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If you go back more than 7-8 years (15?), you'll see a post where I try yellow and green filters. The film always looked better when a yellow filter is used instead of none. I believe I also talked about the zip lock bag method but abandoned it in favour of flat- bottomed trays. Zero scratches. I do up to 14x17, always double sided green. Double-sided will always be slightly unsharp compared to single-sided, but it still has a look that I really dig. I have a few videos on my YouTube channel, and will add many more in the near future! :o
Welcome to the forum!
Thanks, Analog Andy and Tin Can for the welcome. It was your Analog Andy youtube videos on this topic that got me interested in xray. The one using your custom 14 by 17 with yellow filter and contact printing VanDyke Brown. I enjoy your videos, especially the carbon printing series.
I have read in this record length thread others using cheap plastic 4x5 daylite tanks for double sided film processing. Kinda like having a dozen cut film holders. My old Doran has been in storage for 20 years along with all my other film photography gear. Many example photos on flikr using 4x5 HR-U look sharp enough for 3-4X enlargement, so am heading that direction.
Andy IS an expert!
I just try to have fun
I use a DIY Gas Burst system with Rodinol, distilled water and TF5
I use KODAK hangers only
4 up 8X10, 8 up 5X7, and 16 up 4X5
The most fun is 2X3 sheet in a Can with waffle, an actual rare method
10 in a SS can, usually roll film
Next up 14X36" X Ray 2X
I see saw that in a tray
and of course weak Red Led safe light on all X-Ray
I even dry in the can
I’ve always used a K1 or K2 filter with green X-ray film.
Tin Can and xray film repurposers,
I've been using these 6W LED Lamps as ortho safelights: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1
Current price is $5.99 for a two pack. These lamps are internally true red LED and have red bulb filter as well. Do not fog ortho litho film at 3 ft. distance. Do not fog FUJI HR-U indirectly at 8 feet with film exposed face up for 12 minutes.
The are not claimed to be safelights but work very well. FYI I continue to use caution. Thanks for all the information.
I use 1 or 2 watt and bounce it
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Townsend
Another though I've concerning repurposing xray film for photography concerns light meters. This comment relates to orthochromatic films in general, not just green xray. Some use a cyan filter over tradition silicon meter cell. If only some smart phone app would turn off that pesky red channel data.
CdS photocells are still available in the US. I just got a bag of 30 on Amazon for about six bucks. These are outlawed in Europe now and will likely be unavailable in the US soon. Stock up soon. Many older cameras and light meters use them.
These cells have a similar frequency reponse to light as does orthochromatic films, blue and green sensitivity with little red response. They make excellent ortho light meters. All you need is a CdS cell and a electronic multimeter set to read ohms and a way to calibrate it. Find the reciprocal of resistance by dividing 1 by the resistance and you get the conductance of the cell, which is nearly linear with respect to light input over a broad range. Good for camera meter, darkroom enlarging meter, densitomer, etc. Acurrate enough for most uses when used with some some care, and dirt cheap in price, kinda like xray film.
Many years ago, guessing 45, I had a Popular Science, or was it Science and Mechanics photo meter, which consisted of several CdS cells, a meter unit with a needle, and a circular slide rule gadget that allowed using this for camera, enlarging, or densitometer. It was very cool in it's time, and worked well. Any body out there remember these? Just a few thoughts.
I shot 35 color for many years using Kodak instructions INSIDE the box
No meter from the 50's
Almost all slides perfect and I still have them
Tin Can,
Oops those instruction must have fallen out of my box of Fuji HR-U cause I didn't find them. :)
I agree it's good to use simple ways when possible. In my woodland photography, I'm almost never in full sun, or even open shade, or anywhere else on that box. In the field, I don't like to use the zone system. Instead, I under develop and overexpose about a stop and then use the zone system in my darkroom in making enlarged negatives to match a particular alternate process. Currently, I'm using the Liam Lawless reversal process of ortho litho film to do this but will probably experiment with xray film for this in the future.
I need an accurate darkroom meter to do darkroom zone system, which I've always believed in, but rarely actually done. My CdS cell and ohmeter provide this. This is a big advantage of enlarged negatives, the opportunity to adjust contrast to match printing papers. Darkroom trial and error exposure and contrast control can be extremely time consuming.
Ortho Litho film in the camera, even with lowest contrast development, gives too much contrast for the Liam Lawless method to adjust down to a 1.4 density range. This is the main reason I am now experimenting with xray film is its much higher sensitivity and much lower contrast.
I do not want to start using Fomapan until I absolutely have to.