Enlarged Negatives for Alt Processes, Your Recommendations and Experience

[seadrive]

Never mind, I found it:

Arista Ortho Litho Film 2.0

 

[M Stat]

I apologize for not responding sooner. I still have a dwindling supply of the old APHS film for making enlarged duplicate negatives, and I don't know how the new film will respond to pyro developer. Maybe Bob Herbst has a better answer.

 

[Robert Ley]

I just picked up some of the Fuji MI-DUP film, 10x12 and will give it a try. I have some of the newer Freestyle Arista film and will give that a try with the LC-2 developer and see how that works as well. I will try to get back on my results.

 

[davido]

I just picked up some of the Fuji MI-DUP film, 10x12 and will give it a try. I have some of the newer Freestyle Arista film and will give that a try with the LC-2 developer and see how that works as well. I will try to get back on my results.

Robert,
I've also been using the MI-DUP and finding much easier to work with than lith film. I experimented with lith for quite a while with diluted HC-110 and LC-2 developer. Lith is a beast to tame. I was trying all different methods to keep the contrast down, including extremely dilute developer and extremely subtle agitation (including brush development). I also found that edge development was exaggerated. Of course it depends upon your image but with lot's of sky on the edge of the image, I was finding unevenness of tone a real problem.
Also, the mid-tones would begin to get quite flat at the same time.
X-ray dupe film has been much easier to work with. It's almost the opposite to lith. I've been using dektol almost straight with short development times (3 minutes). The lith were up to 18 minutes!
I've replaced my enlarger bulb to a brighter 150w bulb and use a glass carrier because of the extra heat. This is cut my times down but still around 60 seconds at 5.6.
The main way to control contrast of the negative is altering your developer strength.
The dupe film is weird to work with though, totally opposite than normal film/paper. It gets confusing at times, especially when you start dodging and burning! dodging to darken and an area!
I'm still having issues with agitation. The images I'm working with have a white background, and keeping that consistent is not easy. I've started trying brush development which hopefully will help.
Personally, I would say, stay with the x-ray dupe film.

 

[Robert Ley]

I tried the MI-DUP film and really like the results. I will have to fine tune it with different developers. Tried it initially with formulary BW-65,but I have some Ilford multigrade that I will try next or I may mix my own D-72.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Peter Schrager]

for the fuji dupe film try hc-110 @72 degrees...find your own time time. hc-110 will give you consistent results everytime
Best, peter

 

[Robert Ley]

Peter,
What dilution did you use with the HC-110?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[davido]

for the fuji dupe film try hc-110 @72 degrees...find your own time time. hc-110 will give you consistent results everytime
Best, peter

I am also curious about what dilution you are using Peter. I'm now using a very strong concentration of Dektol to get enough density with the MI-Dup film. I also like the fact that Dektol is relatively cheap and, as a paper developer, would not oxidize as quickly in the tray? I did use HC-110 with lith film at very low concentration. But HC-110 is known to give little fog with the longer developing times I was using (up to 18 minutes).
I am curious to the reasoning behind using for the x-ray dupe film?

 

[Peter Schrager]

sorry everyone..use 1:3 dilution...reasons to use: repeatable and easy results...you also work in with a red safelight and can see what you are doing
Best, Peter

 

[davido]

So, that 1:3 from syrup? That's going to get pricey fast! I would go through 1/4 bottle of HC-110 per tray!

 

[Peter Schrager]

yes pricey and repeatable..otherwise learn to make digital negatives and see what that costs you
Best, peter

 

[jeffreyg]

I don't know how it works with the Fuji film but the Kodak GBX comes as a pair and should last about a month. 1qt concentrate : 3 qts water but the bottles are graduated so you can mix a smaller amount in that ratio. Excellent results with x-ray duplicating film. Use a water "stop". Developing time is a matter of taste mine is 2 to 3 minutes depending on desired contrast. Also a red safelight. I have used that combo for many years.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[Barry S]

I don't see how using HC110 is any easier and more repeatable than any other developer-- and the 1:3 dilution is ridiculous. Safelight use has nothing to do with the developer, it's the spectral sensitivity of the film.

