anyone use Kodak Green Latitude x-ray Film

[UberSquid]

I've tried to search the forum but I don't get any results for this specific film. I almost hate to post a link to it since I'm currently back ordered on some Fuji green x-ray film, if people start buying this stuff up I might have to wait in line again!

http://www.cxsonline.com/text/detailpage.tmpl?command=showpage&sn=96384&sku=GL1171818&cart=13252549179483652&location=10011002

I'm wondering if the higher latitude will make it more like regular film in its response to mid-tones. From a lot of the photos I've seen taken with X-Ray film it seems that the contrast is really high without much middle area. Then again, I hate to waste $50 on film that I won't use.

I guess if nothing else I could use it to make prints. I'm planning on using my enlarger to expose a sheet of film to make a positive and then mounting it on white glass. I'm not sure if I will get the effect I'm after or not but it's different and should be fun. I'm thinking of maybe even making a special frame and putting LEDs behind the white glass to make a installable back lit display.

[Lachlan 717]

Look for the thread on "post your xray images"...

[SMBooth]

Eight posts down.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=48099

[UberSquid]

I looked at that thread but I couldn't find where anyone had posted any definite results. Doesn't matter anyway, I ordered some yesterday and I'm going to go through testing with a couple different developers. I'll post my results in case anyone else is looking for a baseline for this film.

[SMBooth]

Probably the best, I've been using Kodak MGX which I rate at ISO25 and develop in Rodinal 1:200 for 6min. That film looks very similar. I found a pre-wet work well too.

[EdWorkman]

Hey Ube
Keep looking - there are many [lots of] actual pictures etc etc posted on this forum and over on APUG. Lots of subject types too, color responses-. But don't stop your own trials, the reported milages vary a whole lot. I suppose part of that is the spectral response- it isn't quite what we are quite to, and that "look", whatever it is, leads folks different directions [EI, developer, final print, blah and also more blah].

[UberSquid]

I've been playing with the Kodak Latitude for a while now and I've gotten some decent results. I've used a couple of different developers, mostly one shot R09 at 1:200 for six minutes and Dektol at 1:6 for four minutes or so. The Dektol is hard to control the contrast. I started lowering the temp of the soup in an effort to reduce contrast but I think I'm going to give up on Dektol and stick to R09.

I've played with shooting at both 50 and 100. I think I get a more printable negative at 100. When I shoot at 50 and develop fully the shadows tend to block up too much. I'm getting nice even tones at 100 though. So far I don't have anything worth posting in the way of photos, it's all been just snap shot type photos to film speed and development times but I'm narrowing in on it slowly. I think for me the key is to purposely shoot for low contrast and then adjust it back up during printing. The contrast just builds too quickly on the negative to make it easily controlled in camera.

[andreios]

As said - R09 1:200 - for 10 minutes (i work with cca 18°C water), Dektol (and similar) works much quicker but only if you want contrasty negs (like for some alt processes - but even then it is quite hard to control - I found more useful to lower the temperature than dilution.) And I am shooting it around ISO80-100

[UberSquid]

I've not tried any filters on my lens. I'm trying to get a feel for the film before I introduce any other variables. Right now I'm developing in R09 1:300 for six minutes and then stripping the back side. I'm getting pretty good tonal range but I'm loosing a bit of definition on the highlights and the shadows tend to block up a bit. What is interesting is that when I get a very fine dark line running through a bright background it tends to get lost. I was shooting snap shots with a Crown Graphic while out fishing the other day and I was getting really nice contrast except that the fishing rods disappear against the sky! I've never seen this on any other film. Dropping down to a number 1 filter has helped give me back some of that detail but it's still obvious when a dark line goes from a darker region to a lighter region. Do I need to extend my development? I'd hate to have to develop more and raise the contrast from where I am right now.

Actually I'm really starting to like x-ray film. It's saved the day a couple of times now. Winter in Indiana is usually pretty flat and gray. Yesterday I was out shooting when it was really overcast and flat. My subject didn't have a lot of contrast so I was worried I wouldn't get much. When I developed my negatives the Foma came out unprintable but the Kodak x-ray had nice density and good contrast. They aren't the best as far as tonal range but a lot better than what I was hoping for considering the lighting conditions of the day! I'll always have at least a few film holders with x-ray film in them now just for those flat days when normal film doesn't have enough contrast to make the cut. That and I really like the look of the stuff.