Exposing Eastman (Double-X) 5222 in the Leica

I just finished some contact scans from my first roll of double-X. I processed this from stock D76 at ISO250. I posted two of the scans on the 5222 Flickr group:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31378143@N02/2939548756/in/pool-656147@N20

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31378143@N02/2938719027/in/pool-656147@N20

My impression is the film has the looks of older styles, like ones you would see from the likes of Imogen.

Some of my contacts looked grainy, with respect to landscape scenes. Trees with small leaves, (Willows), grass. These may be over exposed as I shoot without a meter. The shots with my Summar wide open are the ones I liked the most from this film.

Loading the film by hand from a 400' roll is pretty neat. My arms may be longer than Tom A's. I had 39 shots and I could hear the tightness of the film and I advancing the film for the fist few shots.

I will try some wet prints and see what the final results tell me. So far, so good!

~Gary
 
Hi folks--I think I'm ready to give this a try. After reading the whole thread, I'm a little confused as to whether there is actually anywhere to get 100' rolls of 5222. I called up Film Emporium and they don't have it, and I'm very unlikely to be able to use 400' before it expires. I'm going to call Kodak later today--is it actually true that they have 100' rolls?

Also, I don't have a windowless room in my house...I will probably try to load in my little pop-up changing tent. Will I need a bulk loader to do this? And what's a good source for empty cassettes?

Thanks, all. If anyone has 100' reels of this film, I'd love to buy one from you.
 
Well.......
New from Eastman NYC, it comes in 400, 1000, or 4000 foot rolls. Sometimes you can luck out, and buy a "short-end" from inside a 35mm Motion Picture camera. I have found a few rolls like that, on Ebay. Easiest way to load it, is to stretch out an arms length, snip it off, and wind it up into a cassette. I like the KODAK SNAP-CAPS, myself. If you are lucky enough to find just a hundred feet, you can load it into a bulk loader.
 
From local photo shops, and on Ebay. Search under "Kodak Snap Cap" They are plentiful, usually fifty to seventy-five cents apiece, they come in a box of ten. Right now, I have twelve boxes, so that's 120 cassettes. Enough for now.
 
Here is my assortment of Kodak Snap Caps

Here is my assortment of Kodak Snap Caps

They come up fairly frequently on ebay:
 
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At Last - Some of my Eastman 5222 & 5231 Images

At Last - Some of my Eastman 5222 & 5231 Images

Recent lens tests, shot with Leica M2 and X+ 5231, and Leica M-5 with XX 5222. They are attached to my 85mm F1.5 Canon thread, and they are also in my Flickr stream. I have also sent them to our Flickr Eastman 5222 XX Group. Here's the link, 12 images are on pages 2 & 3:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64661&page=2

Film exposed at EI80 & EI250, developed in replenished ADOX Borax Developer.
 
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With the dark weather and chance of floods looming in the future, in this part of North America, I went into the dark room and rolled 25 rolls of XX 250. I have another few 100 feet to roll but I don't like to do it all in one session. Maybe later this evening I will do another 25-50 rolls and I should be set for a few weeks, maybe longer if we don't get any more light.

I haven't decided what developer to use with this batch, any suggestions from those who are shooting xx regularly. I used Adox MQ developer (Like d-76) and TD-201 divided developer during my last long run with XX. Both worked very well.



Leo
 
Leo,
I have two developers that I have been using with the XX and a bit of +X, the ADOX Borax MQ that you recommended, and also the TD-201. Of the two, I still think I prefer the ADOX Borax MQ, I still have both mixed and ready to go.

One developer I really want to try soon is the Beutler (Neofin Blue) developer that used to be recommended by E Leitz. It's easy to mix (I've mixed the concentrates) and uses chemicals that you probably already have. Tom says the grain is -sharp- and you do get nice Mackie lines, from what I understand.
 
Leo, I have been using Rodinal as 1:50 for 11 minutes. A bit of a "shotgun" grain, but very sharp and edgy.
The Pyrocat HD died after 6 month (only enough left to do another 10-15 rolls anyway). Better to mix 500ml volume (or do 1000 ml and shoot more!).
Maybe you should try the Rodinal and add the Sodium Sulphite to it a la Bill Pierce. I used to do it and it does work. The grain gets quite smooth and slightly "mushy". I have to shoot some more Tri X/Arista/XX for another run with Rodinal 1:50 and once that is done I will start trying to fine tune Rodinal (thinking of 1:75/ 15 min).
Crappy weather anyway so I have rolled up a bunch of Tri X and Arista Premium 400 in Nikon cassettes.
Overall, I think the Pyrocat HD works very well as does the TD 201. I wonder what D23 would look like. I used to do XX in D23 for 6 min and I remember that it was extremely easy to print and the grain was finer than with just about anything else - and it kept the speed at 250. Too may developers and not enough light!!!!
 
