Cross processing of color negatives in ORWO C-9165

Here is my experience with cross-processing of color negatives in ORWO C-9165 — a color reversal process from the ’80s. This process has been designed for ORWO reversible series of films like UT and UK. I have illustrated it and some results here and here. This process is similar to Kodak Process E-2 from the late ’50s, as described by www.photomemorabilia.co.uk in a detailed and very informative post. Agfa had their version, called Process 41. Seems like ORWO were quite slow to adopt this process, or were meticulous in improving its quality (wink).

When cross-processing C-41 films in E-6 one shall expect low contrast, yellow/magenta tint, muted and shifted colors. Other collateral damages may occur spontaneously, but those are like bonus tracks on a new CD. 

In this experiment I enslaved few films — Fuji Superia 100, Fuji Eterna 500T, Kodak 5247 and Svema DS-5M. First one is well known C-41 film, where the other three are cinema color negative emulsions, produced in different times and on different continents.

Here are the results and details about shooting/processing.

Fuji Superia 100

Shot as ISO 100, developed for 15 min. at 25° C in the first developer (+1 stops push)

Result was a film with dense yellow tint, faint contrast and difficult to define colors:

Fuji Superia cross processed in C-9165

However, after color correction and levels adjustments I got the following:

Fuji Superia 100 in C-9165, color corrected

I shot these flags to have a reference for the colors shift that I expected. The right one is the flag of EU, the left one is Bulgarian flag. That is another color-reference shot:

I had to color correct the whole film to get readable pictures. As I’ve heard, most of the cross processed color negatives need that type of beauty procedure.

Fuji Eterna 500T

Shot as ISO 25 – 50, developed for 9 min. at 25° C in the first developer (no push/pull)

This is a cine color negative film, ISO 500, balanced for tungsten light. I did not use warming filter. 

Without color balance correction the positives had brown-dark magenta look. Compared to Fuji Superia above the images were clearly recognizable and with acceptable contrast.

Fuji Eterna 500T in ORWO C-9165

After color correction:

Fuji Eterna 500T in C-9165, color corrected

I did not push the film in the first developer, if I consider shot-as E.I. Film is tungsten balances and cross processed, so it is difficult for me to judge reasons and amount of color escapade.

Kodak 5247

Shot as ISO 12 – 25, developed for 6 min. in the first developer.

This is another cinema color negative film that I wrote about here. Its original process is ECN-II, but it goes well in C-41. The film is tungsten balanced and in this case I used yellow warming filter.

With this one the yellow tint is very strong, I guess the filter added tons to it. Here is an example without color correction…

… and color corrected:

Kodak 5247 has a specific toning, when developed in C-41. Cross processed, it surprised me with creamy look. 

Svema DS-5M

Shot as ISO 12 – 25, first developer 7 min.

This is Russian cinema color negative film from the ’70s. It is developed under specific process, for more details see here. 

I got very thick red images. After color correction pictures are almost monochromatic. If you check the example in the link above you will find some results with this film in C-41 — again, almost monochromatic cyan toned pictures. But cyan is about the negative of red, so reversal of this film was quite correct.

Svema DS-5M in ORWO C-9165

Some of the above may sound like quite unnatural combination for cross processing, but hey, do you remember when Arnold Schwarzenegger played a pregnant scientist? Compared to his double salto mortale, these deviations are like inflating balloons for a birthday party.