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From: davis@umn-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.rec.photo
Subject: Re: 35mm Kodalith Film
Message-ID: <12200003@umn-cs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Jan-86 20:17:00 EST
Article-I.D.: umn-cs.12200003
Posted: Fri Jan 17 20:17:00 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 20-Jan-86 04:27:46 EST
References: <155@bsdpkh.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:bsdpkh:-15500:umn-cs:12200003:000:1818
Nf-From: umn-cs!davis    Jan 17 19:17:00 1986


[]

I have enjoyed using Kodalith for the past few years, but I must admit
some of the enjoyment has come from the need to treat this film with
tender loving care as far as exposure goes.  Here is how I do it:

1. Set camera (or other) meter to 80 ASA 
2. Meter exposure with gray card (ESSENTIAL!) at this setting
3. Add 6 stops to this: e.g. if metered reading is 2 sec at f/22,
   expose at 2 sec, f/2.8
   However as 2.8 is wide open for my 105/2.8micro, I usually go
   for 8 sec at f/5.6
4. All this gives a starting point only.  Plus lith exposures need to be
   within 1/3 stop accuracy, hence I bracket in at least 1/2 stop
   increments (1/3 stop settings are hard to set!), plus and minus 1.5
   stops around this.

Unfortunately, step 4 chews up film very fast, so for each lith session
(in which I typically shoot 30 originals) I do this testing on a
10-exposure roll.  Once the setting has been standardized, I use regular
36 exp rolls, but still bracket with two exposures of each orginal,
about 1/2 stop apart.  Hence, I find it useful to load bulk film into
two sets of cassettes: one with 10, the other with 36.

I find it necessary to re-standardize at every sesson because slight
dimming of copy-lamps screws up the previous settings, and  the film
is very sensitive to the developer mixing accuracy, temperature and
exhaution.  (I use Kodalith AB developer.)  I mix about a liter of the
developer per session, which gives me 3 runs with my 300ml tank, and use
the developer one-shot only.  The other variables remain tolerably
constant within one shooting session.

It sounds painful (and sometimes is), but the results are always worth
it!

p.s. In a pinch (when I am out of lith film), I have used 
Tech Pan with D19 with fairly good high contrast results.

Jay

ARPA:   scit003@umn-ucc-va.ARPA