Using Ortho film: Why is film continuous tone?

[Petraio Prime]

This is not the sort of material I would send to a lab.

I don't see why not. Any professional lab should be capable of developing it. In this instance in particular, the lab had the good sense to ask if the OP wanted it developed as continuous tone or high contrast, which indicates that they know how to develop it either way...

Yes, but they may not have the kind of soft-working developers needed and may try to wing it using conventional developers.

 

[Vautrin]

So can I use the high contrast mode for dramatic effect?

What will it look like? Just black and white, no gray tones?

I would not do that at this stage. I would use it to try to achieve conventional contrast, and end up with normal-contrast negatives which could be printed either normally or for high contrast..

You make a good point... I guess in printing I can always make more contrast, but you can't change the negative?

 

[Petraio Prime]

So can I use the high contrast mode for dramatic effect?

What will it look like? Just black and white, no gray tones?

I would not do that at this stage. I would use it to try to achieve conventional contrast, and end up with normal-contrast negatives which could be printed either normally or for high contrast..

You make a good point... I guess in printing I can always make more contrast, but you can't change the negative?

Correct. Not easily at least.

 

[Alpha]

For pictorial purposes (continuous tone), these kinds of film are shot very SLOWLY (the stuff I shoot I rate at EI 12 or 6), and then developed in a weak or low contrast developer. Alternatively, you could rate it much higher and develop "normally" but the results would not be the same.

In my experience there is not as much room for toying around with the EI as you might think. It's very easy to end up with really thin negs. You have to find a development process that works for your film and shoot with that in mind.

 

[Vautrin]

So on the rollei site it say the ortho film is perfect for monochrome slides...

How do I develop a negative ortho film to be a positive?

 

[Alpha]

So on the rollei site it say the ortho film is perfect for monochrome slides...

How do I develop a negative ortho film to be a positive?

Send the film to DR5 unless you're ambitious enough to try the Kodak positive development kit (not recommended).

 

[Alpha]

This is not the sort of material I would send to a lab.

I don't see why not. Any professional lab should be capable of developing it. In this instance in particular, the lab had the good sense to ask if the OP wanted it developed as continuous tone or high contrast, which indicates that they know how to develop it either way...

Yes, but they may not have the kind of soft-working developers needed and may try to wing it using conventional developers.

I've never know any professional lab to "wing it" without permission. I've also never known a pro lab to not have ANY low contrast developer around or something that can be used as a substitute (e.g. dilute HC110).

 

[Vautrin]

So on the rollei site it say the ortho film is perfect for monochrome slides...

How do I develop a negative ortho film to be a positive?

Send the film to DR5 unless you're ambitious enough to try the Kodak positive development kit (not recommended).

What is DR5? I send them negatives and they make positives?

 

[Alpha]

Pretty much. Not cheap but they do excellent work!

 

[Mitica100]

Rollei Ortho is a document film, rather like Technical Pan in the respect that it is naturally very high contrast (though they have very different spectral sensitivities). It has to be developed in a low contrast developer to get pictorial results. It seems quite reasonable and intelligent for the lab to ask what contrast you wish it to be developed to. It's not unusual for labs to ask for more money to develop high contrast document films to pictorial contrast.

I would really recommend developing it yourself, if at all possible.

Best,
Helen

Helen!!! Glad to see you're gracing with your presence once in a while! We missed you!

 

[Petraio Prime]

I don't see why not. Any professional lab should be capable of developing it. In this instance in particular, the lab had the good sense to ask if the OP wanted it developed as continuous tone or high contrast, which indicates that they know how to develop it either way...

Yes, but they may not have the kind of soft-working developers needed and may try to wing it using conventional developers.

I've never know any professional lab to "wing it" without permission. I've also never known a pro lab to not have ANY low contrast developer around or something that can be used as a substitute (e.g. dilute HC110).

These films require special low-contrast developers. HC110, even highly diluted, isn't it. Many labs would not have them for such infrequent occasions.

 

[Alpha]

Yes, but they may not have the kind of soft-working developers needed and may try to wing it using conventional developers.

I've never know any professional lab to "wing it" without permission. I've also never known a pro lab to not have ANY low contrast developer around or something that can be used as a substitute (e.g. dilute HC110).

These films require special low-contrast developers. HC110, even highly diluted, isn't it. Many labs would not have them for such infrequent occasions.

I understand your point but you're just wrong. I have developed high contrast orthochromatic films myself using developers other than Technidol or TF4 or whatever. Massive dev chart, in fact, lists times in D-76, ID-11, and Rodinal, among others for this particular film. Find me a pro lab that doesn't have any of those and I'll eat my shorts. http://www.rollei-film.be/Development_Chart_161007.pdf

 

[Petraio Prime]

I've never know any professional lab to "wing it" without permission. I've also never known a pro lab to not have ANY low contrast developer around or something that can be used as a substitute (e.g. dilute HC110).

These films require special low-contrast developers. HC110, even highly diluted, isn't it. Many labs would not have them for such infrequent occasions.

I understand your point but you're just wrong. I have developed high contrast orthochromatic films myself using developers other than Technidol or TF4 or whatever. Massive dev chart, in fact, lists times in D-76, ID-11, and Rodinal, among others for this particular film. Find me a pro lab that doesn't have any of those and I'll eat my shorts. http://www.rollei-film.be/Development_Chart_161007.pdf

It would be difficult at best, and would require experimentation, something the lab is probably going to be reluctant to do.

These films require special low-contrast developers for best results.

 

[Alpha]

At the very least we're getting side-tracked here. Why would the lab have asked if he wanted continuous tone if they couldn't do it?

 

[Petraio Prime]

At the very least we're getting side-tracked here. Why would the lab have asked if he wanted continuous tone if they couldn't do it?

Since I am not a mind reader, I can't tell you what they thought, except that from what I can tell they understood the film could be processed as either high-contrast or continuous tone. I doubt that they could do the job right on the first try.