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

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Originally Posted by Jim Fitzgerald

Joe, I'm bad. I rated this at ISO 80 and yes it is the CSX Green sensitive. Here is another print. Now I believe that the film is great regardless of how you print. I print carbon transfer and love the density I get with this film but you can develop it to the density you need for your printing process. Loading, unloading and developing in a red safe light make it easy.

Same info on this shot.

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I really like this one. All very good images. Thanks for the post, you have inspired me to give it a try.

so here it is

Tin of sardines

8x10 Kodak CSG, Pyrocat HD (B&S version)1:1:200, 15m rotary

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3679/9...e89e2e46_c.jpg
Scan-130824-0001www by Sergei Rodionov, on Flickr

Tasty, rotary is also waiting...

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Originally Posted by SergeiR

so here it is

Tin of sardines

8x10 Kodak CSG, Pyrocat HD (B&S version)1:1:200, 15m rotary

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A bit.. umm confusing results with portraits though. Going to try half hour on next batch. (confusing as in - i do get a bit too much contrast, meaning that whole compensation isnt happening yet)

trying something here, with Pyrocat HD as developer and revisiting some lighting ideas from past.

8x10 , 14 inch heliar ( screens - retouched print to remove shoulders and add texture ), rotary , pyrocat hd 1:1:100, 15m

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7332/9...53a4a308_c.jpg
Scan-130824-0002www by Sergei Rodionov, on Flickr

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Originally Posted by gavjenks

Using the following tube design, you can process an 8x10 sheet evenly in daylight with LESS than 0.25 liters of each chemical (which is sufficient to not become exhausted on that one sheet. I get by just fine with 4 oz. of similar chemicals per 4x5, which is about 1/4 less than this. If you want more, just decrease the inner tube diameter a bit, but a whole liter is silly much), and you can make this yourself for $10 in plumbing parts or so. It's just a 2" PVC class 200 tube inside of a 2.5" one, held together with a bushing. You roll each piece of film so that the emulsion side is facing inward, slide it into its tube, and then fill with enough chemical to cover the film but not completely full. Then you can put the cap on and invert the tube back and forth for extremely effective and evenly distributed agitation. Bushings are usually flat on the end, too, so you can stand it upright and let it sit, too.

The nominal 2.5" pipe actually has an internal diameter of 2.6 or so inches, which is enough for an 8" wide sheet of film to not overlap itself at all.

Note that if you are processing with lights on, beware that PVC is somewhat transluscent. I have found that spraypainting black and then wrapping with heavy black duct tape or gaffers tape makes it completely opaque though.

Attachment 99835

So your $167 would be more like $40.
This does require one sided film though, which means either mammography film or scraping your film with bleach, etc. Depending on how much you value your time, that could be somewhere between maybe $20 to $65 more expensive per sheet than the film you quoted (There is an 8x10 sony mammography 1 sided film for $1 a sheet)

Let's say $40 more for film to compromise. Total still ends up being $115 instead of $202. Of course even less if using powder mixes or DIY chemicals, etc. Could probably get down to $0.75 a sheet.

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Would this apply to any film with only a single side of emulsion?!

after some finicking and errors.. yep.. Pyrocat HD and xray - awesome skintone range, without any filters. Will not be super good for landscapes though, it doesnt really handle shadows, but it doesnt overpull highlights most of time ,if you expose it that way. Or so it seems.

today, 1:1:100 Pyrocat HD with Kodak Xray.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5465/9...2d142727_c.jpg
Pictorial portraits: Mistress of Dragons by Sergei Rodionov, on Flickr

And i dont see any staining, anymore, btw.. guess its something about dilution or agitation (rotary man meself).

Excellent and I love the content, Dragon lady and all, I was stuck on creating Dragons as sculpture for 20 years!

I may combine my 3 obsessions, Dragons, photography and...

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Originally Posted by SergeiR

after some finicking and errors.. yep.. Pyrocat HD and xray - awesome skintone range, without any filters. Will not be super good for landscapes though, it doesnt really handle shadows, but it doesnt overpull highlights most of time ,if you expose it that way. Or so it seems.

today, 1:1:100 Pyrocat HD with Kodak Xray.

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Thanks. Randy :) thats quite a list of hidden talents there ;)

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Originally Posted by Randy Moe

I have Pyro waiting. I'll get to it soon. I have a lot of experiments coming up.

Years I figure, but what else do I do in retirement. :)

Back to darkroom construction, plumbing is next and it will be a pain with the long drain runs. :(

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Hi Randy, just me again with another question for you and all our fellow readers. I'm using a 8x10 with a Betax No 5
lens. Very basic. How would you suggest going about using a Yellow filter? There are no threads to screw in a conventional
filter. Mounting within the bellows can be difficult. Outside diameter measures 82mm. Any ideas? R.W.Delung the Seattle
guy.