 

[Jim Noel]

I don't see how using HC110 is any easier and more repeatable than any other developer-- and the 1:3 dilution is ridiculous. Safelight use has nothing to do with the developer, it's the spectral sensitivity of the film.

I'm in total agreement.

 

[Robert Ley]

Having not heard from Peter as to dilution, I will try dilution B as that is a pretty common one for film and is easy to mix...1:31. I will get back as to how well the HC-110 works for me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[davido]

It's always been my understanding that print developers are more active than film. As I've been using dektol at a stronger dilution (1:1 and higher) than normal which is typically 1:3, I can't see how normal strength HC-110 will be strong enough or you will have excessively long developing times and very flat negatives. I have been considering looking for more active developer that dektol but dektol is quite reasonable and it does work at strong dilutions.
In school we used dektol for developing lith film for making negtatives but it was too strong and the negatives were contrasty with little midtones. I'm guessing that the GBX chemistry that Jeffrey uses is more active than dektol as it is optimized for the x-ray dupe?

 

[Robert Ley]

Mixed up some D-72 this evening and tried it 1:1 with my Fuji MI-DUP film and like it a lot. Good maximum density and shadow detail. I am going to try this developer with a couple of ml of 10%KBr to try to increase the contrast.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[davido]

Mixed up some D-72 this evening and tried it 1:1 with my Fuji MI-DUP film and like it a lot. Good maximum density and shadow detail. I am going to try this developer with a couple of ml of 10%KBr to try to increase the contrast.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Robert, from what I've read D-72 is virtually the same as Dektol. How long are developing for? I found that pre-soaking is necessary just to remove the anti-halation backing and so that when the film hits the developer, it spreads quicker.

 

[Robert Ley]

I have been developing for about 3mins, but would probably develop a little longer with a pre-soak. My decision to use D-72 was expedient in that my mixed Dektol was beat. I read in the "Darkroom Cookbook" that adding a couple of cc's of 10% KBr would increase the contrast in cold tone paper and thought it might help with the DUP film. Will try the press-soak and see how it works.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Have you ever tried D-19. I use it a lot to make Efke IR and HP5 negatives print in carbon transfer. I also dabbled with x-ray (14X17 double-sided, green latitude) as a dupe film a couple of years ago and was pleased with the results. Dilute the stock 1:1 to 1:3.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I've tried this method with Fuji HRT.

http://www.thewebdarkroom.com/?p=675

I process the neg under a red safelight.

 

[davido]

I've tried this method with Fuji HRT.

http://www.thewebdarkroom.com/?p=675

I process the neg under a red safelight.

Seems like an easy way to do it but I can't see it producing a very sharp negative?

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

It's not bad

Seems like an easy way to do it but I can't see it producing a very sharp negative?

It's not bad. It is a contact similar to a contact print. I think OHP film and an ink jet printer gives greater control and better sharpness.

 

[davido]

It's not bad. It is a contact similar to a contact print. I think OHP film and an ink jet printer gives greater control and better sharpness.

You may be correct about the control with digi-negs but printing onto film is much sharper from my experience. I was getting amazingly sharp enlarged negatives with lith film but the control issue was the problem.

 

[Curt]

Have you ever tried D-19. I use it a lot to make Efke IR and HP5 negatives print in carbon transfer. I also dabbled with x-ray (14X17 double-sided, green latitude) as a dupe film a couple of years ago and was pleased with the results. Dilute the stock 1:1 to 1:3.

Andrew, is the Efke IR the ISO 25 (?) speed. I have a couple hundred sheets in the refrigerator in 11x14. I've never used it, is D19 pretty much required for carbon printing? I was going to use Pyrocat HD. Does D19 produce usable carbon negatives? I've heard it suggested many times.

Thanks,
Curt