Ortho film under safelight

[EASmithV]

I know that this is technically entirely feasible, but just out of curiosity, has anyone actually done it?

My little bathroom is crowded and cumbersome for loading 8x10, and I'm trying to streamline the process. Also, I've always wanted to try some LF ortho portraits using real film (I tried litho/halftone film once, and it was a great success).

I don't want to screw something up... I have a Kodak 1A standard red safelight, and also the amber sodium lights my school has.

Thanks, Eric

 

[Photo Engineer]

Eric;

Use a WR70 for best results.

The 1A may be too bright. And, use about a 15 W or 7.5 W bulb with indirect positioning. Use less than that if you use the 1A. Test with a snip of film if possible..

PE

 

[fschifano]

Depends on the film. Ilford's Ortho Plus needs a deeper red safelight than the Kodak 1A, and it needs to be pretty dim. Amber saflights, equivalent to Kodak's OC standard are no good. Ortho litho films, I handle under the Red 1A safelights without any problem. I think OC safelights will fog that material too, though I've never tested for it.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Yes, I agree with Frank and should have mentioned that as well.

Amber safelights will not work. Green safelights that are dim enough might work as well as the dark red. The WR70 is the darkest red. I forget the designation in some other systems, but it is very very dark red.

PE

 

[EASmithV]

If it helps, the films I was looking into were the Efke/Adox or Rollei Ortho films.
I've used the Arista Ortho Litho numerous times under the Amber sodium lamps, and I have never had a problem with it getting fogged. Dumb question, is a WR70 a welding mask filter?

 

[Photo Engineer]

No, it is not a welding mask filter. Sorry, but it is part of the Kodak Wratten series in which the WR29 is about equal to the 1A, and the WR70 is about equal to the next darker safelight. There is a series of red safelight filters for different speed ortho films. These were quite poplular when I was a teen for Ortho films, but gradually faded away until only the one for paper (1A) was left.

PE

 

[EASmithV]

Would stacking two 1A filters do anything?

 

[glbeas]

Might try plugging your safelight into a dimmer control.

 

[fschifano]

That would cut down on the amount of light, but would not change the color of the light. That may be a problem, or it may not. Best to check the spectral sensitivity of the film you intend to use and compare it against the transmission qualities of the safelight filter first. Find the the transmission characteristics of all Kodak's safelight filters here.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Looks like the WR-2 is closest to what you want, or perhaps the X-ray film filter.

PE

 

[Jerevan]

I have done some Ilford Ortho, but I prefer doing it in a Cibachrome or Jobo tank. But the loading and unloading is really facilitated by being able to see the film. For this film Ilford recommends the 906 (dark red filter). I've used a red bulb and and AP Safelight, and while I've never checked for fog, it seems to have worked out well enough for me.

I have also done some work with Efke OP12, developed in Neofin Blau, but I gave up because of QC issues.

The Encapsulite 610 nm (I think it is designated R10) might also work, check here for more variations: http://www.encapsulite.com/FluorescentSafelightSelectionChart.pdf

I have to say that I don't know if being colour-impaired has to do anything with it, but the LPL SG4 that I am trying out now (which I believe is akin to a dark red Kodak 2 filter) is very dark, to the point of being almost useless.

 

[Ian Grant]

Over the years I've used a lot of Ortho film, I would recommend a dimmer as was suggested earlier as in a small darkroom even a supposedly "Safe" safe-light filter might be too close. Do some tests.

Like Jerevan I actually preferred to process the Ilford Ortho film in a JOBO tank, it is very sensitive, it's better to err on the safe side with the camera speed ortho films.

Ian

 

[Mick Fagan]

I have processed bucket loads of Lithographic film under the Kodak 1A filter, I have a total of five of these available for my darkroom, you can have it so bright you can read a book and the film will not fog, unless you leave it out whilst you go and have a meal.

For Orthochromatic film I have the Ilford 906, which is very, very dark red. Sort of the dark that you wait a minute after switching the white lights off, before you start to see things. This is a very safe, safelight, for Ortho film. I have used Ilford (4x5" I think) and it works wonderfully in that you can develop by inspection. However my eyes are now so bad in low light that I couldn't see to inspect, unless I turned a white light on

In my case I have a single 10"x12" piece of filter which goes in my Ilford 10x12" safelight filter housing, it is angled towards the ceiling, almost straight up, but not quite. I have a white ceiling!

I also have an Ilford X-ray filter (don't know the number), it is a dirty brown colour, I know it fogs Ortho film, with a 30 second exposure at 1.5 metres distance, with a 15W globe. I don't process X-ray film, but picked the filter up for a song and thought I would test it on film I had to hand. It also fogs Lithographic film, but at a slow rate.

Mick.

 

[ricksplace]

I too have developed loads of Arista Lith film shot in my 4X5's, and 2X3's all under a 1A safelight. Try ISO 5 and soup in Rodinal 1+150 in trays. About 7-9 min seems to work. You can develop by inspection. Beware that the negs appear darker than they really are under the dark red safelight. (You will probably underdevelop the first few you try by inspection)

 

[Ian Grant]

It's worth adding there's a huge sensitivity difference between Lith films like the Arista mentioned @ 5 ISO which are blue sensitive and more like B&W papers and the true Orthochromatic films like Ilford Ortho 80 OISO and the EFKE/Adox Ortho etc which have a degree of colour sensitisation. So what's safe for Lith film may be very unsafe for these faster fiiks,

Ian

 

[Jim Noel]

I use 7 1/2 watt bulbs in Kodak 10x12" safelights which are bounced off the ceiling.I have not had a problem with fogging of any Ortho film and I think I have tried all of them at one time or the other. This effectively places the lights about 7 feet from the film and of course the ceiling absorbs some of the light also.
Jim