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

[photoevangelist]

Another possible reason why xray film is not as sharp as conventional film could be due to its lack antihalation layer. Thoughts?

I haven't shot conventional 8x10 film for probably 15 years - and even then it was only a few sheets - most likely for a school project. I just started shooting 8x10 xray film in March and didn't scan anything until a few weeks ago. I made a 2400 px scan on Epson v750 with betterscanning AN glass and printed 40x50 inches with an Epson 9600 printer. I don't strip my negatives. I can't compare them with anything else at the moment (drum scan, stripping, conventional film), but I can tell you that I am really pleased with the print quality. No visitors to my exhibition, currently on exhibit now, are saying why are they soft, but quite the opposite. How did I get them to be so sharp and detailed? I don't know what I would do with film & lenses that are sharper than this. I was using a 12" Dagor and about 10 inches from the subjects face at f11, so depth of field was very shallow.

[Corran]

Screen Cezanne.

[davidrcarls]

Crappy iPhone pic of a recent 14x17 contact print hanging on the wall. The images are getting better all the time... happy, happy, joy, joy

[SergeiR]

Screen Cezanne.

aha thanks!

[davidrcarls]

And another

[photoevangelist]

I started working last weekend on some photos detailing the area around the Withlacoochee River with my 8x10, with the goal being a large series of 8x10 contact prints both with silver gelatin and Van Dyke Browns. Here is a sample image. You can find about 10 more on my blog linked below in my signature. All are taken with Fuji Super HR-T:

Bryan, this is gorgeous!!!!

[VPooler]

Ah, I tried to score some X-Ray film by calling to all the hospitals in 100 kilometer radius. Most of them had no idea if they had any left and were not willing to look, one hospital told that they just finished setting up the last digital x-ray machine and they threw out 3 cases of film about a week ago...it was a sad day.

[Corran]

Thanks Lee! Wow, was that really over a year ago? How time flies.

I should re-scan that negative. The foreground sand was too dense for my old scanner but my Cezanne should be able to get through it. There's also a lot of lines on the old scan, if you look hard (dust on the sensor, could never figure out how to open that Agfa and clean it).

[Carl J]

And another

David,

14x17 close-up portrait. What lens, lighting (strobe?), more info?

[davidrcarls]

30" artar, soft box strobes, magical subjects. Here is another crappy pic of a finished print.