Until recently, this company labeed its film as "Process SFW-XL only." Now there is a class-action suit against them, alleging that they misled the public, because the film process required is really just C-41. In response, the company agreed to a settlement in which they would, among other things, change the label to indicate that C-41 is appropriate. I handed my Girlfriend a roll of the SFW film labeled for the "SFW-XL" and told her that she should tell the lab to run it through as C-41, no matter what it says. But a store in ,New Mexico refused to take it. They told her it was motion picture film, and it would gunk up thier machine.

Who is right, here? Is there any truth to the camera store's claim, or were they misinformed?

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), July 29, 2001

Answers

I searched the web for information on this film. It does appear to be movie film, and the lab was correct--it has to be processed in a dedicated processor because it tends to leave deposits on the roller transport mechanism. I suspect (but do not know for certain) that the process is still C-41.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), July 30, 2001.

Bob:

Unless there has been a change, the SFW stuff is respooled movie film with an anti-halation layer on the back that is not fully soluble in C-41 chemistry, and it does indeed mess up the entire batch of chemicals in a C -41 process. Almost all films have antihalation backings to prevent reflection of light back thru the emulsion creating fuzzyness, but standard films have layers that are fully soluble in regular developers or even water.

If you really want to try it, get some and get a small C-41 home kit. If it works, keep doing it, because no matter how much you seem to know, or cry or cajole, any sensible minilab operator will not touch it.

Save a few bucks and cry.

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), July 30, 2001.

In the dedicated processor the anti-halation layer is treated chemically, at the beginning of the process and then buffed off with a wheel.

-- Ed Farmer (photography2k@hotmail.com), July 30, 2001.

Thanks for all the info, guys. It wasn't vitally important to process SFW film locally, I just thought it would be convenient. The email I received about the lawsuit gave the impression that it could be processed in C-41. Apparently that was more misleading than SFW's claim that it should be processed only in their own SFW-XL process.

What is really confusing is that the latest film they are sending, wearing the PhotoWorks badge rather than SFW, is labeled for C-41 development!

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), July 30, 2001.

Bob:

The films available today from SFW are C41 compatible. Those who say otherwise are not up to date with their information. However, some of the older movie stock films are still floating around out there. The way to tell the difference is that the base side of the movie stock films are black. I worked for a number of years in a local lab that readily accepted SFW films if the film base was not black. At that time the bar code on the films made them print using the printer's Scotch film channel.

-- Ken Burns (kenburns@twave.net), July 31, 2001.