help needed: Glass negatives...

[Emil Schildt]

I just found in my house some packs of old glass negatives - unopened...

(Don't remember where I got them from...)

I'd like to try them, but I have no idea what iso to try - and what development to use...

Any help from you experts?

First is called "Eisenberger"

Second is Ilford "Auto filter plates"..

Third has only danish text:

"Extra rapide "Ideal"" ---

size is 18x24cm for all....

Could be so much fun to try them out...

[Jim Noel]

You are going to have to experiment.
I would start with a test by exposing at EIs 3, 6 and 12.
Develop by inspection in D-23 with some benzotriazole added to combat fog.
If you aren't knowledgeable about DBI, start with 5- 8 minutes @70 deg.

[Emil Schildt]

You are going to have to experiment.
I would start with a test by exposing at EIs 3, 6 and 12.
Develop by inspection in D-23 with some benzotriazole added to combat fog.
If you aren't knowledgeable about DBI, start with 5- 8 minutes @70 deg.

:o

heh - I am not familiar with D-23 and I have no idea what DBI means, so.....

But test I will..

[William Whitaker]

Develop By Inspection
In this context, anyway. Michael Smith has a piece on it at http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/devinsp.html.

[Emil Schildt]

Develop By Inspection
In this context, anyway. Michael Smith has a piece on it at http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/devinsp.html.

thanks - I had no idea...

[Roger Cole]

:o

heh - I am not familiar with D-23 and I have no idea what DBI means, so.....

But test I will..

And Ken Lee has a section on D23:

http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/D-23.php

Unless you buy it from the Formulary or some similar place you will probably have to mix it yourself, but it's almost silly simple and cheap. The pre-measured Formulary kit is NOT cheap, but is an easy way to try it out before you buy the components separately:

http://stores.photoformulary.com/-strse-27/Developer-23%2C-Swan-Valley%2C/Detail.bok

[Emil Schildt]

And Ken Lee has a section on D23:

http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/D-23.php

Unless you buy it from the Formulary or some similar place you will probably have to mix it yourself, but it's almost silly simple and cheap. The pre-measured Formulary kit is NOT cheap, but is an easy way to try it out before you buy the components separately:

http://stores.photoformulary.com/-strse-27/Developer-23%2C-Swan-Valley%2C/Detail.bok

thanks for the links - looks like science fiction with those goggles....

[cowanw]

The collector in me says it wishes you would save these intact.
But if you must, try to get photos of something that would maintain it's unused value; like naked girls.

[Ari]

But if you must, try to get photos of something that would maintain is unused value; like naked girls.

I'll settle for half-naked. :D

[Ole Tjugen]

Gandolfi, I would use a two-developer stup for these old things: One low contrast developer, one high contrast. And develop by inspection, of course..

I have a good recipe at home, and I'll be driving home tomorrow. I'll see if I can find it!

[Bill Burk]

gandolfi,

The Infrared viewer won't be necessary for the ortho Eisenberger and Ilford. Red safelight will be fine.

The Ideal label is very specific, telling you exactly what kind of women to photograph...

[dwross]

gandolfi,

At the risk of being a wet blanket, I have to say I think the plates have more value unopened than any artistic value you might get from them, even with your prodigious skills. They are likely seriously fogged from age.

That said, you won't need a yellow filter with the Ilford plates. 'Auto filter' means a yellow dye was incorporated in the emulsion.

Since you have limited materials to experiment with, it would be handy to get as much information from as few as possible initial tests. I have an old 4"x5" exposure test film, meant to go over a 4"x5" negative in an enlarger. It has an exposed circle with pie slices of different densities and corresponding suggestions about exposure subtraction. If you load a plate with something like that on top of it, you can give the plate what you are certain is over-exposure and then back off the exposure on the next plate to try to match what you learned from the test exposure. Something to keep in mind about many of the old recipes is that they will actually lose density if they are seriously overexposed -- until they 'flip' into reversal mode (solarization.) Remembering that will make it less confusing to interpret your exposure tests.

d

[Emil Schildt]

thanks all.
Ole - I'll be interested in seeing your recipie....

The collector in me also makes this a difficult decision - I'll only open one first (maybe one of the 5 in all packages is already open..).

but out of interest: who might collect these old heavy items?

[Ole Tjugen]

Finally got my network up and running again!

Willi Beutler's three-solution development setup is the best bet - although most likely you would only use the high-contrast one!

Formulas to follow...

[Emil Schildt]

Gandolfi, I would use a two-developer stup for these old things: One low contrast developer, one high contrast. And develop by inspection, of course..

I have a good recipe at home, and I'll be driving home tomorrow. I'll see if I can find it!

Stine (girlfriend) asked me if I didn't think a two bath lith development could be used?

She is SO good at this - and when she does this on old fogged papers, the fog never appears....

and the amount og greytones from deep black to white are amazing.....

Worth a try?

[Ole Tjugen]

worth a try, but I was thinking more in terms of a hard-working HQ developer with restrainer in it until something starts to appear, followed by a soft Metol developer to bring out the greys...

[MMELVIS]

thanks all.
... but out of interest: who might collect these old heavy items?

Someone like me who collects tintypes and old glass plates. Try to find a set of original plates for a Vive MPC Model A. The fact you have 3 different types is amazing, you are even luckier if you have the vintage equipment to shoot these plates. Enjoy what ever you choose to do and please post any results.