Film for making zone plates?

[smieglitz]

I used to make zone plates by photographing the concentric pattern at various magnifications with Kodak Technical Pan film and then contact printing that onto Kodalith or Ortho Litho. With the demise of Tech Pan, what would be an available super fine-grained 35mm b/w film still on the market to use as a substitute?

I'm also thinking I may just be able to photograph onto lith film directly though it may be more difficult to nail the correct exposure without blocking up the pattern.

Thoughts?

Joe

 

[donbga]

I used to make zone plates by photographing the concentric pattern at various magnifications with Kodak Technical Pan film and then contact printing that onto Kodalith or Ortho Litho. With the demise of Tech Pan, what would be an available super fine-grained 35mm b/w film still on the market to use as a substitute?

I'm also thinking I may just be able to photograph onto lith film directly though it may be more difficult to nail the correct exposure without blocking up the pattern.

Thoughts?

Joe

Joe,

Oddly enough I was thinking about doing this myself the other day. Perhaps TMAX 100 could be used instead.

 

[Ole]

Something like Rollei ORTHO 25, perhaps? That has the added advantage of a clear film base, so there's no extra light loss.

 

[Steve Smith]

If you have the zone plate pattern in a CAD or graphics program format, it may be better to send it out for photo plotting to graphic arts film.

This would give a more dense black on a clear film with no mid tones. It is the type of film we (at work) use to expose our screen printing emulsions with.

I did draw up a zone plate once but did not get round to having it made into film.


Steve.

 

[smieglitz]

Joe,

Oddly enough I was thinking about doing this myself the other day. Perhaps TMAX 100 could be used instead.

Don,

The pdf files here for a a 75mm zone plate at 100x or 25x images of 59mm and 75mm zoneplates and zonesieves may be of some use. These are both from the Stanford site pages on pinhole photography.

I'm teaching an alt course this semester and want the class to make some zone plates so the above should be very helpful. I'd like to try out the zonesieve myself having never done so previously.

Joe

p.s., Here's a zone plate smiley:

 

[nicolai]

You could also check out Roger Cline's method for making perfect zone plates and pinholes with graphic arts film.

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

Chris Ellinger on the other side of the state is making them. He sent me one, but I don't know what it's on...

I'll see if I have an email address & PM you.

 

[Dan Williams]

Chris Ellinger on the other side of the state is making them. He sent me one, but I don't know what it's on...

I'll see if I have an email address & PM you.

Chris does incredible work with zone plates I have one of his prints, Twilight Tents, hanging on the wall here over my desk

Take a look at his web site Dead Link Removed

He also can be found on the B&W Zone Plate forum over at f295.

Dan

 

[rpsawin]

This from one of yesterday's posts re: Tech Pan replacement

Dead Link Removed

Bob

 

[dslater]

I would think Gigabit, Bluefire Police, or ADOX CM20 film would work as well as tech pan for this application.