Kodak T-Mat S/RA X-ray Film

[Pete Watkins]

I'm just back from the local vets and I've been given a full box (100 sheets) of this film. I've looked at the archives and have found a few bits of general information but has anybody tried this specific film. I know that it's probably T-Grain film but I intend to try my home made D-76H first. Any advice would be welcomed.
Thanks,
Pete.

[Jay DeFehr]

Hi Pete,

I seems your film is T-grain, green sensitive, and designed for rapid processing (40 seconds). I suspect it is an excellent choice for X-ray film to be used for pictorial photography. Some experimentation is in order regarding exposure and processing, but you have 100 sheets! I'd cut a few down for efficiency's sake. Do a safelight test to see if you can process under a safelight; that will make testing for development time much simpler. I'd start with a normal dilution of your D-76H, and adjust as needed to get the contrast and processing time you want. Good luck!

[BillyBB]

Pete...good luck with the freebie film it'll be interesting to hear how you get on. Hope your feeling better? Times must be getting hard in England if your attending the Vets for med treatment...what gives man?
Billy

[SMBooth]

I have used some 5x12 inchT-Mat G/RA properly much the same development wise.
1:200 Rodinal for 18min in drum exp at ISO50
Here is a 7x5inch centre crop from a 12x5 sheet
http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/for...?m-1296040299/

[Pete Watkins]

Thanks for all your tips. I've cut some sheets up in total darkness and I can get one sheet of half plate and one sheet of 4x5 out of each sheet of film. I'll try them out ASAP but the weather over here is pretty dull & wet.
Billy, we are in a real mess over here. I went to the doctor and said that I thought that I'd caught crabs. He said that it was a veterinary problem. The vet said to rub sugar over the affected area, it wouldn't kill them but it would rot their teeth and they would stop biting me ;-)).
Pete.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I've been using xray film for a couple of years now. It's ortho, so you can work with it under a safelight (mine is orangy). Please note that there is emulsion on both sides, and it is sensitive to scratching. Be careful loading it into holders. If you are planning on using trays to develop, flat bottomed are better.
Are you planning on contact printing? If you entend to enlarge on silver papers, the images won't be so sharp due to emulsion on both sides. To counter this, some people strip the emulsion with household bleach from the side that was facing away from the camera lens. You essentially lose have of your DR when doing this, but you can counter that a bit by exposing a bit more, and developing longer.
Have fun with this film. It's cheap. I'm planning on using 14x17 sheets once my camera is completed... almost there!!

[Pete Watkins]

Thanks Andrew,
If I get on with the samples I will be contact printing in 5x7 size. My enlarger only goes up to half plate. That's really interesting about stripping the emulsion from one side of the film, I'll probably try it.
Thanks again,
Pete.