favorite b/w film?

[JohanHB]

Hi All,



I'm very interested in your choice of B&W film when shooting in a low contrast or a high contrast scene.

Of course, there's always the push and pull approach for any given film (with the additional reduce or increase in processing etc.), but as a relative youngster in 4x5 I was wondering... is there a favorite film for the above mentioned condition?

Regards,

Johan

[Dave Moeller]

Johan-

I'm a big fan of Efke 100 for just about any scene. It's a little more expensive than "bargain basement" priced films (and a little less expensive than yellow box films), but it expands and contracts beautifully, and developed in Pyrocat-HD it gives me truly beatiful negatives. I've been using it exclusively in 8x10 for about the last eight months and have never lost a shot due to a problem with development control.

As soon as J&C have it back in stock in 120 (it's been out of stock for a month or more) I'll be ordering in in everything from 35mm up to 4x5. I think it'll probably become my normal film for almost everything.

I have tried, and do like, Efke 25 for low contrast scenes, but it's been useless for me for high contrast. I've been unable to tame it for those scenes. (This is probably more a fault of the photographer than the film.)

In 4x5 I've had pretty good luck with Fuji Acros in a variety of lighting conditions, but the cost of the film, the limited number of places from which you can purchase it in loose sheets (as opposed to QuickLoads), and that dratted hole in the corner of the image area that seems to be for hang-drying the negatives have kept me from making this my regular film. It's a shame, really, because it's a pretty astounding performer for a modern film and I like the look of it a lot. Developed in Rodinal 1+50 I've gotten great results with it.

If you haven't done so, give the Efke 100 a try. For me at least, it's the most versatile and cost-effective film I've used.

Good luck in your quest.

[Jay DeFehr]

Dave,

I need as much speed as I can get, so my favorite film for both high and low contrast scenes is Forte 400/ J&C Classic 400/ Arista Edu 400. I think that it's the best overall film available, if you include price as a parameter. If price is no object, I think that Kodak TMY 400 is the best film made.

Jay

[Donald Qualls]

I'll second Jay on TMY -- it's currently the only B&W film I use in 120, though I have a couple cameras for which ISO 400 is too fast (old box cameras). Unfortunately, TMY isn't available (AFAIK) in 9x12 cm size, and if it were, would be priced out of my range, least twice what I pay for Fomapan 100. Tri-X Professional (320TXP) is available in my size, but moderately hard to come by and still far out of my comfort range on price.

The only sheet films I currently have on hand are some expired TXP that I got for about half price, and Fomapan 100. If I could get Fomapan 400 in sheets like the 100, I'd be a very happy camper; Foma makes quite acceptable film at a good price, but the 100 is the only emulsion they coat and cut in sheet film.

[chris_4622]

Well Dave I wish I had waited a day before ordering Efke 25 last night. I have been wanting to try their film and couldn't make a decision which speed to buy. I'll be shooting some high contrast landscapes, farms; barns and houses. Live and learn.

[Walter Foscari]

Ilford FP4+ in ID11 or Pyrocat-HD: "non plus ultra".

Walter

[MIke Sherck]

Kodak's T-max 100 does what I need for at least 95% of what I need it to do. If I were stuck with one film, this would be it. For high contrast situations I develop in T-Max developer. For normal contrast I develop in (fresh) D-76 and for low contrast I go with D-76 for a longer time. I've been using this film for four or five years and I remain extremely impressed. It takes a while to get used to but the learning curve seemed, to me, no steeper than HP-5+ or most other films I've tried. I process up to a dozen sheets at a time, in trays. I don't need no stinkin' Jobo...

For 5x7 contact prints I've been experimenting lately with Bergger 200 in Pyro. Extraordinarily nice, I think: I'm still on the learning curve but I like what I see. I'm using Photographer's Formulary's PMK Pyro kit. Next time I'll buy the liquid version.

Mike

[bob carnie]

Hi Johan

I am a big fan of Tri X film... very good in pyro for overexpose drop development, as well a excellent film to push 2 stops with d76

[Kevin M Bourque]

You should be aware that Efke KB film is not as sensitive to red light as most films. It's like shooting with a blue filter on all the time.

[Scott Rosenberg]

hi johan...

i recently ran some direct tests between across, tmax, fp4+, and hp5+... in all cases, the fp4+ was my favorite. everyone is looking for something different, so i would encourage to test some of the films you are considering - it's really the only way to know which one will sing to you. your favorite film might look terrible to me.