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Yeah I upped my development a minute to 7 minutes with constant agitation (BTZS tube) for this one. After stripping it's still seems thin, but scanned okay (except for dust on the scanning element, argh). I have been meaning to do some zone testing on this stuff but haven't had time so I'm just experimenting.
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/...ing/0025cs.jpg
Thanks to everyone for posting to this thread. I hope that you are all printing these negatives? It would be nice to see prints!
Hallo X-ray film shooters!
Is anyone here, I could ask in German language. My English is too poor to express what I want to know about x-ray film and processing.
Thanks
George
George, your English is probably better then mine...and I have been speaking it for about 50 years.
Hello George,
I am not a native speaker and also quite a newcomer to XRay processing, but if you don't find anyone more experienced in both fields, drop me a PM. :)
Hi Randy, hallo andrios!
My questions regarding x-ray film and processing it are as follows:
Yesterday I visited my PD because of some pain in my knee. He take several X-ray shots of it. In this process I realised that they use some usual technical x-ray film (blue-ish) with very good rendition. I asked the assisting nurse, what kind of film and how she is processing it. She didn`t know the film brand and she told me, that aften the shot she ist throwing the cartridge in a processing mashine anf after a few minutes the film is developed. My idea was (is) to buy some x-ray film (5x7, which is the smallest format in the doctors lab), the nurse is loading it in my filmholders, I take some shots and bring the film to the doctors lab for processing. Would that work? Whats your opinion?
George
Sorry for the typos !
Is the nurse good-looking? I have done the same with 8x10 film (tho I loaded the holders) -- the lab tech enjoyed the opportunity to see something else besides bones in the images! Of course there is no contrast control thru development, at least as far as I know.Quote:
Originally Posted by megapickle1
Vaughn
George, I have just started using X-ray film myself. As Vaughn said, I think your images, if processed by your doctors nurse, may be very contrasty. But at least you will know then, that you need to consider different chemical/processing procedures. I believe much of the X-ray films are high contrast orthochromatic, but you will want to strive for continuous tone results, similar to what you get with modern panchromatic films. From my very limited experience, it can be achieved with the correct processing.
The negatives I took of my boys in open shade and landscapes under the redwoods were on Blue-sensitive X-ray film (processed at the hospital) were perfect for platinum/palladium printing (with no contrast agent needed). So they would have been a little contrasty for normal silver gelatin printing.
Vaughn
@ Randy and @ Vaughn
Hey friends, that are really helpful answers.
I´m thinking to go 5x7 with my Sinar because the difference of the rear frame holder is not to big compared to 4x5. And cheaper too. The format adapter plus the complete back incl. groundglass is not very expensive today in used condition. I have to look for a not very contrasty film too - I think there is some to buy. A 200 ISO type film should be the right one.
I´m glad that someone else let process the x-ray film at the doctors lab too. BTW, the nurse isn´t really good looking but that fact is not very important.
Thank you for helping with X-ray photography.
George
Orthochromatic film would be perfect for classical portraits - white faces, black lips - I love that old fashioned look.
George
Or make freckles come out where you did not realize there were freckles...and his lips do look darker!Quote:
Orthochromatic film would be perfect for classical portraits - white faces, black lips - I love that old fashioned look.
George
(and one learns about red clothes!)
And tossed in a detail of his brother, Bryce. (He has much darker complextion than Calder.
Vaughn
Platinum/palladium prints
Portraits with x-ray film are great. I've posted this before but seeing as how it has come up again here is my youngest son. We were have some fun with my Fresnel. Boy this new attachment stuff is bizzare.... or is it all the wine I'm drinking???Attachment 70301
Nice work as usual my friend. I see a little triangle on the face now. You are getting close. Cheers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Fitzgerald
Still working on the lighting.... I'll get there! Need much more practice!
I have finally gotten around to some testing with X-ray film. My motivations are strictly artistic and economical. I just can't afford panchromatic 8X10 film any more...good gosh! And I still have some HC-110 left so that is my developer of choice...because I still have some left.
My initial test was in coffenal cm. Negs were virtually un-usable. Way to thin.
All below are 8X10 Green latitude CSX exposed at 50 ISO, processed in HC-110 "H" (1:63) in trays with a 1 minute water pre-soak (don't know if I should have done that or not) for 8 minutes @ 68 degrees F, agitating about every 60-90 seconds by taking the bottom sheet and moving it to the top, going through the stack of four sheets that were in the soup.
I did have a safe light on (a small 15-20 watt red bulb like you might get in a small armature darkroom kit) and the bulb was covered by a white hanky and about 6 feet away from my processing station, which was in the tub that I was leaning over. No direct light from the bulb fell on the negs, only light reflecting off the ceiling. I did get some fog. I can clearly see a slight outline on one sheet of the sheet that was on top of it. I will greatly dim my safe light in the next process, or eliminate it all together.
The scratching was significant but I did not take particular care to avoid them. I was aware scratching is a problem and some have employed means to avoid that. I used ribbed 8X10 trays, but my scratches were almost entirely near the film edges - very few were more than an inch away from the edge, which leads me to believe they are occurring as I life the bottom sheet to move it to the top of the stack. I may be allowing it to drag on the top lip of the tray. I may just have to process one sheet at a time.
Any way, here some scans:
No-name 13" f/9.5 Petzval
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52893762/img568a.jpg
300mm Caltar-II S
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52893762/img569a.jpg
The next two were exsposed on the same sheet using the 1/2 dark slide method to get a 4X10.
