Shooting Eastman (Double-X) 5222 in the Leica

I am not linked up to anybody. For Svema materials I have my own Ukrainian supplier from Odessa. As you probably know the original Svema factory is already closed for many many years. And yes I have family in Ukraine too. Concerning Svema: http://www.svema.info An Ukrainian .UA you can not registrate if your main address is abroad.
About Kodak 5222 Double-X: Prices of Kodak have been rised pretty high the last months and because this cine film is an USA product the Euro price is of course coupled to the US$-Euro rate. Before 1 1/2 years ago 1,5:1 now 1,06:1. So it is how it is now. Apart from the fact we have in Holland a 21% VAT. But looking at the actual bulk film prices for Kodak Tri-X 400 maybe XX is still a bargain. Tri-X 400 30,5m/100ft should costs Eur. 140,- now. I am very concerned about the price policy of Kodak Alaris. This is of course not good for the Kodak film market at all !
 
As long as this thread is popping back to the top of the stack, let me say that I finally took a deep breath and loaded up a bunch of cassettes from the 100' of XX I bought from the Film Photography Project over the summer. (I'd never used a bulk loader before and was afraid of making a mistake.) I filled a bunch of snap caps but honestly found old spent cassettes to be sturdier and easier. So, I am back in the XX game. Woohoo!
 
Nice to see many fans of Eastman 5222 'XX', I fortunately still have some in my freezer. Here's a shot taken with my Leica M7, Zeiss Planar 50/2, XX developed in D-76.

7347159782_f5dedff17c_z.jpg
 
Loading a 35mm cassette with re-loadable cassettes of even once used commercial cassettes is a piece of cake. However by using old cassettes you have always more risk for scratches. In precise loading for 1,63m for a 135-36 metal re-loadable cassettes I am using the AP loader machinery which means you have a precise length and a Tesa tape to the first 3 sprocket holes only and you will loose only 2 1/2cm of the end of the film which is then still in the cassette lenght so that the last picture of the 135-36 film is still good. This is only possible with the professional AP-loader system. Further I do not think my Dutch clients would like to buy second hand cassettes with sometimes different lenght of their 135-36 film. But of course for your own hobby it maybe doesn't matter. I am not selling low cost LOMO crap but professional quality films. Even in my LOMO shop and the Svema Foto 200 is a high quality East European film. They are loaded in the same metal quality AP cassettes as the Double-X film. Not outdated or cheap T.S.F. material. In private I am working 100% on film, except my iPhone. And I personally hate crappy film or developers which won't work correctly. Especially in chemicals I never take any risk. Chemicals are so cheap comparing with your time , efforts and (sometimes) expensive film material and photo papers. I am only working with serious manufacturers, Kodak cine, Foma, Rollei/Harman, Rollei/Agfa Gevaert, Fuji, Bergger, for the near future Ferrania who love film!
 
Hi All

So, I was brave enough to order some of this stuff today. I also ordered some HC-110 and some Windisch W665. Now I have an arsenal of developers (Rodinal, ACUROL-N, DD-X, HC-110 and Windisch W665). This is actually what I always wanted to avoid!

125PX was beautiful to me in DD-X. So I think I will start with this. Can anybody give me any guidance assuming that I will shoot at "box speed," which I assume is ISO 250. The fallback will be the new to me HC-110 I guess. Not sure yet what to do with the Windisch W665...

Thanks in advance for any commentary regarding DD-X and XX!

Regards to all,

John
 
Replenishing D-96

Replenishing D-96

If anybody here is using D-96 for 5222 and replenishing I have a question about that. At what rate is it replenished?

I've been using 15mL per roll. I have a 1000mL bottle and use about 500mL for developing. After developing I pour 15mL (per roll) of replenisher into the half-full 1000mL bottle and then pour back in the just-used 500mL of developer until I have 1000mL again. I had been wondering if one is better off pouring that 15mL into the full 1000mL first and then pouring off to bring it back down to 1000mL.

It's a small amount but multiplied over the liter of replenisher I have and errors would add up. I don't know how the movie processor's machines did this.

