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

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0362db4a_z.jpgAuto Maki no 2 270 4.8 Tele Arton HRU 4 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Automatic Makiflex #2 270mm F4.8 Tele-Arton Makiflex Auto Iris 1/30 F11 Fuji 8x10 XRay HRU cut down to 4x5 in Graphmatic back StarD tripod. Development 12 minutes 60F straight Mic-X replenished by inspection of shadow values by deep red safelight. 8x10 Arista #2 RC Omega DII 180 Rodagon f22 35 seconds Omegalite diffusion head Multigrade developer

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e8b067b9_z.jpgAuto Maki no 2 150 2.8 Xenotar HRU 5 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Automatic Makiflex #2 150mm F2.8 Xenotar wide-open 1/15 Fuji 8x10 XRay HRU cut down to 4x5 in Graphmatic back StarD tripod. Development 12 minutes 60F straight Mic-X replenished by inspection of shadow values by deep red safelight. 8x10 Arista #2 RC Omega DII 180 Rodagon f22 50 seconds Omegalite diffusion head Multigrade developer

Interesting!

It looks best on a monitor, and not my tiny phone where I first saw it

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Originally Posted by senderoaburrido

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Originally Posted by Tin Can

The best X-Ray film was single sided Kodak Ektascan, which was available in 14X17 and 8X10 only

No longer available from any source I know

All still available X-Ray is very similar, green, blue, double speed means nothing for us. It is all double sided.

There is a bit of Mammo film left, but only metric sizes as far as I know

Be careful what you buy and make sure it is wet process and not DRY, or digital or anything else

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How about film described as 'Blue x-ray film for Western Blot'. 'Consistently Superior Results for Chemiluminescence; Excellent for Autoradiography of 14C, 35S, 32P, 33P, 125I'.

I've written to the seller, but wonder if anyone here knows anything about this? It seems to be re-packaged Fuji film, but they don't say which.

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Originally Posted by Daniel Unkefer

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e8b067b9_z.jpgAuto Maki no 2 150 2.8 Xenotar HRU 5 by Nokton48, on Flickr

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Is that a Chihuly sculpture among the plants?

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Originally Posted by seezee

Is that a Chihuly sculpture among the plants?

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Seezee,

Yep It's Chihuly sculptures at the Franklin Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio.

See here:

https://www.fpconservatory.org/exhib...ly-collection/

Attachment 209015
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Very interesting

Do you care to share your technique

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Originally Posted by senderoaburrido

Attachment 209015
Attachment 209016

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I put four layers of gelatin on her face, in thin coats.

Thank you

Karsh applied some sort of grease to men

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...96b269a7_z.jpgAshton Pond Norma Handy HRU Mic-X by Nokton48, on Flickr

Ashton Pond Columbus Ohio Sinar Norma Handy 4x5 Fuji HR-U XRay 65mm F8 at F22 Schneider CF + Sinar Norma Dark Yellow 103mm Glass Disk 1 sec at F22 Legacy Mic-X replenished stock in tray 18 mins at 62F Arista #2 RC 4x 8x10 Multigrade dev

This is Carestream 8x10 single-sided, developed in Pyrocat HD 1:1:200 for 8 minutes in a tray. The exposure was 37 minutes! Sorry for the large size.

https://i.imgur.com/FLrGzjs.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...881ae3bc_z.jpgAshton Pond Norma Handy HRU Mic-X 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Ashton Pond Columbus Ohio Sinar Norma Handy 4x5 Fuji HR-U XRay 65mm F8 at F22 Schneider CF + Sinar Norma Dark Yellow 103mm Glass Disk 1 sec at F22 Legacy Mic-X replenished stock in tray 18 mins at 62F Arista #2 RC 4x 8x10 Multigrade dev

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Originally Posted by David Schaller

This is Carestream 8x10 single-sided, developed in Pyrocat HD 1:1:200 for 8 minutes in a tray. The exposure was 37 minutes! Sorry for the large size.

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Dang! What was your ƒ-stop?

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Originally Posted by seezee

Dang! What was your ƒ-stop?

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I used f45, and it would have been better to have used f64! But that would have been 75 minutes. The bellows extension factor was 5.75, I guessed on the reciprocity correction, and the filter factor was another stop. I tiptoed away, and went in the house to stay warm.

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Originally Posted by David Schaller

This is Carestream 8x10 single-sided, developed in Pyrocat HD 1:1:200 for 8 minutes in a tray. The exposure was 37 minutes! Sorry for the large size.

