Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/06/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Fun with a changing bag, glad you were sort of successful! According to a Kodak scientist I once met, the sheet film version of Super-XX had more silver per square inch of emulsion than any other contemporary sheet film. I really loved that film, and was very disappointed to see it replaced by the tabbed grain stuff. When it was gone, I switched to FP4+ as it was the closest to the long tonal scale of Super-XX. Jay On 6/23/2014 3:06 PM, Richard Man wrote: > I bought a pack of Super-XX from eBay... Yes, Super-XX, "Must Be Developed > Before Feb 1951" Well, so we are 63 years too late. I am sure it will work > *grin* > > Put the package inside the changing tent with a film holder. My mental > conversation (I hope it's mental anyway, and not me narrating what's > happening at real time) went like this: > "What is this? It feels like Pack Film! Ooops. OK, no big deal, I could > just open the metal frames like this, and hmm... where are the sheets?" > Eventually found them, ripped one off the protective sheet and tried to > push it in the film holder, guessing which side is the emulsion by feel > and... it wouldn't go in. > > Touched and touched and it felt a bit wider and quite a bit longer than 4x5 > negs. In went the pair of scissors and I did the best I could to cut 2 > sheets totally by feel. At this point, I was sure that this is an entirely > waste of a grand total of $8 (+ shipping). > > Put the remaining sheets in a film box and took everything out of the tent > and realized that I have ruined about 6 sheets due to not able to see which > are what, and what is where. Double oops. > > Took two test shots, using exposure assuming ISO 50 (Super-XX was a high > speed film at ISO125 thereabout, but 63 years in a box probably lower its > sensitivity so I figured ISO50 is probably good). F5.6 at 1/8 second, 120 > APO > Symmar with the Chamonix Saber on a tripod. > > Managed to somehow wrangle them into the Jobo reel, even though the hand > cut sheets are neither the correct size nor even cut straight. Xtol 12 mins > in the Jobo with a pre-wash. Quick water stop, 30 secs in fix then took a > quick look and I was REALLY SURPRISED to see images on both sheets! Put it > back on the Jobo and finished it with proper fixing length, hypo clear, > water rinse, and photo flo. After they dried, scanned and post processed > and realized that one sheet has the emulsion facing the wrong way so the > exposure was about -2 stops! Tripe oops. The other one the exposure is > actually about + 1/2 stop. > > So yes, these are post processed and therefore enhanced, but for a 63 year > emulsion, it's not bad at all!! > > http://richardmanphoto.com/PICS/20140611-Scanned-361-Edit.jpg > > http://richardmanphoto.com/PICS/20140611-Scanned-362.jpg >