You know, it would be a lot easier to decide what new film to try if you guys would just get together and make up your minds what to use. Decisions, decisions...
I like Delta 100 and HP5+, but am going to try the Ultrafine equivalents which just arrived...
FWIW, I tried the Arista.edu 200 film in 4x5, and found it very slow (best shot around ISO 50)grainy.
"I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."
Most: what's in my film holders. Least: what I think should be in my film holder but isn't.
The only trouble with doin' nothing is you can't tell when you get caught up
Thank you All for much appreciated feedback.
1. TMX100 in D76 1:3
2. Trix320
3. Maco IR 820c
When I finished my camera, the only film available locally was TMX, so I bought some of that and have been working my way through the box. It's not necessarily a bad film, I've gotten some okay shots with it so far, but I don't really like it. FP4 is my favorite in 120 and 35mm, and I have a box of it that I'm going to use after I finish the TMX. There are many, many B&W films I like in 120 or 35mm that are either not available in 4x5, or not available to me in 4x5 (for example, APX 100, Neopan 400, Tri-X 400, etc.), so I'm going to do a lot of FP4 for a while. My list of things to check out does include the Efkes and J&Cs of the world, but later.
To entertain conventional enlarging, contact printing and scanning the 100/125 speed sheet films seem to hold court. Three great emulsions are gone-Agfapan 100 (really a slower film); Plus-X and Ektapan. I felt the way about Plus-X for large format as many do for Tri-X in 35 mm-will never let you done. 2 of my favorites-Efke 100 (b+g NP22) for a hard "bite" and Ilford FP4 for a "softer" bite. Beyond resolution or inherent contrast, each film, I believe, has an intrinsic signature related to the shape and distribution of silver halide crystals. Too uniform and the result is the TMax or Delta films. Great tonality but ... Fomapan 100 is another clean, traditional emulsion with excellent pictorial response. I have read that the b+g NP22 is Efke 100-in any event, there is no finer film. I would also recommend the Troop and Anchell book-nothing like it will ever be written again and being about developing, it is really about film. FP4 and Fomapan, in my experience, are very tolerant of processing variables. I wouldn't mind seeing Ilford Pan-F in sheet film, but it is unlikely to happen. Strangely, in 35mm and 120, I like Agfapan 400. Smooth pictorial in 120; attractive "granular" image in 35mm. Scans well in both formats.
Fp-4 and Acros in pyro, sometimes rodinal. Provia. John
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