...when the subject of home color processing comes up, I just can't control
myself. I've got quite a bit of experience in low volume processing, first
when I worked in a commercial studio (E4 and C22), and as a photographer for
a large manufacturer (E6 and C41). In the first case, we used the one gallon
hard rubber tanks seen at swap meets everywhere, and did everything from 35
to 8x10. In the second, we did 35 and 120 almost exclusively (try loading a
220 stainless reel sometime) in a Wing-Lynch machine, what I consider to be
the worst joke perpetrated on photographers ever. The tanks were, of course,
a replenished system, and the second one-shot. The replenished was clearly
the better. I will never again attempt color processing.
With B&W, the goal is making the film produce a negative that prints best
from your enlarger, on your paper. Each photographer should test and modify
the development to their satisfaction. The flexibility of the films and
developers and the combinations thereof is one of the things that has caused
me to build my own wet darkroom, after many years of using rentals.
With color, the goal is consistency. There are no alternative developers,
and until the advent of scan and print machines, most printing has been done
with diffusion enlargers/printers. When I shoot a roll of Provia, I want it
to be just like every other roll I have shot. Not a bit blue, or yellow, or
whatever. I also want the speed to be exactly the same. You just can't do
that with a one shot system, and it's damn difficult with a low volume
replenished system.
You want a lab with a replenished system that processes lots of rolls each
day. One that begins the day with a control strip, and maybe even uses one
after lunch. That has the equipment to analyze the results, and make needed
corrections. My favorite is a lab that uses a dip and dunk machine, but
higher volume labs that use a cine machine can do every bit as good. What
you don't want is that corner mini-lab with the Wing-Lynch or Jobo.
If you want another hobby, knock yourselves out, but for good photos, don't
try color processing at home.
Bill Pearce
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