Utility of excess cut down film?

[RJ-]

Hi there,

Cutting down 8x10" infrared film, to whole plate format (6 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch), I'm left with strips of approximately 1 1/2 inches.

I wonder if other users have found any creative or useful purpose for these remainders?


RJ

[Ash]

possibly to be used as test strips for creative exposure?

[RJ-]

Hi Ash,

Thanks for the thoughts - I've nailed the exposure for the film ... it's only taken 6 years!

I was wondering if any one has any experience of using IR film like this for internegative contacts which could then be enlarged as 5" x 1 1/2 " panorama formats.

Kind regards,

RJ

[Jim Galli]

Make a box with pinholes on 4 sides.

Make a 360 degree picture with your leftovers.

see illustr.

[RJ-]

Thank you Jim - that's very creative.

Do you have a working example?

[Jim Galli]

Not yet. Looked like it might be kind of fun though. I've fallen behind on just about everything but ideas. :D jg

[jnantz]

you can also use these scraps to test your fixer.
when you mix a batch of new fixer, see how long it takes to
clear the film ( exposed to room light ) note the time ..
use your fixer until it taxes 2 times the time to clear your film ...

[Neil Purling]

Here's a question:
There is aerial survey film appearing on the auction site. Is it a real bitch to cut down film from a 5" wide roll into 4x5 sheets?
I don't have a darkroom to try it myself and the house freezer is chock full of food, so you couldn't get a roll of Panatomic X in there if you wanted to.
It was one of those films I only used once (in 1987). There wasn't anything bad about it, I was just spoilt for choice at the time and my preference was East German ORWO NP15.
If you want a slow film there's the EFKE. What does the Kodak do that is enough to make you go to such lengths of cutting down a massive roll?

[Colin Robertson]

google 'tortuga pinhole camera' to see working multi-pinhole panpramic camera.

[Colin Robertson]

forgive imbecile spelling

[RJ-]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone.

Neil - cutting down 5" x 4" from 5" aerial roll is very straightforward, particularly with only one cut per sheet. The aerial emulsion has a thinner base than sheet film, however if you're accustomed to Panatomic X; aerial sheet film and Rollei IR sheet film, then it's straightforward adding a notch to the emulsion side.

The Orwo NP15 still exists in various marketing reformulations as a single layer emulsion, including a beautiful revision by Bergger (NP15) and Wephota. The rationale for cutting down film to whole plate format is, that there is no current infrared film on the market; Rollei, Efke and Maco won't be releasing infrared film in this format anytime soon.

Kind regards,

RJ

[Jim Galli]

Neil, I confess to being an aerial recon film cutter upper. I've found the 4X5 is more trouble than it's worth. The base of this stuff is like 3 mils. The natural curl of the film holds it to the back of the film holder so flatness is easy enough. I don't notch as it curls into the emulsion so no need. The trouble I have with the 5X4 is in the development. Its so thin and bendy it won't stay put in any of the Jobo tanks or anything else I can think of. Now 5X7 solves all of those problems and I do it quite a bit. The Panatomic Aerial film has a grain structure just like Technical Pan. You can't find it with a 10X loupe. It is extremely contrasty so that is a consideration. In flat lighting and under the right conditions it is one of the most beautiful films for Pt Pd printing I've ever encountered. It just glows.

[sun of sand]

test it out in an SLR. Roll up or cut into pieces and place on the gate singularly.

[RJ-]

SOS - thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately IR sheet film is already very grainy before cutting further down to 35mm sections.

Theoretically, I guess it is possible to use the strip to create an interpositive, exposed through an infrared filter on the enlarger, in order to create an infrared image from a non-infrared positive?

Jim - the only method for developing 5x4" Panatomic X which I am aware of relies on the deep tank method, availing of the four cornered crocodile clips. I can imagine its application for alternative processes as you have mentioned; it is very striking in semi-standing concentrations of an acutance developer too.

Kind regards,

RJ