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

[photoevangelist]

Lee, did you have any problem with scratches? I am plagued with them in my processing and am probably going to have to resort to processing one sheet at a time with tray processing. I had not heard of the agitation method you mentioned - raising and alternating corners. I usually process 4-6 sheets at a time pulling the bottom sheet out and laying it on top. Scratch city! BTW, I have gotten very good sharpness from my scans and have not striped the back side of any negs.

Jim suggests two approaches. 8x10 stainless steel tank/hanger method or single image in a flat bottomed tray. I don't have a flat tray. Cesco makes them. But the remaining photo supply stores in South Korea only seem to offer trays with bumps in the bottom. I'm looking into alternatives, but most plastic tupperwares have a single 1 cm round bump in the middle. A TA recommended stainless steel cooking trays, but they're about $17-20 for an 8x10ish tray. I might just pay the shipping and order a few trays from freestyle photo with some other goods. In the meantime, I'm using 8x10 contact glass in the bottom if the trays. I'm waisting chemistry though. For one sheet, I have to use 1500 ml. So I cheated and processed two negatives (one at a time) in the chemistry before remixing.

The agitation method: not sure where I got it from perhaps a mix of sources. I wanted to make sure it was even development. Perhaps doing all four corners at the 1 min mark would be sufficient. I may have taken the PMK pyro advice and done one corner per 15 seconds. I've seen to have heard it say that it's not so much the process or agitation but the consistency that matters. It's the nature of the film, but the negatives are a bit contrasty for my tastes. I might try a test with shorter times and let the 7min developing time be my N+ development.

[Andrew O'Neill]

When using hangers, try not to pull the frame all the way out of the developer, otherwise you will end up with surge marks. I gave up on hangers for this reason and for the excessive amount of developing solutions required.
If you don't have flat-bottomed trays, place a sheet of plexi-glass in the bottom of the tray. I've done that for 14x17 before I found flat-bottomed trays.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I've used Pyrocat HD for all of my work. 1:1:100 dilution. 8x10's in tanks, 1 gallon four at at time and have never had surge marks. I presoak develop and stop and fix as I do for my regular film. I don't yank the holders up but a nice steady up, tilt down movement. As others have said for ULF one at a time in a tray. With a gallon of developer that I mix from scratch I find that I can develop 12 sheets of 8x10 per run. X-ray film develops in most anything and find the best that works for your method and stick with it.

[photoevangelist]

I've used Pyrocat HD for all of my work. 1:1:100 dilution. 8x10's in tanks, 1 gallon four at at time and have never had surge marks. I presoak develop and stop and fix as I do for my regular film. I don't yank the holders up but a nice steady up, tilt down movement. As others have said for ULF one at a time in a tray. With a gallon of developer that I mix from scratch I find that I can develop 12 sheets of 8x10 per run. X-ray film develops in most anything and find the best that works for your method and stick with it.

That's good information. I figured for my EI test, I might be able to develop all 4 of my negatives in the same mixed developer but wasn't sure so only did 2 - being a test and all. I figured after I figured my EI and times I could try developing more negatives in the solution to find my limitations.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I guess I just have more patience than most...or no social life

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I guess I just have more patience than most...or no social life

Andrew, I agree! With my better half teaching English in Timor Leste till the end of the year I have time to build cameras and add comments when I can. Patience is one of those things that carbon printers and camera builders must have or it does not work at all.
When I develop ULF sheets what is the rush. One at a time and you are done at some point. It is always the end result that counts.

[Randy]

As for processing one sheet at a time in flat bottom trays - Do you place the film in the tray with the exposure side facing up, or does it really matter?

Since most X-ray films (all that I have used) have emulsion on both sides, with this method I am guessing both sides develop evenly as long as sufficient agitation is employed. With that assumption, since one side of the film is against (slightly coming in contact with) the flat bottom of the tray, and yet it develops as evenly as the top side of the film, could you not develop more than one sheet at a time by using the same method of agitation? Could you not develop 3-4 sheets at a time?

Randy, why do you ask? Because processing one sheet at a time goes against every fiber of my being. I have the patience of a 2 year old.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Randy, when I do my ULF sheets one at a timeI make sure that I have a gallon of developer in my 16x20 tray. Now I'm doing 11x14, 8x20 or 14x17 so it is a good idea to use enough developer. If you are shooting ULF you HAVE to have patience. If you are shooting 8x10, trust me when I tell you that tanks are the way to go. Gallon tanks and four sheets at a time and you are done very quickly. I did twelve sheets last night. Remember 6 minute develop times. With the red light on you judge the development.Piece of cake. So tanks are for those with little patience. I have patience..... but I'm no doctor. Sorry could not resist!

[SergeiR]

but I'm no doctor

"you patient be patient..
no doctor - keep warm, call ambulance.." (c)

btw, i tried 5 minutes for Rodinal 1+50.. seems to work quite well @ iso 100 or so (constant agitation)

[Andrew O'Neill]

Randy, I place the sheet in the tray with the exposure side (the side that was facing the lens) facing up.

Anybody want some 8x10 hangers?