Large Format X-Ray Photo

[Nokton48]

4x5 Fuji HRU Mic-X 5 minutes by Nokton48, on Flickr

My first Sinar Norma 4x5 photo in twenty five years taken yesterday. Fuji 8x10 HR-U X-Ray cut down to 4x5, Graphmatic Holder, 4x5 Sinar Norma 180mm f5.6 chrome Durst Componon lens, full key sun. This was exposure #6, two stops over ambient reading of grey card EI 50 TTL Sinarsix 1/15 @ Fll. Short development is stock Legacy Mic-X 5 minutes 68F. Cesco flat bottomed 8x10 tray, sheets developed singly. I did a sort of ring-around, varying exposure and development times. This is the lowest contrast version which I like.

8x10 Arista RC #2 Multigrade dev Omega DII with Omegalite circuline head

Cool thing is this works out to about 7 cents per 4x5 sheet. I may load up the truck

Please post your large format X-Ray photos here

 

[gorbas]

Dan, it looks lovely! So it comes to 12ei (with extension compensation included)? If you have colour version of this shot it will be great to include just to see colour rendering of this film

 

[Nokton48]

Hi Goran,

I am enjoying developing little sheets in trays under deep red safelight. Developing by inspection on some. Yes EI 12 is two stops over, Sinarsix accounts for bellows extension TTL so no reason to measure that. Really enjoying using the Sinarsix again.

It is overcast and raining here today but I will take a digitshot of the flowers when the sun comes back out. On a clear day the light is good in late morning on my deck.

I printed another view of this, one stop less (so 1 stop over) and developed also Microdol-X but eight minutes not five.

I like it also but has a different "look" as it is more contrasty. This film is touchy to use in every way!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Technically not an X-ray photo... but lovely none the less.
I've been using green latitude, double-sided for about 12 years. Great stuff. Got about 300 sheets of 8x10, and 80 sheets of 14x17. Got about 100 sheets of single-sided Ektascan... too sharp for me, though! Although xray are not my main films, it's fun to play around with and experiment. Love the softness of the double-side film and lack of halation backing.

 

[Nokton48]

4x5 Fuji HRU Mic-X 8 minutes by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is decreasing exposure one stop as shown above, but increasing dev time from five to eight minutes. My wife prefers this version.
So this one EI 25 harder development

 

[gorbas]

For me, in this digital version, first one is better.

 

[Nokton48]

The first one has more highlight and shadow detail

 

[Paul Howell]

Does X ray film have an antihalation backing?

 

[AgX]

Seen the title I am utmost disappointed. No X-ray exposure...

Yes, I really expected that you had added an X-ray apparatus to your stuff.

 

[gorbas]

The first one has more highlight and shadow detail

Yeah, that is reason why I like it! Keep using it!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Does X ray film have an antihalation backing?

Double-sided doesn't. Single-sided does, combined with anti-curl.

 

[Paul Howell]

Double-sided doesn't. Single-sided does, combined with anti-curl.

Thanks, didn't know there was a double sided ray film, need to look it up to see how it was used.

 

[Donald Qualls]

The double side coating adds sensitivity -- much/most of the high speed stuff is double coated, if I've understood correctly. Gives up a lot of sharpness, if I get some I'll stick with single sided.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Thanks, didn't know there was a double sided ray film, need to look it up to see how it was used.

You have to be more careful about scratching it. I've had success developing in flat-bottomed trays, and gentle agitation. EI 80 for normal contrast, daylight.

 

[Nokton48]

I develop one sheet at a time in a flat bottomed Cesco trays. Four takeaways so far:

1. The HRU emulsion is -incredibly- thin, I scraped an "X" on a wet sheet, the emulsion comes right off with fingernail. There is a not too thick silver image on both sides of the film, so it is exposing both sides at once in the camera. The images are mirror-like silver on both sides and has a deep bluish film base.

2. Image starts to come up after two minutes. I raise the tray once every thirty seconds horizontal and vertical alternating. Gentle agitation is the key.

3. Compensating developers can help tame the highlights, and shorter developing times I think. Microdol-X is a softer working developer so I started with that. I also tried straight Acufine, it seems to add over a stop at least (maybe two) in total density. Might be good on overcast days?

4. This film is not designed for photography, it's was made for medical purposes. I've heard the expired film lasts a long time out of date, which is good if I load up on it.

