Re: HIE and Xtol, ghost of an image?

[Jaap Los <imagefotografie@xxxxxx>]

David Riecks wrote:
> 
> What are others using for exposure index and dilution/development time with
> HIE and Xtol?
> 
> I had shot some HIE a few months ago and did some test head to head with
> D-76. I liked the look of the negs better, as the highlights were less
> extreme and they were fairly easy to print.
> 
> All seemed well and good except the last three rolls I've shot came out
> ghost like with the image all but missing. At first I thought this might be
> exhausted chemistry, so I mixed a fresh batch. Second roll, with new Xtol
> chemistry...same problem. Though I did notice that I did have shadow detail
> (faint as it was) it simply looked as though the midtones and highlight
> areas were not completely developed. I would have suspected the chemistry
> again, except I had developed a roll of plus-x at the same time (just
> dropped it in the tank about 1 1/2 minutes after the HIE started) and it
> looked great.
> 
> I shot this last roll as a deliberate test with a very wide bracket. Outside
> full sun from f5.6 and a half at 1/125 to f16 and a half in half stop
> increments both early on in the morning and at noon on a full sunlit day
> (Nov 11, 1998, central Illinois, USA). It also came in looking very ghost
> like, even the images a full 2 to 2 1/2 stops over exposed from my normal
> settings. I selenium toned the negs for over 3 minutes in a 1:3 dilution of
> selenium toner and while that helped, they are still too thin for me to
> consider printing.
> 
> My effective ISO for HIE shot with a Red#25 filter when using D-76
> (straight) is about 100-125. In other words my normal exposures are about
> 1/125th at f11 1/2 to f16. The first test I ran with Xtol actually seemed to
> be giving me MORE exposure, so I cut back the exposures to f/16 1/2 or f/16
> at 1/125 for the first four or five rolls that I shot.
> 
> Could it be that the amount of IR reflecting off of subjects at this time of
> year has changed dramatically enough to cause this? The only other thought
> I've had is that I may have done the first tests with the developer
> straight, rather than 1:1 dilution. I checked the Kodak PDF file that I
> downloaded, but can't come up with a development time that matches what I've
> been using if I were a full strength.
> 
> The suggested Xtol development time for 1:1 dilution at 68 degrees F was
> something like 8:75 minutes...but I've been using 9 minutes. If anything I'd
> expect denser negs, but I'm getting the opposite effect. I'm aware that
> Kodak reccommends that you use at least 3.5 oz of the developer in any
> dilution, as all of my development dilutions have been 1:1 with about 4.5 oz
> of developer and 4.5 oz of water when processing a single roll.
> 
> I'm pretty sure that this isn't the batch of film, as I switched bulk rolls
> a while back and believe I've been using the same 150 foot roll since about
> April of this year (bought before traveling last spring).
> 
> I'm stymied, anyone have suggestions to test?
> 
> David
David,
see my homepage, where you find advice about HIE and XTOL. See address
in the footer below
-- 
Best regards,
Jaap Los
Alkmaar, The Netherlands

See also my Infrared Photography Homepage specially made for you with
lots of information and links to other sites.
at:   http://home.wxs.nl/~losjb/

*
****
*******
******************************************************
*  To remove yourself from this list, send:          *
*         UNSUBSCRIBE INFRARED                       *
*       to                                           *
*         MAJORDOMO@xxxxx                            *
*----------------------------------------------------*
*   For the IR-FAQ, IR-Gallery and heaps of links:   *
*  http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm  *
******************************************************