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

[Tin Can]

Cool pic of a cool car. I think you should just go get it. It's not getting any better there. I once got a 1964 Datsun Fairlady roadster that way. It was in dry storage for 15 years and the storage facility sold it to me for $100. An easy restoration was quickly completed. I found the owner's widow and she told me to never contact her again. She owed thousands in storage. I got an Alabama title, which is no longer possible I believe. I drove it for years and sold it at huge profit. It was smaller than a Ghia.

Look it has the hot rod EMPI exhaust!

BTW, good to meet first Randy!

Randy, my first car, back in 1974, was a 1960 Bug. Been many years since I have had a VW. Had a Bus back in the late 80's for a few years. I have posted this pic before but I guess it is appropriate to post again. It was my first X-ray attempt. I actually threw the neg in the trash because it was so under exposed / under developed that it looked like it was blank. I dug it out of the trash the next day to have another look.

My best friend Russ passed away a couple years ago, so his poor car is just sitting there. I sure would like to get it and restore it. No $

[Tin Can]

I wonder if in 30-40 years folks will pine over my first car - a '92 Toyota Camry?

Corran, you may. Everybody loves their first car. Just like first love.

I don't know how old you are, but personal cars will soon be history. I don't expect my great grandchildren to be driving automobiles when they are my age, with the accent on 'auto'. They are just too expensive in so many ways, and surely in 100 years, antique collectors will be mooning over any car left, but they won't be able to repair it. The bots will recycle them into more bots.

For the real long haul, get a car with points and a carb, you can run it on methane tanks. No electronics or dinosaur oil needed.

Ever see the Twilight Zone episode where gold thieves put themselves to sleep with their gold for 100 years? The joke was on them, the future had figured out how to make gold, and they had a hard time with their old truck.

[Corran]

Eh, we'll see. I'm not much of a car person. Point A to Point B kinda guy. (BTW - I'm 27, if you were curious.)
I am certainly not opposed to more mass transit and/or automation of getting between two points, but somehow I can't imagine we'll be car-less in the next 30-40 years. Maybe so though!

Sounds like a cool episode...haven't seen TZ in years though. Used to watch it on the Sci-Fi network during summer break.

[Michael Cienfuegos]

Randy, my first car, back in 1974, was a 1960 Bug. Been many years since I have had a VW. Had a Bus back in the late 80's for a few years. I have posted this pic before but I guess it is appropriate to post again. It was my first X-ray attempt. I actually threw the neg in the trash because it was so under exposed / under developed that it looked like it was blank. I dug it out of the trash the next day to have another look.

My best friend Russ passed away a couple years ago, so his poor car is just sitting there. I sure would like to get it and restore it. No $

If Mother Nature continues with this little car, there won't be much left to restore. It looks like it is doing a pretty good job of rusting away…

[Raffay]

Very disappointing day for me, it was my nephews 13th birthday and I thought I should take a LF portrait of him. Used a Fuji x-ray, but after development nothing came out, the negative is dark grey with no exposure. The shutter did open, what could have gone wrong? Is the developer dead or what?

Any insight, totally shattered.

[Tin Can]

It has happened to me.

I always back up life event film images with digital. The moment is too precious for failure.

I am sorry to hear this.

Try try again!

Good luck!

Very disappointing day for me, it was my nephews 13th birthday and I thought I should take a LF portrait of him. Used a Fuji x-ray, but after development nothing came out, the negative is dark grey with no exposure. The shutter did open, what could have gone wrong? Is the developer dead or what?

Any insight, totally shattered.

[Roger Cole]

If the negative is dark gray something happened. An unexposed negative should be clear.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Is there any image at all?

[Tin Can]

Good point, even a very dim image can be saved.

Is there any image at all?

[Miguel Coquis]

X ray 14x17"
scanned neg
symmar 360 mm f:5,6