Konica Hexanon GRII 150mm @ f/45
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52893762/img570a.jpg
Konica Hexanon GRII 150mm @ f/9 (wide open)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52893762/img571a.jpg
All in all, I like the results. The exposures were very close to what I would like to get with panchromatic films and they are...sharp enough?
8X10 Green latitude CSX exposed at 50 ISO, processed in HC-110 "H" (1:63) in trays with a 1 minute water pre-soak (don't know if I should have done that or not) for 8 minutes @ 68 degrees F, agitating about every 60-90 seconds.
No-name 13" f/9.5 Petzval
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52893762/img568a.jpg
Konica Hexanon GR II 150mm
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52893762/img571a.jpg
These look really good! nice work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Randy
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/6...01505afb_z.jpg
1903 Eastman View No. 1 8x10 Camera
Konica Hexanon GRII 210mm
Kokak B/RA X-Ray Film
Caffenol C/M
Some have wanted to know what portraits look like with x-ray film. This is my oldest son shot on green x-ray film and it is not a negative scan but a carbon print.
Really nice!Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Fitzgerald
Very nice!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Holdenrichards
Thanks Kirk!
That is terrific, Jim.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Fitzgerald
Richard, thanks.
Still working. I think I need to rate my film a little higher, maybe 80 or 100. Shadows were too hot before editing.
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/...ring/0027s.jpg
Corran,
WOW ! You've got it nailed !
Great range.
Thanks, though I still have lots of work to do to master this stuff.
Amazing, the portraits are so nice. Is there a place that sells xray film that is precut in 4x5 sizes? I do not have a darkroom (or access to one) so cutting at home will be difficult.
No pre cut that I'm aware of. Just find a dark room and put a red safe light and cut it down. You can see what you are doing but you have to be very careful not to scratch the emulsion. I'd probably find the single sided film if I was going to cut it down.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rain Dance
very nice. i like this too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Holdenrichards
How did you meter and exposure it, Holdenrichards?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Holdenrichards
FWIW, I've been following this thread since the beginning. At first I was somewhat unimpressed with what I saw. I thought most of it looked kind of flat and a bit lifeless (not talking about subject matter)-which I pinned on the color response of the film. But of late it seems like there is more and more really rich looking scans and prints. Well done guys-this is really looking great.
I think what is happening is that the community is discovering the techniques used by our forefathers who had only ortho film.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirk Gittings
Well, I am a tad perplexed at the...orthocromatic-ness...of the CSX green latitude film that I am using. For one thing, this tracter is red-ish, sort of a rust color. Honestly, the neg and resulting scan look just like I would expect it to look from panchromatic film (though this neg is slightly over exposed and the scene was low contrast).
Also, I processed in trays with a small 10-12 watt red bulb about 2 meters away, covered by a white hanky, and no direct light from the bulb could reach the negs (I was leaning over a bath tub to process). The only light was reflected light from the ceeling. I did get obvious fogging as I could see a faint outline of the curved film corner on several of the images. Probably happening as the film was resting in the water pre-soak for a minute. So, is my film red sensitive?
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52893762/img571a.jpg
The Kodak Wratten 1A will fog ortho x-ray film. You need a GBX filter.
Ralph
If you'd like to be more confident of your safe light, I'd suggest some red LEDs: they are very cheap (e.g. christmas lights!) an almost all the spec sheets I've seen show that the true red (not amber) have a very narrow frequency response far away from the spectral response of green and blue sensitive film. Maybe someone with more experience would like to comment on whether they've been able to fog green-sensitive film with LEDs?
Will
I expose this film at 25 ASA...Quote:
Originally Posted by dupont07
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/6...91167566_z.jpg
Some more Kodak X-Ray
Eastman View No. 1 8x10 camera
Konica Hexanon GRII 210mm
Kodak B/RA Single Emulsion X-Ray
Caffenol C/M
Beautiful.
I think the terms Green Sensitive and Blue Sensitive are slightly misleading, as they refer to the intensifying screens the films are designed to work with rather than the strict spectral sensitivity of the film itself. X-Ray film is not intended for photography, and so the manufacturers don't provide information for that application, and radiography is much different than photography. I think some of this film that isn't explicitly identified as ortho might be closer to panchromatic than orthochromatic, but I'm just guessing based on nothing more than my own limited experience and what I've seen and read here and elsewhere of purely anecdotal nature.
I know the Fuji green-sensitive stuff certainly does not pick up red. I used a simple orange filter once and it was almost clear.
Another nice one Holden. I still need to try caffenol.
Thanks!
210mm Symmar-S wide-open with some front swing:
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/...ing/0035ss.jpg
Very pleasing image Corran. You have inspired me to load up some X-ray film and shoot along the sidewalks, rather than my usual haunts.
BTW - my younger brother was stationed at the AFB in Valdosta for a few years.
Cool! Always nice to know someone has a clue where Valdosta even is.... Also, glad I could inspire you :)
Great tones in this one, still the green film yeah?Quote:
Originally Posted by Corran
Yep, I'm about 1/3 through my box of it. I might order a pack of blue to try it out when I get another box of green. I mean heck, it's only $25 a box!!
I have an old box of 14x17 blue-sensitive Agfa that I am using as carbon tissue support.
But something very strange is going on. The emulsion is falling off in the fixer (Kodak Rapid Fixer -- paper strength w/ hardener). I have to scrub it to remove the rest of the emulsion or else it just "pills" when I try to dry it before pouring on the pigmented gelatin. The previous box did not do this -- definitely can not be used for in-camera! I have a couple more boxes in the fridge (this present box has not been refridgerated).