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

I posted a couple in the image sharing thread from this weekend's re-enactment shot on blue x-ray film. But this one looks too modern to me.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2872/3...fb18739b_c.jpg

Graflex Super D, Gundlach Petzval, half speed Blue X-ray film @ 25, Pyrocat HD 1:1:100 jobo 6 min.
Pleasant Hill, LA 2017

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Originally Posted by koraks

Fascinating effect, those uv exposures. Some experimentation may lead to usable results.

The development issue looks like insufficient and uneven agitation to me. How do you develop the film? In any case, try a more vigorous agitation and if this film is double sided, make sure that both sides receive a constant supply of fresh developer.

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I fully agree.

The modernity look of the re-enactors might be other factors: re-enactors too old, not starved enough looking to be soldiers, glasses too modern. Taking lens too modern a design? And, maybe the spectral sensitivity of the Blue film is too far into the green to look like wet plate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by koraks

Fascinating effect, those uv exposures. Some experimentation may lead to usable results.

The development issue looks like insufficient and uneven agitation to me. How do you develop the film? In any case, try a more vigorous agitation and if this film is double sided, make sure that both sides receive a constant supply of fresh developer.

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I'm using a Jobo tank with 4509n reel. I've used it with and without the fins. While going without them seems to make this effect worse, it still occurs when I use them. It's always rotary dev on a Cibachrome roller. The weirdest thing is that I do not get this uneven development on the normal film I've developed in the tank. I've done Fomapan 100 with it and never had any issues like this.

Xray is a lot more sensitive to uneven development, I find. I had grossly uneven development with the same reel on a Jobo CPE2 when I set it to its faster rotation speed. The lower speed (about 30rpm I think) works fine. Maybe your roller base is a little fast? Btw, I don't use any fins in this tank any and get even development now, so it's probably not necessary.

Hm! That I had not thought of. Rotation may be too fast. It's a cheap rotor, so I don't think I can change speeds. Maybe I'll just try standing dev. Not sure how suited the tanks are for it.

Stand development sounds like a pretty sure fire way to get even more uneven development with this film, but you don't know until you've tried it! I'll keep following your experiments with great interest.

Attachment 163743
Green xray film, ISO 80
90mm Super Angulon f22, 6 sec
Developed R09 by rotary 12 minutes

I have been using the graphmatic 6 sheet film holder and noticed a dramatic reduction in scratches, much easier to carry too

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Originally Posted by senderoaburrido

Hm! That I had not thought of. Rotation may be too fast. It's a cheap rotor, so I don't think I can change speeds. Maybe I'll just try standing dev. Not sure how suited the tanks are for it.

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I have done only stand development in Pyrocat-HD with x-ray film (Ektascan & CSHB), and, while I had uneven development on my 1st attempts (due to my own inexperience), all of my negatives since then have been evenly developed.

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Originally Posted by seezee

I have done only stand development in Pyrocat-HD with x-ray film (Ektascan & CSHB), and, while I had uneven development on my 1st attempts (due to my own inexperience), all of my negatives since then have been evenly developed.

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What did you change? It would be nice to avoid those mistakes.