Exposing Eastman (Double-X) 5222 in the Leica

[Nokton48]

Hi All,

I've recently become interested in shooting Kodak Double-X (Eastman 5222) motion picture film in my new early Leica M2. I know that Tom Abrahamsson, Al Kaplan, and others here have been using this film, from time to time.

Here is the Kodak teaser:

http://motion.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Products/Production/Black_And_White_Films/5222.htm

And, here is the technical stuff from Kodak, it comes in 400, 1000, and 4000 foot rolls:





http://www.theasc.com/ac_magazine/December2006/CasinoRoyale/image450.php


Today I contacted Film Emporium in NYC, they had -one- 400 foot roll of Eastman 5222 "Long Ends" to sell to me, at 20 cents a foot. Cost me 80US Bucks plus ten for Fedex. Not bad at all for 400 feet of retro motion picture stock. 🙂

http://www.tapesuperstore.com/5222bw200.html

Interestingly, in doing a google search, I discovered that the opening scenes in the James Bond film, CASINO ROYALE, were filmed with Eastman 5222.

See here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNvzNWuzI9Y

 

[jolefler]

I've wanted to....

I've wanted to....

but 400' is tough to justify for an experiment. I've contacted Film Emporium a few times, but they never seem to have a short end of 100-200 feet.

I've really gotten into "retro" B&W lately (read: flare-prone, soft contrast & grainy)....sounds like the right stuff to use.

Anybody here want to split some with me?

Jo

 

[lkgroup]

Tom A and I have been sending info on XX and developing back on forth. Following is a message I sent him

Tom, Interesting information on using Hc-110 and Double XX. I just developed 4 rolls of XX at 250 in a developer called Adox Borax MQ. It is a D-76 like developer but with enough changes that 10-20% more time is added to D-76 times. It is perfect for using in a Jobo because i can use D-76 times that are listed and because 10-20 % was supposed to be added the agitation of the Jobo cancels that out and D-76 times can be used.

I used 7 min at 68 degrees with this developer and XX at 250 and the results were outstanding. I'm going to repeat this until i find a better developer. The tones are outstanding which is something with this streak of cloudy weather we are having in the NW. I live in Skagit County just south of the Border.

The Formula:

ADOX Borax MQ
________________________________________
Adox Borax MQ

Metol 2 gm

Sodium Sulphite (anhydrous) 80 gm

Hydroquinone 4 gm

Borax 4 gm

Potassium Bromide 0.5 gm

Water to make 1.0 liter

This is similar to D-76 with slightly better sharpness, but development times must be increased by 10 - 20 %.

This developer formula was used for testing the DIN speed of films. It gives full film speed, excellent tonality and improved sharpness compared to D-76


I actually make a quart and have a replenisher formula that I add at the rate of 20ml a roll. If anyone is interested in the replenisher I will list it also.



Leo

 

[lkgroup]

Adox Borax Mq Replenisher

20 ml per roll

Metol 3g
Sodium Sulphite 80g
Hydroquinone 5g
Borax 18g

Water to 1 liter


I have used Adox Borax MQ developer and replenisher with several types of film and all have been outstanding.

Leo

 

[Tom A]

here is the "official" Kodak developer for Double XX. I mix it in 2000ml volume as my 5 reel tanks hold about 1500 ml.

Water @ 50+C 1500 ml
Metol/Elon 3 grams
Sodium Sulphite (anhydrous) 150 grams
Hydroquinone 3 grams
Potassium Bromide 0,8 gram
Borax (20 Mule Team) 9 grams
Water to 2000 ml.

Replenisher
Water @ 50C 750 ml
Metol 1 gram
Sodium Sulphite (anhydrous) 160 gtams (!).
Hydroquinone 4 grams
Borax 10 grams
Water t0 1000 ml.

The developer is a close variant of D76 and with a moderate amount of Sodium Sulphite in it. I tend to mix it and use the replenisher (20 ml/roll) until it is used up, after which I dump it all and make up a new batch (it gives me 50 rolls). The stock solution gets quite "crappy" after a while. Small filmparticles, dust etc collects in it and I do filter it every 20-25 rolls, just in case!
The Replenisher has a LOT of Sodium Sulphite in it. It is almost a saturated solution so you will find undissolved particles of SS in it. I recommen that you mix it and let it stand overnight and filter it once before using (OK, if you like spotting prints -don't filter!).
It is a softer working developer, great midtones and it will tame a bright scene, Not supersharp as the Sodium Sulphite "mushes" up the grain a bit, but for anything up to a 11x14 it works fine. Great combination too if you are using some of the modern lenses with excessive contrast as it flattens it a bit.
My times for the D 96 so far has been:
Double XX 6.5 min
Tri X 7.0
Fuji Acros 100 6min (only a couple of runs with that, so times are a bit inconclusive).

The XX is a nice film - however one should remember that it is a movie stock, made for projection, thus surface blemishes are not as important as with a "still" film. Occasionally you will find gelatin specks in it. If you project it at 24fps no problem, but if you are printing from it - you have to spot or bleach the print.
It is by no means pervasive, but something that happens occasionally.

 

[Nokton48]

Tom A & Leo,

This sounds like great stuff! My 400' roll of labeled "RECAN" arrived in an obviously repackaged "Vivid Color" Eastman metal movie can, wrapped with surgical adhesive tape.