Tom,
What do you recommend if I want to run Tri-X and XX together?
I have Rodinal (and Sulphite), have yet to try it. I'm also rating my Tri-X at EI250, as I do with XX. Will be interesting to see the tonality differences between the two.
-Dan
 
Just to simplify my life, I run XX (@250-320) and XXX (@320-400) and Presto 400 (@400) in Rodinal 1:50 for 11 min. With the addition of Sodium Sulphite (100 gr/1000 ml) I would cut that time by 1.5-2 minutes. I have tried a less saturated solution before (50 gr/1000ml) and kept the standard time. Less mushy grain, but also less intrusive grain.
I just did some XX in Rodinal 1:50/11 min and blew up the center portion of the negative to a "Flickr" sized image. Very distinct grain, but sharp edged. Go to our Flickr site and you can see it there, together with the original shot (or the XX site).
 
Tom A said:
Just to simplify my life, I run XX (@250-320) and XXX (@320-400) and Presto 400 (@400) in Rodinal 1:50 for 11 min.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom.
What's your dev temp?
20C?
BTW LeCar does look -very- sharp w/Rodinal and XX.
-Dan
 
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Dan, I have the luxury of a "constant temp" water system - runs on 220 volt and I just dial in the temperature and it stays constant! Unless I am trying something weird - it is left at 20C or 68F.
The Le Car has some interesting edges to it in this crop. The "shutline" around the door and the black window surround looks quite edgy. Grain is "shotgun" style though.
Today is reasonable weather so I will shoot some more stuff on Arista and TriX and run with the XX. Might try the 1:75 rod. and 15 min.
 
It does look like a nice day. I am going to the Seattle Seahawks vs Washington Redskin game so maybe I will have a chance to shoot some.

I am thinking of trying the Barry Thornton Two bath system, where the normal developer is using at temperature time minus 3 minutes and than soaked a a bath B (Borax bath)

Has anyone tried this:

"The Teaspoonful Two Bath
As far as I know nobody has mentioned another technique which I have evolved and which works really well to give different tonal characteristics and very similar automatic contrast control, and to avoid having to mix anything but an approximate Bath B - two heaped teaspoons of sodium metaborate in 1 litre of water. It dissolves almost instantly and is cheap enough to use once then throw away, though it would handle 15 roll films if re-used. Simply use your normal standard developer (T-Max, ID11, llfotech, HC110, Econotol, Perceptol etc.) for half to two thirds of the maker's stated time as Bath A, drain it off, and use the teaspoon-measured Bath B for 3 minutes at the same temperature as Bath A. You may have to fine tune Bath A time by experience. For all 2 baths stop and fix afterwards in the usual way after Bath B, but not between the two baths Copyright Barry Thornton.

Good shooting

Leo
 
Also Tom I have used Rodinal with Sodium Sulfite added years ago for faster film. Like you I got the idea from Bill Pierce. As I remember it was quite good. I think I may have to try it again.

I have been using Rodinal 1:100 68 Deg for a 1 hour stand development with slow film ( Arista !00) . The few samples that I have done really look nice but I have been shooting faster film lately.

Leo
 
i did finish 5 rolls today so it is up to the darkroom and souping them. I will do them in 1:75 Rodinal for 15-15,5 minutes and see what comes out. I will start another 5 rolls tomorrow and do that with the Sodium Sulphite mix and see what difference there is with TriX/Arista/XX,
The Thornton formula should work very well with XX or TriX as they have thick enough emulsion to hold some of the developer in the gelcoat. I better start another 5 rolls run for that! Hmm, Rodinal 1:50 for 7 min and the Kodalk bath for another 4-5 minutes. Need to roll up some more XX obviously!
 
Hey folks...I just cannot find less than 400 feet of the stuff...is there anyone who has a big reel of it, and wouldn't mind selling me 50 or 100 feet so I can give this a shot? I'm now on the call list for short ends at Film Emporium, but perhaps that is a pipe dream...
 
Just scanned and posted on Flickr a couple of shots done with the XX/Rodinal 1:75 for 15,5 min. A bit "flatter" contrast than I expected, but scanned fine. Only had time to finish 3 rolls today - so will do two more tomorrow and run a Sodium Sulphite/Rodinal 1:75 batch then. Might take an extra day to do as my ceiling in the office next to the darkroom sprung a small leak and is being sanded and painted tomorrow. Everything is wrapped up in dust sheet and plastic at the moment. Drywall dust gets in EVERYWHERE as experience have taught me!
 
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