I'll be the first to admit that I was disappointed and annoyed by Kodak's decision to discontinue Tech Pan. But I will also be the first to admit that I hardly ever use it. I have tried it in 35mm and 4x5 only because I got a super deal on the film. I developed it in Rodinal 1:75 and acheived good results. When I mentioned this to other folks I know who develop B&W film, I never found anyone who uses it. Most considered it too fussy to work with. In my mind, it has always been a reference for extreme sharpness, high resolution and very fine grain. However, the results acheived with Delta 100 and T-Max 100 have been satisfactory for me (personal choice of course).
Now for the questions.....
Are there any other B&W films (with fairly normal contrast) that will yield the same (or close) results as Tech Pan (Resolution, Sharpness, etc.)?
How does Ekfe 25, Ilford Pan 50, etc. compare? Are they even close?
Is Tech Pan overkill in large format?
I'd like to hear strong reasons for liking or disliking Tech Pan.
Thanks in advance!
J. P. Mose
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