The D-96 seems pretty good too, I've been thinking about getting a few bulk chemicals, anyway recently. It uses standard products, noting exotic, nothing I haven't ordered previously. Can you use 20 Mule Team Borax from the grocery store? I think you can.

My new M2 should arrive any day, so I'm going down into the darkroom this weekend, to load up a couple of boxes of Kodak Snap-Caps. That will give me twenty rolls of the XX, to start with the M2.

 

[Tom A]

20 Mule Team from the grocey store works fine. It is pretty well pure Borax. We used to go to Death Valley for Christmas in the late 80's and early 90's and I started to use Borax bought at the source and it came in the 20 mule team box.
I did think of buying a larger quantity while there, but 5000 kg was a bit excessive and would have taxed our Transvan's suspension.

 

[Nokton48]

Checking my cache of bulk darkroom chemicals, I have found all ingredients I need to mix the D96 (never been to Death Valley) excepting Sodium Sulphite, so I ordered a pound of that. The Twenty Mule Team I'll get next trip to the grocery. I spooled up a roll of the XX last night. My five Bessas are all loaded with various films right now, but I will load some XX into one of the Bessa-R's ASAP.

 

[Tom A]

Leo, thanks for the tip on Adox. I just did 5 rolls last night - 7 min and the XX looks really good. Sharp and even mid-tones. I will try to "Flickerize" some of the shots later today, but now I am heading out and shooting some more XX.
It is not a fine grain film, but the slightly lower Sodium Sulphite content in the Adox (compared to D-76) gives it a bit of an edge.
Tom

 

[Tom A]

Just finished downloading 20-21 shots done with XX and the Adox. Looks really good as a film/dev. combination.
Check on our Flickr for them.
Tom

 

[andersju]

I'd love to try this. Any idea where to get this film in Europe?

 

[Tom A]

I suspect that you would have to talk to Kodak Motion Picture office. In Stockholm I would try one of the production houses or movie industry suppliers.
Also check with Kodak Motion Picture Division in Rochester, New York and they can probably advice you as to who in Europe would stock and sell the 5222/Double XX. Minimum quantity is 400 ft (123 meters), but the price in Canada/US is around $130-140/400 ft so it is actually very well priced.

 

[titrisol]

Is this the motion-equivalent to PlusX or to TriX?

What Ei did you use for those pictures?
The mustang is a classic!

 

[Tom A]

This is Kodaks Motion Picture Divisons product. The XX is rated at 250 asa in daylight and 200 in tungsten. The Plus X is rated at 80 asa in daylight (I usually shoot it at 100 as it has a fair bit of latitude) and 64asa in tungsten.
The Double XX/5222 can be used at 400 asa, but I find that it can block up the shadows a bit. I usually shoot this stuff without meter and "guesstimate" the exposure, so it probably goes between 200 and 320, but XX has a fair bit of latitude, particularly in the highlights.
It responds well to classic formulas Metol/Hydroquinone like D 76/Adox. Not as well to Rodinal and some of the modern mixes. It works very well with two bath developers like split D76/Td 201/ Pyro based developers and D 23.

 

[titrisol]

I see, DoubleX is what comes between x and XXX
thanks

 

[Nokton48]

Tom,

I've been thinking about souping some of this 5222 in PMK+, which is Metol/Pyro, with a tiny shot of Amidol, which is supposed to add about 1/2 stop to base film speed, we will see.

I've just found five pounds of Sodium Sulphite down in my basement darkroom, wife brought home the 20 Mule Team from the grocery. So I'm ready to mix up some of the Adox, and replenisher. I really need to buy a tank that holds four or five reels, I have a presently two reel, and eight reel, Nikkor SS tanks. Need something in-between.

 

[Tom A]

The PMK is a nice developer, but the "khaki" colored negs scan badly! They do print well though. If you are mixing Pyro, be careful. It is quite toxic in solid form. Once it is suspended in the water it is OK, but use a mask and be outside when you mix it up!
The Adox turned out quite nice, very "solid" negatives, lots of detail. Grain is marginally finer than D 76/FX 37 but mid tones look better.
I had hoped to have another batch to do today, but ended up having coffee with a couple of friends and none of them looked interesting enough to waste a whole roll on! Supposedly tomorrow the sun will come out and I can finish the three rolls that are sitting in the M2's and do another batch in Adox.

 

[Trius]

Tom: The XX/Adox shots you posted on flickr look really good.

 

[titrisol]

After reading this I went to do some mouse-reading.
I found references to XX in the darkroom databook and in the Lester and morgan Photo-LabIndex.
It said that it is a 200 speed film for general uise, fine grain and medium resolution. I found development recommendations in HC110 and others. If interested I'll copy them here tonight

 

[Tom A]

The references you have are probably for the "old" version of XX. Kodak reconfigured the emulsion in the mid 90's. Not much changes with the sensitivity and latitude of the film, but the base and coating was modernized. It probably wont change the charactersitics of the film, but things like absorbtion of developer can affect it.
I tried the XX in HC 110 and it works fine (1:60/11 min), but the Adox MQ looks better and gives me a true 250 asa. The latitude is such that you can shoot it without meter and as long as you are guessing within +/- a stop (200-400 asa) you get a printable neg. Not as flexible as the old Verichrome Pan, but then nothing is!