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That is a long exposure!!

Where are you guys getting this stuff (Carestream 8x10 single-sided)? My PHD in Googling skills only gets me to a case of this stuff.

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Originally Posted by ericantonio

That is a long exposure!!

Where are you guys getting this stuff (Carestream 8x10 single-sided)? My PHD in Googling skills only gets me to a case of this stuff.

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Probably from their freezers... It hasn’t been available that I know of for a few months now.... very sad.

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Originally Posted by Kiwi7475

Probably from their freezers... It hasn’t been available that I know of for a few months now.... very sad.

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Oh bummer

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Originally Posted by ericantonio

That is a long exposure!!

Where are you guys getting this stuff (Carestream 8x10 single-sided)? My PHD in Googling skills only gets me to a case of this stuff.

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I stocked up last winter, and have been working it out this year.

Ditto

All wet film process X-Ray film is still fast disappearing

I monitor my very reliable source

14X36" is in short supply and prices have gone way up

I don't study eBay trending on anything

2X works well too, but don't wait for Godot

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Originally Posted by David Schaller

I stocked up last winter, and have been working it out this year.

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Prices seem to be going up and the MIN-R is old but can be found here and there

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ed0d99f0_z.jpgKodak Min-R Single Sided Mammography 18x24cm by Nokton48, on Flickr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carestream-...IAAOSwZ2FcNqZb

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3d9d4857_z.jpgLoading Up The Truck Fuji XRay by Nokton48, on Flickr

I paid $28/box for this HR-U a couple of months ago but now it's $32 But it's still available! But for how long????

Yup the Fuji HRU may disappear soon ... or not... Fuji is so unpredictable...

I guess when everything goes, as long as we can source bromides, nitrates, or dichromates we can at least keep shooting...

I just bought 500 sheet of the HR-U. Guess I'll have to come up with a good development system! I'll start with hangers.... I would've bought another 500, but this year...........

I just ordered more 7X17

It works in my 7X17 box and cuts down to 5X7 nicely

Added 2-100 sheet boxes of Fuji UM-MA Mammography X-Ray Film 18X24cm in date for $65 per

This morning I am breaking down a gallon of Freestyle Legacy Pro Mic-X, into three litres of Mic-X replenisher, which will go into three one litre brown glass bottles. All my glass bottles come from Photographer's Formulary and I have many extra at this point. My present stock Mic-X is from June 2020, and in a brown one gallon bottle will last for many years. My first gallon lasted three and a half years. finally dumped it but didn't really want to. About as economical a developer as you can get at it lasts about forever and gets better as it "seasons".

Here is the stuff for XRay:

https://www.freestylephoto.biz/74971...akes-1-Gallon)

Kodak has great instructions to make Microdol-X Replenisher, I am listing the steps here it is easy to do.

1. Start with three quarts of 100F water
2. Add the packet of one gallon Legacy Pro Mic-X
3. Add 24 grams of photographic grade Sodium Carbonate, monohydrate
4. Mix until completely dissolved
5. Add water to bring total volume to three liters.
6. Load the replenisher into the three one litre glass bottles.
7. Starting point is 30ml per 80sq" of B&W film

That's it. This stock solution will last for years and years and years.

I have road tested this for the last ten years and it is about as cheap as you can get, since the stock solution lasts so long.

The secret to replenished Mic-X is that it is a sssslllllooooowwww acting developer. I have gone as long as thirty minutes at ambient and that's about it.

Fujifilm HR-U (green), 200 E.I., P.Gainer's Metolal 1+50, 3 min.

Attachment 209280

Oh thanks bnxvs! I *just* ordered, 10 minutes ago the HR-U film in 8x10 size. I'm ready to make mistakes. Bad mistakes. But I want to do it with affordable film.

I think I can do this without scratching in trays. One at a time. I just saw some videos on how to "strip" the other side.

I'm excited. I want the high contrast for PT/PD printing.

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Originally Posted by ericantonio

Oh thanks bnxvs! I *just* ordered, 10 minutes ago the HR-U film in 8x10 size.

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Where do you buy this film in 8x10? Here in Europe we only get the metric dimensions (18x24cm).

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Originally Posted by Philippe Grunchec

Where do you buy this film in 8x10? Here in Europe we only get the metric dimensions (18x24cm).

