Kodak Eastman Double-X - everything and anything...

[Stephen Perera]

Hi all, please tell me anything and everything you have learned and know about how to shoot Kodak Eastman Double-X black and white film and what to expect from this particular stock (will be scanned at 2k or whatever you suggest for editing in DaVinci Resolve and then released into VIMEO).

 

I will be shooting it regular 16mm format on an Aaton XTR XC (the model with no electronics) with a Cooke Varokinetal 9-50mm zoom lens.

 

Please speak in 'stills photographer' terms as I don't understand what printer lights are etc....people have spoken to me before in this language but I don't understand......for example....when i shoot Kodak Tmax400 on my old Hasselblad I shoot it a stop overexposed at 200 asa and expose to get a full range of midtowns as opposed to going for contrast from the off..I prefer all the information possible on the negative.....thus I don't shoot for either a very dense nor thin negative)

Edited September 26, 2017 by Stephen Perera

[Tyler Purcell]

I just did a shoot with Double-X negative and I honestly didn't like the look very much at all. It didn't have the pop of the reversal stocks that I've come so use to when shooting B&W. Thats probably because I kept my exposure perfect, it maybe one of those stocks that wants to be slightly over exposed in order to get the density right.

[Dirk DeJonghe]

Here is a short section of a S16 film shot on 7222 we did two years ago. The intention was a 1964 look. http://www.deoverkantfilm.nl

[Stephen Perera]

Thanks for that looks great to me Dirk....what were your methods in working with this stock,,,,shot at 250asa rating or shot at 125asa rating.....

[Chris Burke]

Dirk, have you not recommended here in the past that '22 be rated at iso250 if scanning? Over exposure isn't dealt with that well if scanning. ??

[Dirk DeJonghe]

I recommend to do a test beforehand. Overexposing works against you by increasing grain and making the scan more difficult due to metallic silver. A sweet spot seems to be a negative that would print at light 18-20. In practice this will be around 160 ISO, but test first.

 

This particular film was scanned at 2K DPX.

[Stephen Perera]

this is all very helpful thank you.....yes scanning it for sure and digital editing into a 'short'

[Stephen Perera]

was thinking of having the same stock on two magazines and whatever scene I shot in more contrast I would keep to one magazine and stuff in the shade for example in the other so the two rolls would have as similar' conditions and thus exposure-isa as normal....is this a good idea???

Edited September 27, 2017 by Stephen Perera

[Dirk DeJonghe]

There is no reason to have two magazines as you describe. If you use the exposure meter correctly and having done a test beforehand, you know the limits of your shadows and highlights. You may want to read or reread Ansel Adams' 'The negative'.

[Stephen Perera]

re-read yes hahaha I have the set of three books.....perhaps Im trying to be too much of a devil's advocate and thinking too much about it all rather than just doing it as Ive done for 30 years with photographic film

[Will Montgomery]

I actually do love the stock, but it can be grainy without a ton of light and that can be an issue for online streaming.

 

I have a music project coming up next month where I'm shooting in the studio as an album is tracked with Double-X. It's notoriously dark in those studios so I may wind up going 500T and killing the color if I can't bring in enough lights.

 

Here's some 35mm Eyemo footage I shot with expired stock a few years ago for a test.

 

 

Here is a short section of a S16 film shot on 7222 we did two years ago. The intention was a 1964 look. http://www.deoverkantfilm.nl

 

What a great look! Definitely feels 1964 in both stock and art direction.

[Robert Lewis]

My experience with 7222 is based on shooting film for projection which is what I tend to prefer being a fan of B & W. I have to admit I have no experience with film which has been scanned. That having been said, I mainly shoot in daylight. Whether I have used an external meter or built in meters as fitted in Arri SRIIs or Aaton LTR54s, both of which I use, I have always shot at 250ASA in daylight, and I have always been quite delighted with the results of my projection prints. So I stick with Kodak's recommendations metered appropriately. I do accept that scanning rather than projecting might require different settings though.

Edited October 2, 2017 by Robert Lewis

[Mark Dunn]

re-read yes hahaha I have the set of three books.....perhaps Im trying to be too much of a devil's advocate and thinking too much about it all rather than just doing it as Ive done for 30 years with photographic film

Stills experience is something of a false friend because variation in exposure is irrelevant within limits. Not so in film where shots must match much more closely and in-frame adjustments are more difficult (in the days of printing they were impossible).