictures to the group it was old news and if I sent my pictures to Spaceweather they would be on the last page in the gallery. Can I process the film myself with a kit like the one above or could someone recommend a kit that would be better?


Bill
^v^

[drg]

Very pretty colors you captured! There has been a lot in the news recently about A. Borealis and it causes.

Are the local places in your area not even doing overnight or two/three day service??? That's a concern. Big labs go down and the small ones collapse shortly thereafter. Yikes!!

You can order film in bulk/quantity and then store it to have it on hand when you want it.

Check out the C-41 kits or chemistry from either B&H or Adorama for probably the quickest/easiest way to get what you need to process this kind of color film. Depending upon what was in the kit you bought before, all you will need is the chemicals as you should have thermometer, timer (or figured out your own), tanks, grad cylinders, storage/mixing bottles, etc.

Welcome to photography review and hope you will be a regular on the film forum. We need more people who still use the 'old film burners' .

[Greg McCary]

Correct me if I am wrong DRG, but isn't E6 easier to process than C-41. I am to lazy to google it.LOL. But seems I read that somewhere? Maybe that's an option?

[reverberation]

You can also check out Freestyle
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/e_main.php
they also carry c-41 kits. I think slides are harder when you take into account the mounting process.

[Phaeton]

Thanks guys, I'll check them out.


thanks drg;

Walmart and Sam's in our area do not sell film and Walmart does not process anymore but Sam's still does.

Our local Photo lab has been in decline for several years now and it may be just a matter of time before we will have to go back to mail for processing.

My scanner has an insert that holds the negative film strip (5 pictures I think?)
and then using the negative film option I can scan the pictures into my computer like the two Aurora pictures, they were scanned from negatives.

I don't have a clue how to do this but if I could make negatives from the film then scan them into the computer I could make prints or just save them in a file along with my digital pictures.

Bill
^v^

[drg]

The processing of the film is about equal. Just different chemicals, timings etc. in small batches.

Printing C-41 'conventionally with an enlarger' is indeed much more difficult than mounting slides.

Then again, you don't have to mount slides, they too can be cut in strips or left as is, as many people do with 35mm film until they actually use it.

Film scanners led to the film being cut (that and convenience of storage and transport) in the long roll 35mm format into convenient 4,5,6 frame pieces. I've got old b/w film that is still uncut as it has never been in a scanner. It just hangs out in a clothes bag too keep dust off of it. Cloth bag of course.