Grateful for pointers,
s-a
 
It depends a bit on the developing tank which you're using and how many ml you also loss for one or two films. I am using a Jobo 1520 tank which gives a loss of exactly 10ml each cycle. So when making a 1000ml stock (the minimum amount for this Jobo tank in inverse development with a Heiland TAS robot is 485ml). So after the first cycle I will add 10ml replenisher. The overall volume stays the same: approx. 1000 ml and in practice I am using 500ml-550ml to fill this tank. In rotary I could do the same: 2523 tank, minimum volume 270ml in rotary. In the practical way I could use 300ml each cycle. I am using for XX the Adox Borax M.Q. with replenisher but the principle is exactly the same comparing to D-96. So far together with HC-110 (B) but here I am using HC-110 as one shot, the best overall results as regular all round developer.
 
Wishing to go "back to basics" with XX, I mixed up some fresh ADOX Borax MQ developer and replenisher. Just now washing are eight Minolta SRT/SRM/XK rolls, a quick "eyeball" of the top two rolls shows full+ emulsion speed, as I expected. I went to 15 minutes at 15C (my basement work area is very cold at the moment). Plenty of shadow detail, "beefy-looking" negatives that I prefer. A success I believe. Will be starting to hang them in a few minutes, so I'll have a better idea then. Then will post some of the best of them.
 
I have been using D-76 and I'm quite pleased with the results - I've rated everywhere between EI 250-1600, but probably won't shoot more than 800. I have wet printed from the roll I shot at 800 and I really liked the results.


EI 800, 20 mins, 20C
Scan-141203-0001-6.jpg by jkjod, on Flickr

Jkjod, is this D76 1+1 solution? If so, very nice!

I've been trying to find out D76 (1+1) developing times for XX shot at 800asa but haven't gotten lucky yet. Does anybody have some hints? Should I go with Jkjod's 20 minutes?
 
I would go twenty minutes. Sure why not try it? Back in the seventies, with the old Tri-X, one-stop push was 50% increase. Two stop push was 100% increase. Developed thousands of press rolls this way. Wouldn't think it would be much different with XX (1959 emulsion formula). Also the longer the development times, the less a few minutes make here or there will have much effect. I'd say go for it.
 
Jkjod, is this D76 1+1 solution? If so, very nice!

I've been trying to find out D76 (1+1) developing times for XX shot at 800asa but haven't gotten lucky yet. Does anybody have some hints? Should I go with Jkjod's 20 minutes?

Sorry for the late reply, it is 1+1. It works pretty well at EI 800. Very contrasty though. I'm not sure it made any difference but I use Patterson tanks and only used the agitator thing every other minute instead of every minute like I typically do. Over all I think I like the Microphen better, but the D-76 does a really good as well.
 
My next step: KODAK 5222 Double-X in Atomal ATM-W (from Wehner). He made a synthetic alternative for the HEAP used in this developer which ingredient was also used in May & Baker Promicrol. Fine grain combined with higher speed.

The test bear is back:

24185410812_6b59b9e7c0_z.jpg


Kodak 5222 Double-X E.I. 250 in Klaus Wehner ATM-W developer. 10:00 minutes at 20C.

In the original Agfa Atomal also HEAP ( N-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-o-aminophenol sulphate ) was used.
 
Where can I still find a 400ft roll in the US? ( I want inexpensive - not Tri-x like prices)

Thanks!
From the Kodak website (http://motion.kodak.com/motion/Products/Product_Information/index.htm) the current price for a 400 foot roll is $257.88. Compare that to $100+ for 100' of Tri-X.

The first time I bought Double-X I got it from one of the shops which sells short ends but I have not had much luck finding anyone who had any. Now I just order directly from Kodak. Their 800 number is on their website and they accept credit cards.
 
From the Kodak website (http://motion.kodak.com/motion/Products/Product_Information/index.htm) the current price for a 400 foot roll is $257.88. Compare that to $100+ for 100' of Tri-X.

The first time I bought Double-X I got it from one of the shops which sells short ends but I have not had much luck finding anyone who had any. Now I just order directly from Kodak. Their 800 number is on their website and they accept credit cards.

Many thanks, Peter. I mistakenly believed one of the reseller websites that said Kodak would not sell to the public. I'll go with them directly then.
 
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