ECN-2 chemistry kit

Description

NBTG’s ECN-2 development kit for cinefilm, now for home use! A full chemistry kit, exactly the same as I use in the lab. If you want to process your own remjet backed Vision3 film at home, this is your chance!

I formulate my ECN-2 chemistry according to the official Kodak documentation (Processing KODAK Motion Picture Films, module 7) with some slight changes to keep the price down, which don’t interfere with your results. This kit will make:

• 1 liter of ECN-2 developer, good for 12-14 rolls of 35mm/120 film
• 600ml, good for about 7-8 rolls. Perfect for a 5-reel Jobo 1550 tank.
• 500ml, good for 6 rolls. 500ml is the perfect amount for filling a 2-reel Paterson tank! Or split the kit in half for two batches to use with a  2-reel Jobo 1510.

Contents

All ECN-2 chemicals are included, apart from the fixer:

• remjet pre-bath
• developer
• optional ferricyanide bleach; regular old C-41 bleach (PDTA-based, e.g. Kodak Flexicolor Bleach III) works exactly the same. I use Fuji C-41 bleach in the lab.
• a printed instruction booklet

Aside from this kit, you’ll need:

• distilled water (for the developer at least)
• fixer (see next paragraph)
• (optional, but highly recommended) Photo-Flo

No fixer!

• The kit does not come with fixer, but you can use C-41 fixer or neutral to alkaline non-hardening black-and-white fixer. I use Fujifilm C-41 fixer, but some neutral options are Bellini FX100, Bergger BerFix, Fotospeed FX30, LegacyPro EcoPro, Rollei RXN and Tetenal Superfix.
• Do not use acidic fixers with any color film, as this will most likely degrade the dyes in your negatives leading to archival problems. It can also cause formation of leuco cyan dyes (invisible cyan dye; lower contrast in red).
• You can also use this kit for developing non remjet films by skipping the prebath. If you already have C-41 bleach, you can also order the developer refill by itself as that contains everything you’ll need.

Notes

• ECN-2 also works for regular C-41 films, with a lower contrast result. Try Phoenix 200 @ 125 in ECN-2!
• A developer refill is available separately. The bleach will have enough capacity for at least 40 rolls of film. The prebath will expire sooner but you can DIY it easily (Kodak PB-C9).
• If you don’t want to develop your film yourself, I can also develop your film for you for €9,95!
• Like D-96, ECN-2 chemistry is formulated for use in continuous transport machines. You’ll get cine-worthy results with rotary processing, but manual agitation also works like a charm.
• ECN-2 developer chemistry is not very stable. You could theoretically get about a month of shelf life out of mixed dev but I use it one-shot most of the time. If I have to store it it in the lab, I do so for a maximum of 2 weeks in a dark bottle without oxygen before discarding.
• Ferricyanide bleach is very stable, loves oxygen and can be used for a long time; capacity is usually up to 40+ rolls per liter. Underbleached negs can be re-bleached with a fresh batch if your bleach ends up being exhausted.
• If you want to split the kit, make a stock solution of A and add the right amount of B (CD-3) to it just before using. You’ll need precision scales though, as adding too much or too little CD-3 will make your developer either too fast or too slow leading to color shifts.

WARNING: Make sure to follow the instructions carefully, as ECN-2 doesn’t like deviations from its standard process. Improper use of ferricyanide bleach can result in (best case) blue stains on your negatives or (worst case) the release of hydrogen cyanide. When using the optional acid stop bath with ferricyanide bleach, please take care to rinse at least 3 times with vigorous agitation. Optionally, as mentioned before, you can replace the ferricyanide bleach with a C-41 bleach, negating this risk.