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

[ScottPhotoCo]

Wow. Finally made it through the entire thread! Good stuff here! I an going to order 8x10 and 10x12 film tomorrow and play! In reading through this thread I noted that a lot of you are favoring green latitude over the blue latitude? Is there a reason why?

Thanks in advance.


Tim
www.scottphoto.co

[Michael Batchelor]

Wow. Finally made it through the entire thread! Good stuff here! I an going to order 8x10 and 10x12 film tomorrow and play! In reading through this thread I noted that a lot of you are favoring green latitude over the blue latitude? Is there a reason why?...

Green film basically gives one the same spectral response of the old "ortho" film from yesteryear, (Or current ortho film for that matter.)

Blue film is an even more restricted color sensitivity, and looks more like a tin-type (to me at least).

[premortho]

To Scott photo co; "Green" is a nickname for the more Orthochromatic films. Like Versachrome, or Verichrome,or Isochrome. "Blue" means a film very much like the early dry plates, like Orthonon, Seed 26, Banner X, except the "blue"films are 3 stops faster. But they do not record colors as well as "green. Blue film means it over records ultra-violet, violet and blue light. Green film, because it responds to green light, as well as u.v., violet and blue light is more versatile, as the color rendition, or tones can be controlled with filters. Some of the most beautiful photographs I've ever seen were on ortho film, by someone like Adolf Fassbender, Edward Steichen, and Gertrude Kasabien. I was in a "junque" store in Essex, Massachusetts, and found a photo book by the American Pictorialist Society. It was an annual production, this one was from 1938, If I recall correctly, and I was swept away by the exhibition prints of a woman I can't remember, who used only a 116 size box camera, or a Pocket Folding Kodak 3A, in 122 film size. For the younger set, 122 film yields a negative 3 1/2 inch by 5 3/8 (or 5 1/2), 116; 2 1/2 by 4 1/4.

[premortho]

I've done a little more historical research on the speed of ortho film. Ansco's comment on their Super Speed Plenachrome was that all exposures would be fully timed between 3 hours after sunrise to 3 hours before sunset. Their suggestion is to double the exposure earlier and later, and double it again closer to sunrise/sunset. Super Speed Plenachrome would today be rated at ASA 80, or 100.

ISO box speed is just an approximation where Ortho film is concerned, and I think all x-ray film is Ortho, either mild (blue) or more orthochromatic (green). So the color temperature of the light affects exposure. On a summer day, between 10.00 Am and 3.00pm, in the afternoon. probably 100 or 80. Shoot it between sunrise and when the sun is 15o above the horizon, and it could be 25 or even lower. Why? Red light. Ortho doesn't record red light hardly at all. I suggest you take 4 exposures, one at 100, and one at 50 in the middle of the day. then take 2 more, one at 12, and one at 25 at sundown. To develop, use a red safelight and develop until done. Be sure to print them. What looks too thin will sometimes print very well.

[ScottPhotoCo]

Thank you all for the quick answers! 8x10 and 10x12 green latitude film ordered. Now to find some hangers and tanks...


Tim
www.scottphoto.co

[ImSoNegative]

here is one i shot today, calumet c1, 480 red dot artar, yellow no. 12 filter, green sensitive xray film, scratched while being squeegied, %^&%$


The Overseer by J. Golden, on Flickr

[Michael Batchelor]

The green and blue designations indicate which type of holder to use for real X-ray work.

The holder has a coated plate that is fluorescent, and glows on the xray beam. While some of the xrays expose the film directly, the glowing plate acts as a multiplier. This reduces the exposure to the patient.

[Randy]

J, I don't think there is any need to squeegee them because the emulsion has such a "matte" finish to it when it dries. I have had no problem with water spots, and the risk of scratches is so high with this film anyway.
I notice some, like you, use a yellow filter. What effect does that have?

[ImSoNegative]

hi randy, i use a yellow filter because it seems to tame the contrast alot, i have tried to print a couple of my negs that i shot not using a filter and they were very difficult even with a 00 filter under my enlarger light, i printed a neg that was shot with the no. 12 yellow filter, much better than the others. for me the xray film has always scanned pretty well but printing it was another story. i have been looking into carbon printing and i was wondering if i need the yellow filter if im going to use carbon transfer.

[Randy]

Good to hear J. I have not tried any filters yet because I "assumed" they would not have a noticeable / beneficial affect. But, I have not done any contact printing either, just scanning, and the scans are good to great.

Guessing your above pic was in a cemetery? When I am (which is often) at a loss as to where to go shooting, I almost always end up in a local cemetery.