happy with graphic arts film?

[Murray]

I would like to hear from people who have gotten satisfactory results from ortho response high contrast graphic arts films like Kodak Polychrome and the Arista APH or APHS types, obviously using the right kind of developers to get usable contrast & continuous tone.

Maybe what differences there were between APH and APHS or any other economy vs premium GA film.

Thank you

Murray Leshner

[John Kasaian]

Well, what I like about it is that you can develop by inspection
under a red safelight....safely! :D

[EdWorkman]

Take a look at Jim Galli website

[Murray]

Yah, that is inspiring. I'm committed to the film I won, now. I was just hoping to run into more users to ask questions of.

Thanks

[Doug Herta]

Murray,

I use APHS to make enlarged negatives and have put in the camera as well. I use PMK 1:2:100 in trays most of the time. To tame contrast I have used the LC-1 formula published in Christopher James "The book of Alternate Photographic Processes". I have also used Rodinal 1:25.

Any particular plan with what you want to do with it? You could probably get more specific answers if you had an application in mind.

[Murray]

Plan?

You got time?

1) Get some while the gettin' was good. I don't have space to do it yet, but I got a good price.

2) I worry that I may not be able to get mural paper, as I would like to be able to do modestly large mural size prints some day. If photo paper ever becomes extinct, the long-range ultimate goal would be to learn or pay for b/w reversal processing, and enlarge onto big negs and do large alt-process, cyano, & iron-silver alt-processes. I got 24" and 30" rolls.

3) In-camera is also of interest, likely before #2 above. I'll probably start with 2x3 to be able to do alot of testing. I have some unconventional filmholding ideas to try along the lines of glass negative holders used in enlarging, with anti-reflective glass (the metallic coated type) for one layer. Shooting thru glass works with graphic arts work, but admittedly there is more control over the lighting indoors :O). That would be for larger than 4x5. At 0.004" I understand flatness may be an issue.

4) I also got a roll of IR laserdiode recording film to try. They were all cheap ($20 a roll + shipping) It looks to be responsive to roughly 750-830 nm (no data above 830, but the response rolloff slope isn't any steeper there than below 750). Agfa's simialr film looks to have response down to at least 700 nm. This stuff needs a 7/7B dark green safelight, but at least it tolerates a safelight. By my crude math attempts to compare ergs/cm^2 for D = 4.0 to for example HIE's rquirement for a much lower density, I'm prepared to see several stops slower 'speed' or sensitivity. I realize there are alot more variables, basically apples vs oranges in many ways.

Murray


The Agfa stuff reponds to UV and IR. The Kodak Polychrome stuff - I can't recall seeing a UV response which surprised me. I won't say it has none, because then I might be wrong.

That's about it...for now.

I was given a densitometer. Hopefully that will become useful.

[Neil Purling]

I have the last half -box of 2x100 sheet boxes of Kodak 4125 Professional Copy Film. I ran a test using the dark-slide of the holder so the negative had bands ranging from -1stop to +2 stops. This was around whatever the speed rating of the film was supposed to be. I eventually arrived on a speed of 12ASA in Rodinal 1:50. The film is not colour sensitive of course.
I have since then started to use some Maco Genius Print Film, which is even slower at 3ASA. I think I could raise the dev time by 15% for some work, especially with the ancient optics I have so lately been using.
I am as near to the speed of the old wet plates as possible with a modern emulsion.
I use a black bottle cap as a shutter, counting 1-1000, 2-1000 etc.
One does have to be careful of pin-holes in the Maco emulsion by bubbles clinging to it.
I thus never agitate at all strongly, I have only one finger each side of the tank and problems have been much reduced.
I would never use the Maco for anything important.