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Here is the US link. Maybe it'll fit?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...HP6F4MSI&psc=1

Thx... but the seller doesn't ship to France: I should live in Paris, Texas instead of Paris, France!

Hi Philippe,
You can find here:

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/HRU-810-FUJI...wAAOxyi3FR5s7I

It's not so expensive when you compared with panchromatic films ...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...bb3e5fe0_z.jpgWild Apple Tree Maki II HRU Handheld 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Handheld HRU 6.5cmx9cm XRay photography. Plaubel Makina II with Plaubel Makina Yellow Filter 1/50 at F6.0 Exposure determined by guess and experience so far. Replenished Legacy Mic-X 12 minutes at ambient. Neg is overexposed which is not right but very promising as I will decrease exposure by one and two stops next time. Also will reduce developing time to eight minutes which is more like it but this is working OK so far. Arista #2 8x10 Print Omega Dii Diffusion head laser aligned. Multigrade dev

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Originally Posted by Daniel Unkefer

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...523e2a72_z.jpgHRU Fixing Step Dental Clips 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I've decided to use these Dental Clips I bought on Ebay, to hold down two sheets in the Cesco flat bottomed trays, and keep them off the bottom, and keeping them from moving around (which scratches!)

Here two sheets are in the TD4 Fix

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e48dc3e5_z.jpgHRU Wash Step Dental Clips 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here the two sheets are moving into the wash tray. This has caused a lot of grief, if a sheet touches ANYTHING it is scratched with HRU.

The sheets are well distanced, off the bottom, and can get a decent wash with getting scratched.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...31be3f5e_z.jpgHRU Dry Step Dental Clips 3 by Nokton48, on Flickr

When I go to the dry step, I move both clips to opposite ends. So the water can drain off properly.

I have made three runs this way, with only one scratch (my fault).

Getting perfect sheets with HRU no defects is not an easy matter. So far I can see no reason to continue tray processing in thos way

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I love your process. I just ordered 8x10 HR-U. I do all my 8x10 ONE-AT-A-TIME to get absolutely zero scratches. I know I can probably do 2 at a time with regular film, but not worth it for me after taking so long per shot only for that 1 little tiny mistake. What if you get 5x7 trays and put 1 sheet in each? Just a thought, cause I do that with 8x10. Sure it takes me all day to do a batch of 8x10's but covid days...I have plenty of time.

I tried doing 2 sheets of 8x10 single sided x-ray film together in a smooth-bottomed tray-- and got scratches. I commonly do two sheets of regular 8x10 film together, without problems.

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Originally Posted by David Schaller

I tried doing 2 sheets of 8x10 single sided x-ray film together in a smooth-bottomed tray-- and got scratches. I commonly do two sheets of regular 8x10 film together, without problems.

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Totally understandable. I figure I have plenty of times these days, I don't need to rush. It's kinda nice to sit in a darkroom for a while doing trays. I used to do it for a living! 8+ hours in a film room. It was zen and peaceful...

One sheet at a time of single sided Fuji works great emulsion up in an SP-810 tray. I would assume that it would work equally well in any smooth bottom tray.

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Originally Posted by jmdavis

One sheet at a time of single sided Fuji works great emulsion up in an SP-810 tray. I would assume that it would work equally well in any smooth bottom tray.

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OHhh, I am eyeing one of those. This is good to know. I couldn't find a smooth bottom tray from B&H and my local pro store.

Some put a piece of glass or plastic in any tray

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Originally Posted by ericantonio

OHhh, I am eyeing one of those. This is good to know. I couldn't find a smooth bottom tray from B&H and my local pro store.

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With the single side, I would think any tray would work for single side. The SP-810 has a textured bottom. But others have much more experience with X-ray.

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Originally Posted by Tin Can

Some put a piece of glass or plastic in any tray

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I've heard of that. I'm actually gonna do some 4wheeling right now and taking my 4x5. Stopping at Home Depot to get 8x10 and 11x14 plexi. I figure I can use the 11x14 to tape an 8x10 xray so I can strip the one side of it.

Cesco flat bottomed trays are available from 5x7 to really big sizes (and specialties) through B&H and also Freestyle. Recently I bought all my 8x10 Cescos from B&H and I am thinking now about some bigger ones.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ping_Tray.html

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Originally Posted by jmdavis

With the single side, I would think any tray would work for single side. But others have much more experience with X-ray.

