Use of X-ray film: technical discussion with example images

[koraks]

Good luck Don't worry too much about the bellows unless you're working at a very close distance and with and long lens. You can use and bellows correction calculator to determine how far off you'll be, but generally at a couple of yards the problem pretty much disappears for all practical purposes. Variations in you shutter are likely to be more significant anyway.

[Sweep]

Eight sheets exposed, four at ISO64/15th sec/f45 and four at ISO80/15th sec/f45.5. The CL81 and Rodinal should arrive tomorrow so I can continue the experiments then.
I will start at 7minutes at 20degC and process one of each of the two settings at the same time. I did, however, forgot to add the reference Spyder cube to the first four shots but this will actually make it easy to identify the two different settings.
By the way, these are the first ever 10x8 exposures I have ever made and have got to say I did feel a bit of a berk with the dark-cloth over my head in full view of the neighbours. Does this feeling wear off over time?

...Sweep

[andrewch59]

Hi Sweep, if its anything like my first time, yes I felt very self conscious, but that seems to dissipate as the confidence grows. Exciting times producing your own images, my hat off to for giving it a go

...Andrew

[Sweep]

Well, the first two sheets are out of the tank, and whilst these are only test sheets, I am a little underwhelmed.
4 min soak, 7min at 20degC with 100:1 Rodinal, Ilfostop,
The first thing that struck me was the track lines down each side which appeared to have been made by the Catlabs CL81. Hopefully this is just a consequence of the x-ray film having emulsion,on both sides, and not the CL81, as I will be devestatec if I lose nearly 1/4" off each side when I start using Ilford. Someone please tell me this is so.

[Chauncey Walden]

When I started out some time ago with Carestream CSG double sided 8x10 film I was a bit frustrated with the results in spite of trying various methods of processing. I got some Carestream EB/RA single sided and while much better it still left some things to be desired as regards evenness and consistency in development. I recently decided to try again with a different method. Now I consider it licked and it was so easy to accomplish. I picked up a Teflon coated baking tray from Walmart (13 3/4 x 9 3x4 interior dimensions). I put 400 ml of developer (Rodinal 1 to 100 distilled water 70 to 72 degrees) in the tray. With a red LED on (E27-R8-G from superbrightleds.com in a reflector about 6 feet away - although it probably doesn't matter as I use the same light for loading and for cutting film to smaller formats) I take the film from the holder and slip it into the tray with the developer. I gently rock the tray end to end and side to side for 6 to 6.5 minutes (I hold the tray under the light at 5 minutes and decide for the time). I dump the developer and flush the film in the tray with a bit (about 400-450 ml) of tap water for 3 10 to 15 second washes as a stop bath. I dump in 450 ml of film fixer and fix the film then rinse again with water in the developing tray and put the film in another tray with gently running water on it until the next sheet is ready to wash. Remove, hang and dry. So simple and so consistent. I may even be tempted to try the double sided again although if I can't be guaranteed quality results with it, it won't be worth my time.

[Jim Noel]

When I started out some time ago with Carestream CSG double sided 8x10 film I was a bit frustrated with the results in spite of trying various methods of processing. I got some Carestream EB/RA single sided and while much better it still left some things to be desired as regards evenness and consistency in development. I recently decided to try again with a different method. Now I consider it licked and it was so easy to accomplish. I picked up a Teflon coated baking tray from Walmart (13 3/4 x 9 3x4 interior dimensions). I put 400 ml of developer (Rodinal 1 to 100 distilled water 70 to 72 degrees) in the tray. With a red LED on (E27-R8-G from superbrightleds.com in a reflector about 6 feet away - although it probably doesn't matter as I use the same light for loading and for cutting film to smaller formats) I take the film from the holder and slip it into the tray with the developer. I gently rock the tray end to end and side to side for 6 to 6.5 minutes (I hold the tray under the light at 5 minutes and decide for the time). I dump the developer and flush the film in the tray with a bit (about 400-450 ml) of tap water for 3 10 to 15 second washes as a stop bath. I dump in 450 ml of film fixer and fix the film then rinse again with water in the developing tray and put the film in another tray with gently running water on it until the next sheet is ready to wash. Remove, hang and dry. So simple and so consistent. I may even be tempted to try the double sided again although if I can't be guaranteed quality results with it, it won't be worth my time.

If you like the Carestream as much as I do , stick with it, at least for the 1st 100 sheets. No one is going to guarantee you anything when it comes to using double sided film. It is all up to you.

[andrewch59]

Reading some of the documented ways of taming xray in previous posts might help

[koraks]

Chauncey, that's about how I do it with double sided film as well, but that's much more challenging, as I find I have to flip the sheet over every 20 seconds or so to get both sides to develop evenly. I'd stick to single sided film if you have access to it. It's not really worth it to go back to double sided in my opinion.

[seezee]

Chauncey, that's about how I do it with double sided film as well, but that's much more challenging, as I find I have to flip the sheet over every 20 seconds or so to get both sides to develop evenly. I'd stick to single sided film if you have access to it. It's not really worth it to go back to double sided in my opinion.

So, the reason I switched to double-sided film from Ektascan was because I wanted a blue-sensitive emulsion. I want that 'colorblind' look, rather than the 'ortho' look of green sensitive film.

I'd gladly pay more for a single-sided blue sensitive film, if I could find it. Anyone know if such a beastie exists?

[koraks]

I've never heard of a single sided blue sensitive xray film. You could use a green sensitive film and fit a blue filter on the lens. You'd have to reduce the EI by 2/3 to 1 stop, I suppose.