120 B&W Negatives to 120 B&W Slides

[Hiernst]

I have a bunch of 120 negatives that I thought would be great to have as 120 positives. I know that you can do reversal processing with undeveloped negative film, but is there a sane (non-digital) method for producing 120 negatives to 120 positives?

I saw an earlier posting about the Leica ELDIA, but that's for 35mm.

Any suggestions or recommendations for a 120 process/procedure would be very appreciated.

THANK YOU!

 

[Chris Lange]

if they're individual negatives, contact printing them onto a sheet of 4x5 film could work. You would get 2 or 3 frames per sheet.

 

[nexus757]

Yes, you can contact print them onto a slow ASA film (although your emulsion will be reversed in the mount, so they may not focus properly if mixed with normal camera-exposed slides).

A second alternative may be able to illuminate the negative from behind with a light box and shoot it directly with a macro lens.

The third alternative, of course, would be to make prints, shoot them, and reverse processing the film. I have done this in the past when a customer wanted some old prints made into slides to project at a party or special event.

Unless you have a dedicated medium format projector, the latter alternatives also offer the flexibility of being able to reduce the medium format frame either to a 4x4 (127 "Superslide") frame or a regular 35mm frame. Either will then project using a conventional Carousel type projector. (The 4x4 frame mounts are getting hard to find but still pop up on ebay from time to time).

Ed

 

[wy2l]

www.dr5.com

 

[tkamiya]

I've done "shoot the negative on light box" method. It works with few caveats.

If you process normally, the resulting reversed negative is low in contrast. I guess you could extend the development time to compensate for it. Another is, it's awfully hard to get the alignment just right since not all view finders are 100% and accurate corner-to-corner.

I did this to make a print that is reversed. Because of this, I was able to compensate for all the problems at print time. If you are going to project it using a projector, it may not be the best method.

 

[Hiernst]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the 4x5 contact printing suggestion. I really don't do copy work - would you or anyone else have a suggestion for good 4x5 film for B&W copy work?

Thank you!

 

[Chris Lange]

Pan F+ woud be good as it's inherently a pretty contrasty film, which will help prevent the positives from being too flat, although the best solution would be an Ortho film of some sort. Ilford Ortho+ would be great, or maybe Freestyle's new Ortho film... You could develop by inspection to get the right amounts of contrast you want.

Also the thickness of the sheet film over the thinner base of 120 negatives may be a blessing when handling the positives.

 

[Konical]

Good Evening, Hiernst,

For B & W copy work using 4 x 5, it's hard to beat Kodak Commercial--if you can locate any. Even if it's twenty years old or more, it will probably be in good shape. It develops well in HC-110B; contrast control is easy with adjustments in time. One major advantage to camera-copying old negatives instead on contact printing them is that cropping can easily be done.

Konical

 

[Konical]

Whoops! I just read your heading and noted the 120 slide specification. No problem, however; putting two images on one sheet of 4 x 5 film would work fine, as long as they are of similar contrast.

Konical

 

[cmacd123]

Find some 65mm Fine grain release positive.. Might have to crop a bit as it is generally perforated 65mm

EASTMAN Fine Grain Release Positive Film 5302 / FRP333 / 65 mm x 1000 ft roll / On Core / KS-1866
8234601 A film for general, black-and-white production release printing. Also useful for making negative and positive titles, dubbing prints for sound, and kinescope recording from negative tube images.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I've done 35mm slides from 35mm negatives, using Kodak 2302 (B&W movie film for release prints) developed to the highest contrast I could (in stock Dektol).

Given that I have a 6x6 projector, I have thought about doing something similar with 120 negatives.

My first try would be using available Efke Print Film (it's for sale at Freestyle). Contact print under a glass sheet, then develop by inspection in stock Dektol.

There are lith films (APHS) available as well. I've done an 8x10 transparency by projecting a negative onto such a film, then developed. I suppose contact printing could also work.

The first two options are rather cheap; after that, you could go with more expensive products such as ortho films: Rollei Ortho 25 in 120 is available, and Ilford Ortho+, as already mentioned, is available in 4x5 and above.

But the key is: finding a film that will get to a very high contrast. If your average film has a gamma around 0.6, and you need a final slide gamma of 1.5, then by a rule of third, your positive film should be able to develop all the way to an inherent gamma of 1.5 / 0.6 = 2.5, which is extremely high.