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Hi all, I'm just about to jump in to the world of self E6 processing. Just wondering what chemicals some you use and the cheapest place to get them from? After a good browse on the web I've come across AG in Birmingham which sells a Fuji Hunt 3 bath kit at £51. Is this a good by?
Thanks,
Sean.

Hi Sean,

I have been using Tetenal E6 which is a 4 bath, the fourth is a stabiliser from Morco in Mansfield, and delivered to the door is £62.99 for 5 litres.

Guess yours is the cheapest so far.

Richard

Hi Sean, the Fuji hunt chemistry is fine and you seem to have found a very good price. I last bought from First Call and they charged a lot more.

Thanks Richard and Joanna, I think I'll go with the Fuji Hunt 3 bath. How many sheets of film do you usually develop with a 5 litre kit and how long is the life of the chemicals once opened?

I've lost track of how many sheets I've done, plus I've had a fair bit of 120 through it.

Basically think that with one of those 5ltr kits you will get 20 batches of fluid if you use 250ml in a normal small 4x5 tank (the one that takes 6 sheets or 2 rolls of 120). So say if in each batch of chemicals you could do 12 sheets pretty safely, so that would be 240 sheets per kit. Obviously it would depend how many sheets you tend to to at one time, or if you use a bigger tank or prefer larger quantities of chemicals.

I fairly routinely do 6 sheets of 4x5 plus 2 rolls of 120 per batch of 250ml, which would average out at 280 sheets (equivalent) per kit.

In terms of storage, I've got 18months out of my current kit. That's decanting the juice into beer bottles and using vacuum wine bottle stopper (with pump) to evacuate the air. The only thing I've had is some sediment forming in the blix (see another thread I mentioned this).

Thanks Dave, that's a great help. I've got a back log of film (5x4 and 120) from March this year so I've got quite a few sheets and rolls to get through so I'll be developing 12 5x4 sheets at a time, then 6 sheets in a smaller tank once I have got my back log done.

Is there any noticeable difference in quality with a 3 bath compared to the 6 bath kit?

I'm not sure as this is my first time. AG photographic say this about it on there website;
"This New 6 Bath E6 kit from Fuji Hunt is ideal for anyone looking for "full fat" E6 processing. Whilst there is nothing wrong with the 3 bath kits (such as the other Fuji Hunt E6 kit and the Tetenal Kits) some photographers feel the 6 bath kit is the real deal and it is of course exactly the same as used in professional labs. To process around 40 - 50 35mm / 120 films."
I received my 3 bath chemicals last week and I'm just waiting for a magnet for the bottom of my tank to arrive so I should be blasting through some film at the weekend.

Sean.