Nice Super-XX surprice

[JLP]

Last year i bought a film lot which among many others included a 100 sheet sealed box of 4x5 Super-XX expired in 1978
Today i desided to open it and take a closer look. Pulled a sheet and fixed it in my normal film fix and to my surprise the film is completely clear with no signs of BF at all.
As soon as i get a chance i will expose a few sheets but in the meantime i would like to know what developer and developing time would be a good start.
Did a research on the Super-XX but didn't find anything about developing.

Any sugestions is appreciated.
Thanks.

jan

 

[Larry.Manuel]

ask Tom Abrahamsson

I believe he uses a lot of it in 135. You can send him a message at Rangefinder Forum ["Coffee with Experts" forum], Searching there - RFF - might yield his recipe for developing.

 

[glbeas]

You need to run it through the developer before the fix to check for base fog.

 

[Konical]

Good Evening, Jan,

My Kodak publication, Kodak Professional Black-and-White Films(December 1976 Revision-IX) indicates 4 minutes (continuous agitation) for HC-110A, 7 minutes (continuous agitation) for HC-110B. There are also times given for Polydol, DK-50, and DK-50 (1:1) should you be interested.

Konical

 

[JLP]

Thanks all for your inputs.
Yes, of course Gary, i forgot that.
Developing a couple of sheet is Xtol 1+1 now so will soon know how it looks. One exposed as 200 and the other as 100 iso.

Thanks.
jan

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Tom Abrahamsson discusses Double-X (Type 5222) on the RF forum, not Super-XX, which is a different film.

I've got some as well, and I've been going 6 minutes in ABC pyro, 1+1+1+12 for enlarging paper.

Michael Smith develops by inspection and uses ABC pyro 1+1+1+7, and starts inspecting at 8 minutes for Azo, which takes a contrastier neg than enlarging papers.

Also, SXX is really a nice film for landscapes. It responds to filters in a very precise way, which is different from other films. If Technicolor were B&W, it would look like SXX, I think.

 

[JLP]

Thanks David.
14 minutes Xtol 1+1 may be a little to much but i saw on the Azo forum that it need longer developing whatever that means. Will know in a few minutes.


jan

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

If you're printing on Azo, you need about one zone more density than you would for enlarging papers.

 

[JLP]

There's quite a bit of b+f but can't tell if it is to much until i can make a scan.
Since this box is only 4x5 i don't think i will waste my Azo on contact prints but i would be interesting so see how it looks though.
Will scan tomorrow when dry.

Thanks again.
jan

 

[mikez]

You need to run it through the developer before the fix to check for base fog.

yeah, it's a shame. sorry to hear JLP. I love finding old stuff too.

 

[Jim Noel]

Super XX always had a pretty significant base fog.On the other hand its very straight curve enabled the photogrpaher to produce essentialally any HL density desired to account for its use for all alt processes as well as tri-color processes. It was the film pf choice in "One-shot" cameras to produce color separations for dye transfer andother color processes of the time. A marvelous film, wish I had more than the small maount of 4x5.
Yes, I am nostalgic,but with all the improvements there is still no other film as versatile as Super XX.

 

[Kirk Keyes]

There's quite a bit of b+f but can't tell if it is to much until i can make a scan.

Jan - don't worry about base fog too much. Worry about uneven base fog. A little extra base fog only means longer printing times.

Good luck!

 

[edtbjon]

Has anyone tried Super-XX in Pyrocat (intended for normal silver papers)? I have one box of S-XX in an odd european size, which I want to use at some special occation. I've tried one sheet which was underexposed and a bit underdeveloped, but it had surprisingly low b&f for a film which expired in -78.

//Björn

 

[JLP]

Kirk, the fog looks very even so i am hopful it will be good. Time will tell. Thanks.
Bjorn, Pyrocat MC is my standard developer so i intend to try that combination soon.


jan