Slides - white balance?

[Onyx]

Alright filmo's, I discovered an old roll of Ektachrome 100HC in our fridge, it's going into the FM for a test run. The problem is, expiry date is 1993. I've never shot slides before, so I don't know first hand - but I've read that the colour dyes could change over time. Change in what way? Is there anything I have to do to compensate?

Do I have to worry about white balance? There's no Kelvin colour temperature indicated or mentioned on the packaging... Should I assume daylight 5400K and work with that?

Once this roll along with my other rolls of film are processed, I'll probably look into a suitable but affordable film scanner to digitise them.

[gstark]

Inside thje box it should say whether it's daylight or tungsten, or else looking at the exposure indications there will be something that gives you the answer to this.

Beyond that, just go and shoot - it's not as if you have any wb settings on the FM anyway, so unless you have the appropriate CC filters, or are proepared to go and buy them, the point is pretty well moot.

Has the film been stored in the fridge all of the time since before the expiry date? If so, I'd be somewhat confodent that it's ok, but I still wouldn;t be shooting anything too critical on it.

Processing should be standard E6; I wouldn't worry about the fading; the film is more likely to be off than have had its dyes fade, but again, it's reasonably likely to be ok too.

The only other point is that Ecky has a low-sh contrast ratio, so you need to be a tad picky about your exposure. Use the FM's inbuilt CW metering, ensuring that you're setting your meter on something approximating your grey shade, and you should be fine.

[Onyx]

Thanks Gary, and LostDingo via PM, Gary could you also look into LostDingo's access/posting priviledges?

Yes i was going to bother with colour corrective filters - there's a whole collection here gathering dust and I thought it'd be a nice to make use of them, also learning to shoot 'blind' (ie. no LCD review/histogram), and face the issues that affected shooters before the digital era, to better myself for D70's return and/or better appreciate the technological advances of digital.

Should I assume 5-stop total latitude for slides?

I suppose naturally my next question would be - any E6 processors in the western Sydney area? I'd rather go to the place that does it themselves than handing it to the chemist that takes it to the shop that does them.

[gstark]

Chi,

Thanks Gary, and LostDingo via PM, Gary could you also look into LostDingo's access/posting priviledges?

Thanx for alerting me to this; I've upgraded Paul's membership.

Yes i was going to bother with colour corrective filters - there's a whole collection here gathering dust and I thought it'd be a nice to make use of them,

That would certainly be interesting, especially givne the uncertain quality of the film stock you're playing with. I personally wouldn't bother, and would just gopher it.

Should I assume 5-stop total latitude for slides?

That would be about right, as the total range.

There used to be a lab on Victoria Rd, near the road that runs down towards Rosehill Racecourse. North western side of that instersection, as I recall, but I'm going back many, many years.

There's probably a couple around the North Ryde area, or else somewhere around Chatswood. More north than west, but that's Sydney for ya.

You're going to be looking at pro labs for this work though, and paying pro prices; might it be a more fun/better exercise to buy yourself an E6 kit and get yourself wet for this one? that would cost more, as you'd also need to invest in the requisite hardware, but it'd be a hell of a lot of fun.