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

I used to cut extra, but I found it bad for me, so I cut and load holders in one sitting.

I don't have a space for a darkroom so I have to do everything in a changing bag and there just isn't room for my trimmer, film holders and the 8x10 box.

Like Randy, I tend to cut as needed and fill holders. I've put the cut pieces in the light proof bags printing printing paper comes in, too. I've also stored it in my 8x10 paper safe as well as film boxes. You could probably make something out of cardboard or black foam core or may board, too.

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Originally Posted by Fr. Mark

Like Randy, I tend to cut as needed and fill holders. I've put the cut pieces in the light proof bags printing printing paper comes in, too. I've also stored it in my 8x10 paper safe as well as film boxes. You could probably make something out of cardboard or black foam core or may board, too.

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Thanks all guess I'll just have to try to cobble something together

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Originally Posted by Fr. Mark

Like Randy, I tend to cut as needed and fill holders. I've put the cut pieces in the light proof bags printing printing paper comes in, too. I've also stored it in my 8x10 paper safe as well as film boxes. You could probably make something out of cardboard or black foam core or may board, too.

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Ditto this. I cut & load in one sitting & store the uncut film in the original bag & box inside the shipping box & then keep that in a dark cupboard. It's in my bathroom, which isn't ideal because of temperature & humidity, but that's also my darkroom & I'm using it up fast enough that I'm not worried about it degrading.

For 4X5 we usually cut 24 sheets at a time and load the holders and the rest goes into a film box. We don't yet have spare film boxes for the WP and 5X7 so just fill the holders for now. My wife does the cutting and I check the fit and load the holders or boxes. I figure if she is going to shoot some of it and I do all the developing she can do the cutting. We are using 8X10 for the 4X5 and 14X17 for the other two sizes.

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For a couple of months now (off-n-on), I've been playing around with 8x10 Ektascan B/RA. I shoot it at EI 80 and process as follows: Jobo 3005 Expert Drum, CPP-2, Rodinal at 1:100 at 68F, speed 4 rotation (same speed I've used for 20 years of developing LF film on my Jobo.) I use 3ml of stock Rodinal per 8x10 sheet to ensure an adequate quantity of developer. For pt/pd printing, I've been developing for 6 1/2 mins, though I think that may be a tad long...haven't decided, yet. Oh, I should probably mention that I'm following my usual procedure of 5 mins pre-soak, develop, 1 min stop, 5 mins fix (rapid fix), wash as usual.

OK, all that said I'm seeing uneven development which is especially easy to see in the tonality of bald, clear blue sky. Any ideas? Maybe I'm spinning the drum too fast? In 20 years of using my Jobo for LF film development, I've never once seen uneven development from any of my Expert Drums.


2 - 3 sheets per run so far.

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I use 5ml per sheet... in a tray or BTZS tube for Ektascan and Green Latitude. I never do more than two sheets (one at a time). Then it's discarded. Never had any streaking issues. Perhaps you need to increase your stock solution amount?

A rotatrim cutter might be easier to use in a changing bag without cutting the bag or other unfortunate events. they are expensive though compared to guillotine cutters. Personally, I'd light tight a room somehow, run a red LED (not close by some of them are so intense they will fog film if close and shined directly on it---guess how I know this...) and just fill the holders while in the room. Its not a bad idea to check individual sheets for fit as you cut anyway. But, as said before, there are ways to make boxes light tight, even aluminum foil if you are clever.

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Originally Posted by stiganas

For anyone interested. Foma have a Mamo single side notched emulsion film. It is called:

MEDIX MAMMO Plus available (only) in 18x24cm and 24x30cm
http://www.foma.cz/produkty-medix-ma...us-detail-1755

I think it is very much the equivalent of the Ektascan BR/A with european dimensions.

The price is very good - 45 EUR+VAT/box of 100 pcs. and is always in stock at Foma distributor from Romania. More info after I have one in my hands.

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Hi Stiganas,
The technical notes (in english) of the czech documentation shown by the above link says that this is a double sided emulsion film.
Am I wrong?

I got the film. Surprise:

In the box is AGFA MAMORAY HDR-C Plus - Made in in Belgium.

I think it it the same film, made by Agfa or Foma:

Two emulsion technologies working together
MAMORAY HDR-C Plus is a single-sided orthochromatic
mammography film that is part of the Agfa HealthCare
film/screen system for mammography. The film uses
both Split Emulsion Layer (S.E.L.) and the Cubic Crystal
technologies.
Agfa’s Split Emulsion Layer technology provides
the MAMORAY HDR-C Plus film with three emulsion
layers on one side of the film. Each layer consists
of monodispersed Cubic Crystals of identical size.

The other boxes are from FOMA -MEDIX XG - green.

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Originally Posted by koraks

This is VERY interesting given the difficulties of getting Ektascan BR/A in Europe. I'm going to look into it and see if I can order a box at a reasonable price.

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