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It was hard for me to find the one sided. I really don't know what I'm purchasing. No experience with the film or the brands etc so I just got what a lot of people are using and its the Fuji HR-U. Thinking of cutting the corner so I know which side I've been using, shooting, developing, drying, then stripping the one side.

I don’t believe stripping is ever better

But I also never did it

2X was good enough for real X Rays

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Originally Posted by ericantonio

It was hard for me to find the one sided. I really don't know what I'm purchasing. No experience with the film or the brands etc so I just got what a lot of people are using and its the Fuji HR-U. Thinking of cutting the corner so I know which side I've been using, shooting, developing, drying, then stripping the one side.

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Don't strip the film! That is just wasting 50% of the density.

Test it!
I used to strip. It makes things more forgiving with regards to scratching.

I stopped because it was a PITA. As long as your exposure/development is done with stripping or not stripping in mind, I don't think it should make any appreciable difference.

I have not seen any explicit tests showing a reduced contrast curve for stripped vs. unstripped either.

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Originally Posted by Jim Noel

Don't strip the film! That is just wasting 50% of the density.

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Oh man! No way?! Hahah. As you can tell I'm just winging it. I'll have to try both non strip and strip

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Originally Posted by Corran

Test it!
I used to strip. It makes things more forgiving with regards to scratching.

I stopped because it was a PITA. As long as your exposure/development is done with stripping or not stripping in mind, I don't think it should make any appreciable difference.

I have not seen any explicit tests showing a reduced contrast curve for stripped vs. unstripped either.

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It does look like a pain, I watched some vids. I'm guessing an ounce of prevention...(I don't know the rest of the saying cause by the time I heard the first part, I was rolling my eyes at my mom and stopped listening). I'm going to use this film for PT/PD testing. So I have lots to burn and make plenty of mistakes. I'm thinking of the 80/20 rule yah? I figure I can blow away 20% of the box for mistakes and testing.

You guys and your tips! You guys rock so much man.

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Originally Posted by Daniel Unkefer

Cesco flat bottomed trays are available from 5x7 to really big sizes (and specialties) through B&H and also Freestyle. Recently I bought all my 8x10 Cescos from B&H and I am thinking now about some bigger ones.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ping_Tray.html

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OH wow! I will need to return my Googlin PHD. I can't believe I didn't see that!!

I'm going to try something. Was reading about the "developing in a ziplock".

I just took a tray without ridges but rather has tunnels. Don't know what to call them, but they look like dug out hot dogs on the bottom of the tray. Well, I put some water down there just enough to cover it, then lined it with plastic wrap. Took a old test 8x10 sheet and sloshed it around on top of that with more liquid. I think it's gonna work.

Here is is horizontal: ^^^^^water^^^^sheet-of-plastic-wrap{~~~~~developer~~~~film~~~~developer}. The plastic wrap is to create a nice smooth bottom.

Hey Folks,

I am (slowly) working to get into putting together a 14x17 dream. I just bought 200 sheets of film, to push me harder toward completion. I have lots of other bits of it: three lenses, the front standard (with a shutter), bellows, the wood and metal needed to make the camera, and an actual drawn plan for the camera. But I won't be able to make the actual camera for a bit yet, in large part because my son has taken over both my indoor (small) and garage (large) workshops.

What I do already have is a working darkroom (well, usually it's a bathroom, but I've made it easy to convert it). So I'd like to use my 5x7 kit to start experimenting with x-ray film. I have a couple of questions:

1. What is a good safelight to use with Fuji x-ray film? I read this whole thread, but that was nearly a year ago. I've tired searching, but am not succeeding in finding anything very helpful. A pointer to a thread, or actual suggestions would be great.

2. How difficult is it to cut x-ray film down? I am not seeing any 5x7 film for sale anywhere, but see good deals on other sizes. I could get 2 sheets out of one 8x10. Is this something others have done with success? Any suggestions for a specific cutter to use?

Thanks!

Paul, I use these for safelights for x-ray film and paper: https://www.ebay.com/itm/24W-Deep-Re...72.m2749.l2649
I use the 660nm wavelength and find them perfectly safe. You need a driver (power supply) for them available from the same seller. The driver is different depending on whether you use a dimmer or not. I found that I needed a dimmer as my darkroom is small and the output of these units is very bright. I was erring on the side of caution in case there are small amounts of shorter wavelengths that may harm film/paper. With this configuration I have had no fogging of film or paper. For cutting film and paper I use a Dahl rotary trimmer.