continuous-tone ortho film?

BetterSense · Mar 3, 2016

For some darkroom uses I use Aristo ortho-litho film. I love how it can be handled in safelight. However it is high-contrast by design. For pinhole cameras, masking, and duping from B&W, I have to jump to something like TMAX which has the desirable property of malleable contrast but I have to work in total darkness. Can I buy film that is ortho but otherwise is like normal pan film?

Bob Carnie · Mar 3, 2016

I believe Ilford Ortho 25 is available in cut sheet.

cliveh · Mar 3, 2016

Can I buy film that is ortho but otherwise is like normal pan film?[/QUOTE said:
No.

Rick A · Mar 3, 2016

I have two boxes of Ilford Ortho Plus 4x5, great for continuous tone. You can develop ortho film in dilute film developers such as Rodinal for a short time and get the effect you desire, but you must experiment for dilution and times. I also use X-ray film, which is ortho film, see the link provided.
http://www.largeformatphotography.i...discussion-with-example-images&highlight=xray

Ilford Ortho Plus:
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2011427119221450.pdf

Gerald C Koch · Mar 3, 2016

A film being orthochromatic and producing a continuous tone negative are not mutually exclusive. At one time such films were very popular. However finding one being made today is the problem.

Old-N-Feeble · Mar 3, 2016

Even if you can find a modern orthochromatic normal contrast film: You may love the fact it can be handled under a safelight but will you like the way it renders your images?

BetterSense · Mar 3, 2016

Old-N-Feeble said:
Even if you can find a modern orthochromatic normal contrast film: You may love the fact it can be handled under a safelight but will you like the way it renders your images?

I would mostly use it for black and white copying, so the spectral response is really irrelevant for that.

bvy · Mar 3, 2016

I use a soft working paper developer diluted slightly more than the manufacture recommendation, and get good continuous tone results. The downside is that it develops FAST -- one to two minutes.

frobozz · Mar 4, 2016

Sounds like you want a 35mm black and white release print film (i.e. movie film) For instance, Kodak's current offering is 2302 meaning it's on an Estar base.

Spec sheet: http://motion.kodak.com/KodakGCG/up...ns_acrobat_en_motion_products_lab_h1so302.pdf

Current price in the US for part number 8906422 (2000 ft on core) is $513.04

You can also order part number 8895856 which is 4000 ft on a core, but you're not going to like the minimum order quantity: 304000 ft, or 76 rolls. (At least that's how I interpret the catalog notations. I can't imagine they'd be asking you to buy 304000 rolls!)

You can probably also still find some of the now-discontinued Acetate version of this film, 5302 (spec sheet: http://motion.kodak.com/KodakGCG/up...ins_acrobat_en_motion_products_lab_h15302.pdf ) around. For instance, Ulrafine Online seems to have more manageable 100ft rolls on sale right now: http://www.ultrafineonline.com/ko53figrpore1.html

Or Film Photography Project will sell you a single roll to check it out: Dead Link Removed

Duncan

Jim Noel · Mar 4, 2016

bvy said:
I use a soft working paper developer diluted slightly more than the manufacture recommendation, and get good continuous tone results. The downside is that it develops FAST -- one to two minutes.

Paper developers by their nature are stronger and thus develop faster and produce more contrast.You are better off with a diluted film developer like HC 110 or Rodinal. I also use D-23 on lith film as well as x-ray film to get a long scaled negative. Prints will have more contrast because the films don't see red, or it's near neighbors,thus these colors appear very dark gray or black in prints.

bvy · Mar 4, 2016

Jim Noel said:
Paper developers by their nature are stronger and thus develop faster and produce more contrast.You are better off with a diluted film developer like HC 110 or Rodinal. I also use D-23 on lith film as well as x-ray film to get a long scaled negative. Prints will have more contrast because the films don't see red, or it's near neighbors,thus these colors appear very dark gray or black in prints.

Joe Van Cleave turned me on to this suggestion and the results hold up. Nothing else I've tried gave me the same range of tones -- least of all, film developers. Anyway, the results contact print quite nicely.

continuous-tone ortho film?

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