Exposing Eastman (Double-X) 5222 in the Leica

just got a 400' roll of double x 5222 and one of 250D colour negative! can't wait to start.

I've been re-reading this thread trying to come to conclusions about push-processing. What is the consensus? Not above EI400?
 
noimmunity said:
i saw a response here (now deleted) suggesting that pushing wasn't working so well with this film...
Click to expand...
How odd.. i thought Dan's comments on the subject were insightful and well articulated! I wonder what happened?

It's been said by several folks (whom i trust implicitly) that 400 is approaching the limit, so i guess that's the consensus. I've shot it at around 640 and ran it through Diafine, but wasn't very pleased with the results. I've shot it a fair amount at 400, and really liked the look when dev'd in Fuji SPD, but it's not for everyone.

I'm sure when Tom A gets back that he'll weigh in on this. In the meantime, here's an example of XX at 400 in SPD, in case you're curious:

2320060242_0eff49fc9f.jpg


--c--
 
I shot my first roll of XX (thanks, Tom, who gave me 10 rolls to play with!), souped in D-76 1+1 for 9 minutes. Initial impressions are good, with the rich tonality I was hoping for with XX. I look forward to shooting in varying conditions and, of course, making some wet prints with the stuff. I bet it prints up beautifully.

Leica M6, M-Rokkor 40mm f/2, XX in D-76:
2535060365_cf2672eabb.jpg


In the same period I also shot some Fomapan 400 rated at 200, souped in D-76. To my eyes, the film has much the same character of XX in terms of mid-tones, but a slightly more defined grain.

Bessa R3M, Jupiter-3, Fomapan 400 @ 200, D-76:
2535867314_a1b1d5f723.jpg


Bessa R3M, CV 90/3.5, Fomapan 400 @ 200, D-76:
2535052403_ce929164f7.jpg
 
noimmunity said:
i saw a response here (now deleted) suggesting that pushing wasn't working so well with this film...
Click to expand...

Nearly all of the stuff I've posted to the flickr group is XX developed in Acufine. It seems to do a decent EI400 in that.
 
I just got my first 100' roll of 5222 from Film Emporium on Monday and ran a couple of rolls through my M2. I exposed at 250 (sunny 16 best guess) and souped in D76 1:1 for 8 min. Nice grain and good contrast IMO.
The only problem I'm having is with emulsion scratches, lots of them. Is this film particularly bad about scratching?
 
I've bracketed about sixty-some rolls of XX (over and under) at this point, and I think it handles overexposure way better than underexposure. It has a very long straight line, this no doubt helps in shooting under Cinema lighting conditions. Acufine is one developer I want to try, still have a gallon to mix up. I do believe you might squeeze a decent EI400 out of it with that, I am still waiting to try.

Travis, I like going to Yellow Springs, it's not far. Great place to photograph. I've never had any scratches with XX, so far. How do you handle the film, I don't use a bulk loader. That seems to me to be a way to possibly contribute scratches. Anybody else getting scratches with XX?

-Dan, selling alot of my fast CV lenses, and going back to M2-vintage original Leitz glass. See the new 90mm Summicron in my avatar 🙂
 
Last edited:
Travis, I like going to Yellow Springs, it's not far. Great place to photograph.
Click to expand...


Hey! maybe we should have a central Ohio get together.
It would probably just be me and you.

BTW, I do use a bulk loader but have never really had scratching problems before. I'm only 2 rolls into 100' so I'll see if the problem persists.

Travis
 
Travis,

I use XX in a bulk loader and have never had trouble with scratches either. Since I use a Watson loader, however, the only thing that could scratch the film would be the felt seals on the film cartridge. I had heard elsewhere on this thread that, since this film was designed for motion pictures it was supposed to be especially resistant to scratching.

How did you arrive at your 8 minute time for D76 1+1? I have been using 10 minutes, as per the Massive Development Chart. Negatives are a bit dense, but easy to print. I think that I will try 8 minutes on my next roll.
 
I have found that the XX is sensitive to scratches when wet! Any manhandling a la Tri X will do it. Once it is dry it seems quite "hard" and scratch resistant.
The felt trap on reloadable cassettes can be the culprit too. One reason I use my "extended arms" for 37-38 exposures and the Leica IXMOO cassette is that it does reduce problem like this ( also one reason why I am scouring the world for more Nikon reloadable cassettes - added 4 while in Japan and I can now do 200 ft of XX with those add'l ones).
I took some XX along to Tokyo with the intention of shooting it there - of course, my friends begged most of it off me and I ended up only shooting 7 rolls of XX and 30 rolls of Presto 400! Should not have told them about XX - or waited until I had used it all up!
As for for pushing XX. I have tried as high as 640, but that usually results in blocked shadows. The 400 looks like that is the top speed for consistent quality. Now, bear in mind that most of my XX is shot "sunny f16" and that intoduces a lot of variables - usually optimism and thin negs - or a more pessimistic judgement and dense, blocked negs. However I find that XX can handle miscalculations quite well.
Just souped 5 rolls today and hanging too dry they look good. Pyrocat HD seems to agree with it (5 min prewash, 11 min HD with 60 sec, continious agitation initially and 3 "flips" every 60 sec).
A couple of the rolls were shot with the new Biogon 35mm f2.8 - looks really sharp! I will scan some stuff tomorrow.
Just wish that summer would arrive here - cat wait to load some of that Plus X too.
 
I have a couple of IXMOO's somewhere, I guess I'll have to dig them out and give that a try.
Just when I thought I had reverted as far back into photographic history as I could go.
At this rate I'll be shooting on glass plates by sometime next year.
 
Nah, the next step is Daquerrotypes - polished copper plates, coated with silver and developed in fuming mercury! At least you dont have to worry about loading speed - 15 min exposure. Hmm 4 frames/hour!
 
Travis, Goodie ,another pipe smoker! We are far and few between and in spite of all the "no smoking" propaganda - pipe smokers are actually quite long lived as we are rarely stressed!
Kentucky has some good smoking tobacco too. Must be a good shop around Louisville!
Tom
 
To contribute to the pushing discussion, here's a shadow shot on XX@EI400. Developed in acufine. Don't think it's too 'blocky' since the exit map is still visible on the wall... Not the worlds greatest photo (would have been frame 0 on a new roll) but kinda shows what acufine can do.

attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • Scan-080506-0041.jpg
    Scan-080506-0041.jpg
    45.6 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
I'm ready to run four more new rolls of XX, and am just getting started with the two-solution TD-201. What times and temperatures work best for you guys, and what about agitation? I'm using the classic stainless Honeywell Nikor tank and reels. Do you agitiate continuously in either solution?
 
I love TD-201 and probably have run 100+ rolls total (Several Batches).

My time is 3min A and 3 min in B bath at 72 degrees and I have constant agitation as I use a jobo processor. I don't know what will happen if you use regular agitation cycles.

This developer is great for Scanning, easy contrasts with moderate grain.

Leo
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

dourbalistar
Eastman Double-X available in 120 format!
Replies
1
Views
501
Phil_F_NM
Phil_F_NM
N
Availability of Double X (Eastman 5222) in Europe/France ?
Replies
5
Views
1K
M like Leica M6
M
Back
Top Bottom