A concentrate kit for reversal processing of colour film in the ORWO C-9165 process — enough for 4–5 rolls. Five bottles of concentrate make up 500 ml of each working solution. This is the process for ORWO reversal stock and Soviet colour films such as Svema TsO, which give unpredictable results in E-6.
What is in the kit
Five bottles of concentrate packed as 100 + 100 + 50 + 100 + 100 ml in a zip-lock bag with a printed instruction sheet — the complete set of solutions for C-9165 reversal processing, first and second developers included, making up 500 ml of EACH bath — a full set of solutions for the stated yield. Take the stage order, times and temperatures from the instruction sheet in the kit.
Which films need it
C-9165 is the native reversal process for ORWO colour films and the Soviet reversal stock built to the same formulation, Svema TsO among them. Those emulsions are designed around different developers than modern E-6, and in it they give shifted colours and a density that cannot be recovered. If you want an actual slide out of such a roll rather than a surprise, this is where it belongs.
How far it goes
The kit covers 4–5 rolls, roughly 175–225 ₴ of chemistry per roll. A reversal process is longer and has more stages than a negative one, so it uses more chemistry per roll than C-41 does. The figures above are for the default size; the larger kits on this page work out cheaper per roll, and the selector above recalculates both price and yield.
What else you need
A tank and reel, an accurate thermometer, measuring vessels and a water bath — reversal processing is as sensitive to temperature at the first developer stage as E-6 is. Old reversal film is almost always expired, so margin for a test roll is especially worthwhile here. The equipment is in the darkroom and accessories sections.
Frequently asked questions
Can I develop this film in E-6?
Technically it will go through the process, but the colours will be shifted and the density will not be what the emulsion was made for. On expired film that almost always means a result you can no longer recover in a scan. C-9165 gives the intended result.
Why is a reversal process harder than a negative one?
There are more stages, and the first developer sets both the density and the contrast of the finished positive — a time or temperature error there cannot be corrected at the printing or scanning stage the way it can with a negative. That is why a water bath and an accurate thermometer are not optional here.
How long do the diluted solutions last?
The shelf life is in the kit instructions. Both developers oxidise faster than the other solutions — keep them in tightly closed containers with no air space, and do not mix more than you plan to use soon.
We do not currently offer C-9165 as a lab service, so this kit is the only way to get a slide out of that film.
