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

[SergeiR]

Sergei, now I remember, I forget a lot, put a microswitch on it. Bingo!

My camera has rear rack and pinion, and front screw focus with a rear crank. It's a really nice 11x14 Process camera, simply gorgeous wood and huge square leather bellows. I got lucky, I saved t from becoming a coffee table!

I have pics in DIY.

Thanks!

Ah, yes, i was following you there I just want to have camera i can take outside of home So huge rolling bed like that is not an option (plus i dont have bits for it). I have some spare things from old cameras though, so i might reuse certain parts, however all the knobs and focusing rails - will have to make those. I am thinking about following Chamonix(Hugo's) idea of just using central rod to do fine focusing and then use friction bit on main rail to do general focusing. Have old Linhof 45s cardan to sacrifice

[Tin Can]

I have a spare 8x10 Linhof Color Kardan frame I will use for my lens board adaptor. it is big enough and strong enough to let me mount any lens to my studio camera, and I have adapters from that down to the small Linhof boards or Sinar.

Actually those old Linhof Color Kardans are HD enough to size up quite a bit, they make a Horseman 8x10 seem tinkertoy. I got some ideas there also.

Ah, yes, i was following you there I just want to have camera i can take outside of home So huge rolling bed like that is not an option (plus i dont have bits for it). I have some spare things from old cameras though, so i might reuse certain parts, however all the knobs and focusing rails - will have to make those. I am thinking about following Chamonix(Hugo's) idea of just using central rod to do fine focusing and then use friction bit on main rail to do general focusing. Have old Linhof 45s cardan to sacrifice

[photoevangelist]

From yesterday's shoot and straight out of the darkroom today:

Still getting nasty scratches. Processing seems okay except for the top far right corner in Pyro PMK:

Dalsung Swamp #01 by Lee Smathers, on Flickr

7x17 Folmer & Shwing, 12" Dagor
Fuji HR-A (Green Sensitive X-Ray), Pyro PMK 1:2:200 - 15 min in trays
Double Stitched Epson v750 negative in Photoshop

[SergeiR]

certainly getting better

[photoevangelist]

certainly getting better

Actually not. Looks like it wasn't the film with problems (except for the spots I was getting - because I don't have those). The problem is me. I just cannot master this tray processing thing! The Rodinal 1:100 images I processed today are looking bad - more unevenness. This is really quite frustrating.

[photoevangelist]

XTOL seems to agree a bit better with me, about the same as Pyro PMK, except I'm getting glove prints and scratches on my PMK.


Dalsung Swamp #09 by Lee Smathers, on Flickr


Dalsung Swamp #07 by Lee Smathers, on Flickr


Dalsung Swamp #03 by Lee Smathers, on Flickr

7x17 Folmer & Shwing, 12" Dagor
Fuji HR-A (Green Sensitive X-Ray), XTOL 1:1, 3 min

Observations: The edges are a bit hot. But something to work towards improving. At this point, I'm not liking ULF and Rodinal in trays.

[jb7]

XTOL seems to agree a bit better with me, about the same as Pyro PMK, except I'm getting glove prints and scratches on my PMK.


Dalsung Swamp #09 by Lee Smathers, on Flickr


Dalsung Swamp #07 by Lee Smathers, on Flickr


Dalsung Swamp #03 by Lee Smathers, on Flickr

7x17 Folmer & Shwing, 12" Dagor
Fuji HR-A (Green Sensitive X-Ray), XTOL 1:1, 3 min

Observations: The edges are a bit hot. But something to work towards improving. At this point, I'm not liking ULF and Rodinal in trays.

Perhaps you could try less agitation?

I've only done one batch, and my setup was pretty crude in a makeshift darkroom, so I'm not without scratches either.

However, I believe I'm on the right track, for trays at least. Jim's process, using deep tanks, seems the most sensible for this film...

I don't know what agitation regime you're using, but here's what I've been doing for 11x17.

4 liters of solution, I have been using D76, 1:3 and 1:5, but have run out of that, and will be trying HC 110 5 litres, 1:100 next. No pre-soak, agitation for the first 20 seconds, then stand for the remainder of the first three minutes. Gently lift film from bottom of the tray (smooth bottomed) and turn over and repeat. This is for a process time of 12 minutes, so I was flipping the film over three times.

For the next batch, HC110, I plan on only having to flip once, but I need to determine the overall time first, then flip on the halfway point.

Do you think that the extra density around the edges might be to do with increased development? This semi-stand method might help with that, since the film is lying on the bottom of the tray for long periods, minimizing the effect of fresh developer ingress to the underside.

I should be doing another batch soon, need to repurpose some space. (Tidy up)

[jb7]

I also have some 510 Pyro to try, but I think that might be tempting fate just a little too far, without deep tanks...

Will give it a go when I've shot some fresh tests.

[Wayne]

7x17 Folmer & Shwing, 12" Dagor
Fuji HR-A (Green Sensitive X-Ray),

Do you mean Fuji HR-HA? HR-A doesn't seem to exist in Google.

[photoevangelist]

Perhaps you could try less agitation?

I've only done one batch, and my setup was pretty crude in a makeshift darkroom, so I'm not without scratches either.

However, I believe I'm on the right track, for trays at least. Jim's process, using deep tanks, seems the most sensible for this film...

I don't know what agitation regime you're using, but here's what I've been doing for 11x17.

4 liters of solution, I have been using D76, 1:3 and 1:5, but have run out of that, and will be trying HC 110 5 litres, 1:100 next. No pre-soak, agitation for the first 20 seconds, then stand for the remainder of the first three minutes. Gently lift film from bottom of the tray (smooth bottomed) and turn over and repeat. This is for a process time of 12 minutes, so I was flipping the film over three times.

For the next batch, HC110, I plan on only having to flip once, but I need to determine the overall time first, then flip on the halfway point.

Do you think that the extra density around the edges might be to do with increased development? This semi-stand method might help with that, since the film is lying on the bottom of the tray for long periods, minimizing the effect of fresh developer ingress to the underside.

I should be doing another batch soon, need to repurpose some space. (Tidy up)

ANYTHING I do with Rodinal: 1:50, 1:100, 1:200 - stand, semi-stand, vigorous agitation- all seem to be failures for me with 7x17 in trays. I had it down packed with 8x10 in trays and tanks - same film, different size.

I don't know what the problem is. I was also using 4 liters.