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

[Tin Can]

Randy, do you take yours with a lemon or a lime?

I always order 'Soda with lime & lemon in 1/2 pint glass, lots of ice'. Not kidding.

Then I tip more than a drink costs and don't stay too long. I quit shot and a beer some time ago. After 50 years of drankin' it was time. They still miss me money at the local.

Get me going and I will tell another story. Most are true.

[Corran]

As I discovered myself with actual testing, Rodinal isn't always Rodinal, even when its called Rodinal and sold by the same company that you always buy it from and came in the same bottles as normal.

I now no longer use semi-stand development with Rodinal because something is different than the older bottles I had, and highlight density was going all over the place. More typical dilutions/times work fine.

Do your own testing!! That should be the cardinal rule. All the history of Agfa or whatever changes every time someone tries to re-explain it. It's like Telephone. Telenal? Rodinophone?

[SergeiR]

Nice test. I use Sergei's recommendation of a minimum of 10cc per 80 sq in.

Are you seeking the absolute minimum?

3 * 8x10in / (270-300ml ) - total volume

[SergeiR]

Yes. It's a Scottish thing. Thrifty. I neglected to say I shot both at EI 80 and no adjustments were done in PS. I was also quite surprised/happy with minimal grain and smooth tones.

well done

[towolf]

I don't like the tiny squirt top on the ADOX as it makes it very slow to drink. I can chug the AGFA.

The only point I’m going to make here is that the MACO/Compard "Capri Sun" packs are fantastic. Easy to pour one-digit ml volumes out of, and you can squeeze them to evacuate all air easily. The rigid Compard bottles with the safety screw caps are horrible. After a few months I got crystals already, whereas the capri sun was light yellow after more than a year.

[Tin Can]

That IS a nice bag bottle, my bottles are almost exactly the same old hard plastic bottles. I never saw a yellow stage either.

Must be different stuff in different bottles! What next?

I am using 40 ml per gallon tank. My bottles do not pour and take several tips, gasps for air and a hard squeeze with the retro bottle.

It's proven that wine lasts better in a bag...

The only point I’m going to make here is that the MACO/Compard "Capri Sun" packs are fantastic. Easy to pour one-digit ml volumes out of, and you can squeeze them to evacuate all air easily. The rigid Compard bottles with the safety screw caps are horrible. After a few months I got crystals already, whereas the capri sun was light yellow after more than a year.

[ImSoNegative]

8x10 actually did a salt print of this

Blue Ridge Mountain Railway by john golden, on Flickr

8x10 salt print by john golden, on Flickr

[ImSoNegative]

here is another using a 120 fujinon, a bit too much rise

blue ridge railway 2 wide angle by john golden, on Flickr

[seezee]

I've got my first* test shots made with Kodak Ektascan B/RA up at my blog. Wista 45DX with Schneider Symmar-S 5,6/150 lens & yellow-green filter, no allowance for filter factor, bellows draw, or reciprocity made.


Rated at ISO 25, 50, 80, and 160, respectively, and brush/semi-stand developed in Pyrocat HD (1:1:200; 66.5º F ~19º C.) for 15 minutes, except for #1 (ISO 50), which was underexposed and required an hour in the soup. #2 was developed the next day as a slightly cooler temperature.

All images developed under red safelight, one-at-a-time, in smooth-bottom 5×7 trays. Developer replaced for each negative.

The blog entry has a much more detailed write-up of my exposure & development.

I'm still trying to figure out why #3 is darker than #2; maybe I mixed them up at some point?

I'd like your comments and criticisms on the technical aspects of the images & I'll probably cross-post to the other thread for the same feedback; I have no experience & therefore no basis to determine proper density, contrast, etc. for film negatives. My hope is to eventually have silver-gelatin enlargements made (I'll have to job that out, as I don't have a proper darkroom or enlarging equipment). My own reaction is the #2 is the best exposure of the lot.


Unaltered Scan (except for inverting the curves to make a positive image)

Adjusted Curves

*These are actually my second tests, but I mis-measured the Pyro (3:3:100!) on the first batch & did not like the results, so not showing them here.

[seezee]

Cross posting from the other x-ray thread, since this contains some technical information:

I've got my first* test shots made with Kodak Ektascan B/RA up at my blog. Wista 45DX with Schneider Symmar-S 5,6/150 lens & yellow-green filter, no allowance for filter factor, bellows draw, or reciprocity made.


Rated at ISO 25, 50, 80, and 160, respectively, and brush/semi-stand developed in Pyrocat HD (1:1:200; 66.5º F ~19º C.) semi-stand for 15 minutes, except for #1 (ISO 50), which was underexposed and required an hour in the soup. #2 was developed the next day as a slightly cooler temperature.

All images developed under red safelight, one-at-a-time, in smooth-bottom 5×7 trays. Developer replaced for each negative.

The blog entry has a much more detailed write-up of my exposure & development.

I'm still trying to figure out why #3 is darker than #2; maybe I mixed them up at some point?

I'd like your comments and criticisms on the technical aspects of the images & I'll probably cross-post to the other thread for the same feedback; I have no experience & therefore no basis to determine proper density, contrast, etc. for film negatives. My hope is to eventually have silver-gelatin enlargements made (I'll have to job that out, as I don't have a proper darkroom or enlarging equipment). My own reaction is the #2 is the best exposure of the lot.


Unaltered Scan (except for inverting the curves to make a positive image)

Adjusted Curves

*These are actually my second tests, but I mis-measured the Pyro (3:3:100!) on the first batch & did not like the results, so not showing them here.