 

[Paul Howell]

Does anyone sell it cut to 4X5 and boxed?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Does anyone sell it cut to 4X5 and boxed?

I've never seen it sold at that size. Luckily we can do it ourselves, under a safe light. Nokton48's 4th point about expired film lasting a long time, is correct... even the latent image of exposed film will last years.

 

[Cholentpot]

Photo 1 looks nicer to my eyes.

Where do I get this stuff? I'd like to chop down to 2x3. 7 cents an exposure? Count me in, scratches and all.

 

[NB23]

Very hard not to scratch the emulsion while cutting or developing.

How did you manage not to scratch yours?

i have yet to use up my 2 boxes of 8x10 xray film. Have to cut them first...

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Very hard not to scratch the emulsion while cutting or developing.

How did you manage not to scratch yours?

i have yet to use up my 2 boxes of 8x10 xray film. Have to cut them first...

I use a very sharp scalpel and straight edge. Don't try to cut through the film in one go. Lightly score it repeatedly, until the blade passes through.

 

[DWThomas]

I generally don't cut the stuff, but when I first purchased a box of 8x10, I cut 4x5s out of it to try. I used an office-style guillotine cutter and laid the film on a clean sheet of office/copier paper. I theorized the cutting stress would be 99% along the cut line. That can work but requires some care. The biggest potential pain is that the actual standard cut film sizes are about 0.06 inches smaller than the nominal size, so cutting an 8x10 exactly into quarters may result in a fit problem in 4x5 holders. And in general, trimming a narrow sliver off one edge in a straight and reliable manner can be difficult.

I've pretty much settled on using the 8x10 film in 8x10 holders and acquiring more conventional film for 4x5 use. Have not been doing much of the latter anyway, but the "cost of entry" for 4x5 isn't quite as brutal as 8x10!

 

[Nokton48]

A couple more points, maybe I am right?

Pressure plate should be smooth and no ridges, might get marks from the plate? I've seen it before on films with no antihalo. Graflex 2x3 and 4x5 is what I am loading, those septums are perfect and easy to load under superdeep red safelight. I use a Beselar rototrim to cut and sometimes not completely square? Not sure why, perhaps the sheets are not perfectly 8x10? The Rototrim enables you to remove a micro sliver if you want.The film is so thin that is does slide around in the septum. But the Graphmatics are my personal faves. By the way I racked through these first six sheets in about thirty seconds, it's quick with the automated Norma! Which was good cause it was kinda windy and the sun was going in and out

I've loaded two more 4x5 Graphmatics. This is fun and cheap as dirt.

I don't seem to scratch the film while cutting and loading it.

 

[Cholentpot]

A couple more points, maybe I am right?

Pressure plate should be smooth and no ridges, might get marks from the plate? I've seen it before on films with no antihalo. Graflex 2x3 and 4x5 is what I am loading, those septums are perfect and easy to load under superdeep red safelight. I use a Beselar rototrim to cut and sometimes not completely square? Not sure why, perhaps the sheets are not perfectly 8x10? The Rototrim enables you to remove a micro sliver if you want.The film is so thin that is does slide around in the septum. But the Graphmatics are my personal faves. By the way I racked through these first six sheets in about thirty seconds, it's quick with the automated Norma! Which was good cause it was kinda windy and the sun was going in and out

I've loaded two more 4x5 Graphmatics. This is fun and cheap as dirt.

I don't seem to scratch the film while cutting and loading it.

So you are cutting down to 2x3. Interesting.

I happen to have one of those guillotine paper choppers. I don't have a darkroom setup as of yet but I can make one if really need be. I have a few old safelights but I'm not sure if they're as safe as can be.

 

[Nokton48]

For cutting and developing film I use a Kodak Grey "Bullet" safelight with a dark red Kodak filter. Then inside I put a 3W red LED bulb from Lowes. It dosen't fog high speed Jason Lane glass plates EI 25 so it is safe with about anything. I got the idea from Jason and followed his lead. Actually I made two of them one for each darkroom corner, one cutting and the other over the sink.

I fogged a whole box of 4x5 Ilford Commercial so I am done with all that other orange stuff and Ortho film materials.
The box I now use for tests.

 

[Cholentpot]

Aside from my regular safelight which is a big red box I have a Brownie Darkroom light kit with a yellow and green cup. Not sure if it's any good for what I'll need.

I should try the little red bulb from Lowes idea though...