a question of B/W film

There was once a film made by Kodak, black and white
which was not sensitive to red light, and could be as out
in the open and undeveloped under red light, Pan -
something I think ... anyone remember this? Does anyone
know if something close is still made? I know some
of Ansel's earliest work was done with it.

Thanks all,

Alex

AArDvarK wrote:

There was once a film made by Kodak, black and white
which was not sensitive to red light, and could be as out
in the open and undeveloped under red light, Pan -
something I think ... anyone remember this? Does anyone
know if something close is still made? I know some
of Ansel's earliest work was done with it.

One thing is sure, this wasn't a Pan film... these are red-sensitive.
There were several orthochromatic films available, today
there are only one or two left... one from Maco and
the Ilford Ortho in sheet film sizes.

Martin

"AArDvarK" wrote in message news:cZy5c.17192$Nj.428@fed1read01...
There was once a film made by Kodak, black and white
which was not sensitive to red light, and could be as out
in the open and undeveloped under red light, Pan -
something I think ... anyone remember this? Does anyone
know if something close is still made? I know some
of Ansel's earliest work was done with it.

Thanks all,

Alex


http://www.focuscamera.com stocks "Kodak Contrast Process Ortho 4x5-25 "
Perhaps this would be useful?

Collin

Collin Brendemuehl wrote:

"AArDvarK" wrote in message news:cZy5c.17192$Nj.428@fed1read01...
There was once a film made by Kodak, black and white
which was not sensitive to red light, and could be as out
in the open and undeveloped under red light, Pan -
something I think ... anyone remember this? Does anyone
know if something close is still made? I know some
of Ansel's earliest work was done with it.

Thanks all,

Alex

http://www.focuscamera.com stocks "Kodak Contrast Process Ortho 4x5-25 "
Perhaps this would be useful?

Collin
About 60 years ago when I was taking pictures with my Bullet Brownie,
Verichrome film was orthochromatic. Not Verichrome Pan. That came much
later.

AArDvarK wrote:

There was once a film made by Kodak, black and white
which was not sensitive to red light, and could be as out
in the open and undeveloped under red light,

Alex

People have already mentioned orthochromatic and colour-blind
films, a few of which are still available, but it is also possible
to watch panchromatic film develop under a dim light (such as an
ordinary paper safelight) if it is first desensitised by a bath
in a desensitising dye such as pinacryptol green or pinacryptol
yellow. Photographer's formulary lists pinacryptol yellow on
their website, if you want to try it you should read up about it
first.

I believe that the time and temperature system is nearly always
better than developing by inspection, but watching a film develop
is an interesting experience.

If you just want to see a film develop, probably the easiest thing
to do is to shoot Eastman 5302 Fine Grain release positive in camera
(exposure index about 6) and develop under your regular paper
safelight. 5302 is colour-blind (blue and violet sensitive only)
so the pictures will look rather old-fashioned, but you will get the
experience of seeing film develop.

Peter.
--

Kodak made a number of camera films that were not sensitive to red light.
As far as I know, none are still available. Although not a camera film,
Fine Grain Release Positive was available in 8X10 sheets a few months ago,
and it may still be available. Until fairly recently, Kodak made Commercial
6127 and 4127 (blue sensitive), Contrast Process Ortho 4154, Professional
Copy Film 4125 (orthochromatic), Tri-X Ortho 4163, and Professional line
Copy 6573 (orthochromatic). All these were sheet films. Kodalith Ortho was
also available in sheets and 35mm.

"AArDvarK" wrote in message
news:cZy5c.17192$Nj.428@fed1read01...

There was once a film made by Kodak, black and white
which was not sensitive to red light, and could be as out
in the open and undeveloped under red light, Pan -
something I think ... anyone remember this? Does anyone
know if something close is still made? I know some
of Ansel's earliest work was done with it.

Thanks all,

Alex

I guess that is why they used a red lens to read the frame number directly
on the film backing paper of the older ortho films? So should we block this
lens using modern pan films in an old camera? I just acquired an older
medium format with this window and I thought it might be necessary to block
it. Thanks, Terry

"earthlink" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Kodak made a number of camera films that were not sensitive to red light.
As far as I know, none are still available. Although not a camera film,
Fine Grain Release Positive was available in 8X10 sheets a few months ago,
and it may still be available. Until fairly recently, Kodak made
Commercial
6127 and 4127 (blue sensitive), Contrast Process Ortho 4154, Professional
Copy Film 4125 (orthochromatic), Tri-X Ortho 4163, and Professional line
Copy 6573 (orthochromatic). All these were sheet films. Kodalith Ortho
was
also available in sheets and 35mm.

"AArDvarK" wrote in message
news:cZy5c.17192$Nj.428@fed1read01...

There was once a film made by Kodak, black and white
which was not sensitive to red light, and could be as out
in the open and undeveloped under red light, Pan -
something I think ... anyone remember this? Does anyone
know if something close is still made? I know some
of Ansel's earliest work was done with it.

Thanks all,

Alex






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Terry Heick wrote:
I guess that is why they used a red lens to read the frame number directly
on the film backing paper of the older ortho films? So should we block this
lens using modern pan films in an old camera? I just acquired an older
medium format with this window and I thought it might be necessary to block
it. Thanks, Terry

It isn't really a problem, at least not most of the time. Backing
paper blocks light from reaching the film very effectively. The red
colour of the window will cut down the amount of light entering the
camera by about three stops, a yellow-green filter would probably
make more sense for panchomatic films since it would be visibly
lighter for the same amount of protection, but this was rarely done.
It is more important that the design of the camera prevents light
leaking between the red window and the pressure plate. Many cameras
from the 1930s onwards had a sliding door covering the red window
so that it only needed to be open when advancing film.

I have a Kodak 66 II, made in the late 1950s after the switch
to Verichome Pan, which has a red window with no cover and I've
seen no sign at all of light leaking in.

Peter.
--

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