Converting 35mm b & Wwnegatives to slides

Does anyone know of a photolab that can convert 35mm b & w slides (Plus X) to slides. Someone I know had it done but the person who did it is now retired.

Where are you located? Chances are, any professional lab in your area can make slides from your black and white or color negatives. Be prepared to pay at least $5 or so per image -- this is not a cheap service. If by chance you're from the Chicago area, I would highly recommend Photochrome Prints in Park Ridge. I use them for all my film processing and have always been very satisfied with the quality. They will make slides from negatives for about $6 each.

Or, if you don't have a professional lab near you, try Dale Laboratories. I'm pretty sure they offer this service.

If you have a lot of negatives from which you want to make slides, it may be more economical for you to do it yourself using a slide duplicator and Kodak Vericolor Print Film (available only in 100-foot rolls). I've only done this a few times myself, so I'm afraid I can't offer much advice. Perhaps Preston will have some tips.

If it is just B&W negatives you want to go to slides, there are/were inexpensive adapters that would screw into a 35mm camera in place of the lens. You then used a regular roll of 35mm B&W film which when processed (order it without prints or you will get prints looking like negatives <g>) would be positives. Then you would cut up into individual positives and put them in cardboard or plastic mounts.

See http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ to see what may be available, plus you could call them toll free. If anyone knows, they would.

If I remember correctly, B&H does not sell the T-mount slide duplicators Ken describes. However, I am certain Porter's does.

Keep in mind, though, that if you use regular pictorial black-and-white negative film to make slides from negatives, the contrast may get out of hand. (You might like the higher-contrast look, though.) I'd try using Kodak Technical Pan film rated at 8 or 25.

As I mentioned before, though, this is only a more economical option if you have a lot of slides to make. I don't recall the price of the duplicators Ken mentioned, but they're at least $50 new, and you're probably looking at at least $15 per roll for film, processing and mounts.

There is one other possibility. If you have access to a copy stand and also have prints you can copy the prints directly on to slide film. I've generally had excellent results with Ektachrome 160T film and 3200K
photofloods.

I'm new to the forum and have been reading past threads and came upon this. Thought I'd add to this in case anyone out there was still interested.

I used to be a photo specialist for Kodak back in another life. Left twelve years ago and never looked back, so I don't even know if these films and chemicals are still available but here goes anyhow.

Best looking B&W slides from B&W negs are (were?) made by shooting on Kodakalith Ortho film developed in D-76 developer. Yielded nice continuous tone images but slightest fluctuations in developer time and temp would show up drastically. We used dental X-ray processors for processing and used Maron-Carrol and Forox optical animation stands for printing but a Repronar or Illumitran or home made set up would all work on the same principle.

Vericolor (is it still made?) slide film is a good second choice but it is (was?) hard to get rid of color cast since it is a color film.

I think the only Kodak product you mentioned that is still being manufactured is D76.

MEC407 wrote:I think the only Kodak product you mentioned that is still being manufactured is D76.

Unfortunately you're right. Over the past few years Kodak has dumped many of its more obscure products, including Kodalith Ortho Film, Vericolor Slide Film and Vericolor Print Film.

Many major professional labs still offer negative-to-slide services, though. I'll have to ask around and see what materials they're using these days. My only guess would be they're using motion picture print film, which is still widely available and can produce rather impressive slides if the work is done well. Unfortunately, it's not as stable as E-6 film, but stability isn't much of a concern with duplicates anyway.

Dale Laboratories (www.dalelabs.com) uses Kodak VISION film to make slides from negatives.

MEC407 wrote:Dale Laboratories (www.dalelabs.com) uses Kodak VISION film to make slides from negatives.

That is a motion picture film. I've seen samples from Dale and the quality is quite good for a duplicate.

The quality is good enough for slides shows (not sure if it'd be good enough for publication), and it's fairly inexpensive. It's been a while since I've used Dale, but I remember sending in a few rolls of print film and being able to get a set of 4x6" proofs and a set of slides as part of a package deal.

I wrote:Over the past few years Kodak has dumped many of its more obscure products, including Kodalith Ortho Film, Vericolor Slide Film and Vericolor Print Film.

Gah! Even Tech Pan is discontinued now!

MikeF wrote:Gah! Even Tech Pan is discontinued now!

Indeed. Kodak recommends 100TMX as a replacement. A fine film in many ways, but it ain't no TP.

Ilford is apparently going out of business, and Agfa has sold off its film division.

MEC407 wrote:Kodak recommends 100TMX as a replacement. A fine film in many ways, but it ain't no TP.

I've heard Fuji Neopan Acros 100 is also a good extra-fine-grain substitute. But it's true, there is no "replacement" for Tech Pan.

Ilford is apparently going out of business, and Agfa has sold off its film division.

Sad times for film. Hopefully someone will continue marketing the Ilfochrome products.

Thanks for the feedback on my post. Boy, was that depressing to hear all that, but not surprising.
A couple months ago I received an invitation from Kodak to the Geo. Eastman house for a ceremony. The occasion? Kodak donated the last carousel slide projector they made (here in the US, anyhow) to the Smithsonian. Talk about feeling old! I used to make my living creating slide shows and now that equipment is in a museum.