Slow film with bad reciprocity failure

[Ed Richards]

I want to do some daylight long exposures. I find that TMY-2 is a bad choice, unless I want to buy a really expensive neutral density filter. Any really slow film that gets even slower with long exposures? Something in 4x5? (Something I can buy, not coat myself.)

[memorris]

Have you tried Adox CHS25 or 50?

[ic-racer]

ARISTA.EDU 100

With apertures around f45 in shadowed lighting, enough photons do not get through to reach any kind of image making threshold no matter how long the shutter stays open :)

It has the worst reciprocity failure I have experienced. This would be just what you want, HOWEVER, the highlight areas do not share the same failure of reciprocity. So, your highlights will roll right off the films limited density range up onto the shoulder and you still won't have any shadow detail. The prints will look, well... strange. Sometimes interesting, though. My exposures with the 8x10 camera ranged from 30 sec to 6 min in a typical wooded area.

I used 100 sheets of this film last summer.

[Richard Littlewood]

Foma 100. It's the best (worst)

[rguinter]

ARISTA.EDU 100

With apertures around f45 in shadowed lighting, enough photons do not get through to reach any kind of image making threshold no matter how long the shutter stays open :)

It has the worst reciprocity failure I have experienced. This would be just what you want, HOWEVER, the highlight areas do not share the same failure of reciprocity. So, your highlights will roll right off the films limited density range up onto the shoulder and you still won't have any shadow detail. The prints will look, well... strange. Sometimes interesting, though. My exposures with the 8x10 camera ranged from 30 sec to 6 min in a typical wooded area.

Do you have an example photo you could post? My reason for (photographic) living is the strange and unusual. I would like to see what you mean with this technique. Cheers. Bob G.

[Dave Aharonian]

Efke 25 is super slow and has horrible reciprocity! Its also a fantastically fine-grained film.

[CG]

There are frequently deals on used ND filters to be found if you look around. Craigslist, here, apug, ebay, the mega stores... Way better prices than new. Also, partially crossed polarizers can give you super density if that's what you need. Tape them together once you have established the right amount of attenuation.

[David Karp]

The Arista.EduUltra 100 is the same film as Fomapan 100. I don't think that they had an Arista.Edu in 100. The old slower speed Arista.Edu was 200 speed and was the same film as Fortepan 200.

[Ari]

Try Shanghai; good reciprocity.
By good, I mean bad.

[gevalia]

I'll second the Adox Chs 25. It really grows on you. If only Ilford made PanF+ in 4x5.

[ic-racer]

Do you have an example photo you could post? My reason for (photographic) living is the strange and unusual. I would like to see what you mean with this technique. Cheers. Bob G.

I found one that will probably show on a scan. What I was trying was to 'tame' highlights by pushing them onto the shoulder. I was exploring the short density range of the ARISTA.EDU film. It did not do what I wanted because when you print it the highlights are just gray. If you print them white, then the whole tonal scale of the scene changes. The scan to follow is dark rock ledge in the shadow that looks white rocks in the sun in the print. [scan to follow]