In article <40.40726.2438@channel1.com>, giorgio@channel1.com says...

> N-R> For those of you in the US who may be tempted to send
> N-R> the new Kodak Ektachrome Infrared E-6 slide film to
> N-R> Kodalux NJ lab (same may be true of others), they
> N-R> won't process it, and may destroy it in the process
> N-R> of determining that they won't process it (they did
> N-R> mine...), notes and 'phone calls notwithstanding...
> N-R> Hope This Helps
> N-R> (David Ruether - http://www.fcinet.com/ruether )

> The problem may not lie in any "processing" problem per se,
>since this is a standard E-6 film, but because of the infrared
>sensitivity. Some labs use infrared viewing devices to keep their
>eyes onthings going on with the processing machines and these will
>fog the film. Better to bring the film to a custom lab and
>check to make sure they DON'T use infrared viewers in the
>darkroom. Cutom labs will likely be able to switch the infrared
>lights off...the roller-transport type machines that Kodalux uses
>may have infrared viewers built in that can't be easily switched
>off. I'm not sure what they did to destroy the film, but almost
>nothing is unimaginable in a place that hires and fires workers on
>the basis not of ability but on availability for the lowest
>wage...

After four hot summer trips to and from the NJ Kodalux lab
(the film arrived with the can open inside the white mailing
envelope, and no replacement PK36 on the second return - but
with a note explaining that they did not process E-4 films
[after they had told me after the first return that they would
watch for it on its return to them and could process the new
E-6 IR slide film...]), I found someone at the lab who did
establish that they could not process it due to the IR light
in the processing line - and a replacement roll of E100S
and mailer were provided. On the odd chance that there was
still something useable on the roll, I took it to a friendly
local "one-hour" lab (Photo USA). They shut off their IR
lights, and successfully processed the film. I got a few
images from the roll, a stereo pair of which (fisheye of
waterfalls...) I will post tonight on my web page ("changing
showz", then "stereo photos, color") along with some other
new color stereo photos.
Conclusions about the film:
- Difficult to get processed, even though it is E-6.
- Speed (with, but ignoring the FF with camera TTL meter)
using medium yellow filter is about 160 in shade, 250-320
in sunshine (maybe higher...).
- Color is not as interesting as with the old E-4 film:
basically black, white, blue, and red only.
I will probably not use it again...
Hope This Helps
(David Ruether - http://www.fcinet.com/ruether )