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

first x-ray
kodak blue, 13x18 cm, iso 100, pyrocat hd on slavich matt, ilford mg developer

Attachment 120533

another 2:

Attachment 120541

Attachment 120542

I still reccomend that you check that darkroom with a cd, using it as a prism. I don't know of any light meter that reads spectral sensitivity. If you don't have cd's over there, send me an e-mail with your address and I will send you one. The speed is usually about half as much under plain tungsten light. I use blue photo-floods or blue flash bulbs in order to keep the film speed "normal". No, my grandfather taught me darkroom at age 7, and I am now 76 1/2. For my 8th birthday he gave me his old pre-anniversary Speed Graphic. He had just gotten a 5X7 Speed Graphic, and told me that he didn't need the 4X5 "Speeder" (his name for a Speed Graphic) any more. My grandfather never had an enlarger, he contact printed everything. He started in photography in 1895, so between the two of us, that's almost 120 years. He started on glass plates. As soon as sheet film became easily accessable, he switched to that. I forgot to mention that electronic flash is supposed to be the same as daylight. By the way, when I check exposure, I never use a whole sheet of film. I cut 8X10 film in three strips, load them in three film holders and shoot them.

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Originally Posted by towolf

Thank you for the break-down premortho. If you have 70 years of experience, you started with 15 and are 85? Then you have 5 years more experience than my father.



I’m using a faint distant (behind the shoulder) darkroom red bulb and a flexible "torch" that I taped a Schott RG 2 filter (1% cut-off 622nm, higher than Kodak GBX-2) in front of, to be able to shine a less faint spot onto the table and move the tray into and out of the spot.

http://i.imgur.com/oIhw7yl.jpg

I’m able to develop by eye to a similar level of global exposure. But I’m still trying to figure out, which EI I should pick. I think 25 is reasonable in terms of practicality. But in my next example I also used EI 6 (far left) and got yet more detail in the shadow.

http://i.imgur.com/I3ryLb1l.jpg

Of course I will keep your method with the shadow detail and the long water stop in mind for the next time. Until now stop bath for me meant a rapid complete stop. Your idea is interesting. Perhaps this will give me that shadow detail.



That’s my problem. The box doesn’t say anything. There’s no box. Just 138 brown envelopes. So I made a series 6, 10, 25, 50, 100 and developed them by eye to a "normal" global density. How do I pick the best combination? By taste?

Your points about the color of light are interesting. I have a Sekonic digital meter and the manual doesn’t list its spectral sensitivity. I want to shoot indoors and have a fairly daylight looking surface light. But I’m sure it goes towards the red end. Any tips about how much compensation "daylight color" fluorescent lights need? How about tungsten?

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Great stuff Randy, Nino.

I tried out some Ektascan b/ra today. Shot it at iso 100 with the Kodak 305 portrait and 8x10 B&J

Developed some for 7 minutes in pyrocat hd 1:1:100 and it looked good visually, but lacked contrast. So it's a bit weaker than my eyes think at that combination.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/...b6d0f0c3_b.jpgektascanbra7m-pyrohd by philbrookjason, on Flickr

Developed another sheet at 11 minutes. Looks pretty bold for an xray negative and the contrast is just right for the scan. The bump on the left side of the histogram is the range between clear and film base. It's pretty big compared to normal film but is easy to edit out.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3910/...6bb13942_b.jpg
ektascanbra-11m-pyrohd by philbrookjason, on Flickr

After a little curve/tone in PS

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3889/...c44c007d_c.jpg
img374 by philbrookjason, on Flickr

JP - When you scan the x-ray film select just the image and do your levels adjustments then select the whole image (8x10 frame lines). If you are including the frame lines in your levels adjustment then it will throw off your exposure slightly since it's counting the border as part of the exposed image.

8x10 Kodak G Xray, Gundlach Radar, 10m rotary in 1:100 Adonal

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/...ff2a18bd_c.jpgScan-140830-0007www by Sergei Rodionov, on Flickr

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Originally Posted by SergeiR

8x10 Kodak G Xray, Gundlach Radar, 10m rotary in 1:100 Adonal

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/...ff2a18bd_c.jpgScan-140830-0007www by Sergei Rodionov, on Flickr

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This looks great. What ISO did you use?

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Originally Posted by jp

Great stuff Randy, Nino.

I tried out some Ektascan b/ra today. Shot it at iso 100 with the Kodak 305 portrait and 8x10 B&J

Developed some for 7 minutes in pyrocat hd 1:1:100 and it looked good visually, but lacked contrast. So it's a bit weaker than my eyes think at that combination.


Developed another sheet at 11 minutes. Looks pretty bold for an xray negative and the contrast is just right for the scan. The bump on the left side of the histogram is the range between clear and film base. It's pretty big compared to normal film but is easy to edit out.


After a little curve/tone in PS

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It's weird that the histogram from the 7min developed negative is wider than that from the 11min developed one...

Great idea axs810.

Tom, maybe the narrower histogram for 11 min shows film pushing and I need for exposure and less devel?

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Originally Posted by ScottPhotoCo

This looks great. What ISO did you use?

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Thanks, Tim. 100 as always.