So, pros shoot E-6 (slide) for its density and saturation. But, aside from a few diehards who did Ciba/IlfoChrome, SOMEWHERE a negative image got projected onto (inferior) RA-4 (drugstore processing) paper.
I’m guessing the magic word here is “internegative”, shot on duplication film - am I close?
Now for the hardware - all those lovely slide duplicators had a reason, butiI doubt that we cut and mounted the E-6 just so we could used a spiffy slide duplicator.
So, assuming an internagative was the medium to get from positive film image to negative film image, how were they produced?
Next Q: Where do I get an overview on function and use of a color analyzer?
(yes, the boy may end up digital, but for now, I’m priced out of Ilfochrome, but can still (almost) afford RA-4)
There was also a third process, R-3 printing. Kodak, Fuji, and I believe Agfa all had R-3 papers (which is a different process from Ciba/Ilfochrome) and was a positive-to-positive process. Well, I guess a fourth, too: scanning and printing. That’s the way most slides have been printed for at least five, ten years now. (Kodak discontinued it’s R-3 paper in 2003, citing “Technology has made the option of scanning, manipulating, and outputting images directly to traditional color paper very popular, and photographers are increasingly using color negative film and digital cameras for image capture. Producing positive prints, even from transparencies, for image display no longer requires the use of RADIANCE Papers and Materials.” Link to PDF.
Anyhow, back to your original question. In pre-21st century, if you didn’t go the Ilfochrome or R-3 route, as you surmise, an internegative was made on Kodak internegative film (also discontinued). This was a low-grain, low contrast film made especially for this use. Now, how that internegative was made–I have never worked in a photo lab, so I’m not sure. I assume it’s the same process as making slide duplicates, and I would assume it’s made with something like this.
Pretty much it was not unlike a contact print, although it would vary by lab.
I’ve had 35mm slides printed using a 35mm interneg (with rounded corners, as the slide wasn’t even taken out of the mount) as well as removed from the mount and projected onto a 4x5 negative sheet.
All in all I preferred the Ciba/Ilfo system; richer color, sharper detail.
You still do Ilfochrome? Where do you get the chemistry, what process (tank, roller transport, whatever)?
If you get it from BH, do you have to pick it up, or is there some combination of starter this, part whatever, replenisher that, which they will ship which can be cobbled together to get a usuable P-3/P-3X?
I’m close to tossing the CAP-40 (after 6 prints - those were expensive 8x10’s)
And it never occured to me to project a 135 e-6 onto a 4x5 negative film - what kind of exposure times does one use? Might have to keep one of the Omega D’s
I saw an APUG or photo.net post id’ing a low-contrast professionl/industrial film which could be used as internegative.
Played with the Jobo Colorstar 7000 analyzer last night - still clueless as to it’s function
I have no idea re exposure times; I had some 8x10’s made by a lab called The Color Wheel in Manhattan back in the 80’s, that was how they did things. I’d get my 35mm back along with the 4x5 neg.
Other than being easier to work with, (using a purpose-made piece of equipment vs setting up a camera-tripod-slide holder-light, etc.), nothing I guess. Basically it is a marco lens and color-corrected lightbox.
A color analyzer is a lightmeter for color. In theory, it can help pick the correct color correction to remove any color casts. In practice, most people just make test prints.