Fomapan/Arista EDU 400 for general use

[Shootar401]

I just shot over 200 sheets of HP5 in the past few weeks just walking around with my Speed and 5 Grafmatics. As you know HP5 is a great film, but even at $120 for 100 sheets is expensive when I blow through 200-300, sometimes 400 in a month. I was thinking of picking up some Fomapan / AristaEDU 400 to replace HP5 as my general purpose film. For the same price for 100 sheets of HP5 I can shoot 150 sheets of Foma. I've shot Arista 100 and 200, but never 400. I can use the extra speed since I usually shoot without a filter.

How is this film at box speed (400) and pushed to 800 or 1600 on occasion? I'll most likely develop in HC100, PMK, DDX or Rodinal. I'm not too worried about grain since I rarely print over 11x14 for the style of shooting I'll be using this for. I know they had some quality issues in the past so I was also thinking just to say forget it and stick with HP5, which I have used everywhere from ASA200 up to 3200 with great results.

[jp]

Stick with HP5. I had quality issues with their 100 speed film, so that's the end of their film use for me. (i like the foma/arista paper though)
Whatcha shooting that needs 200-400 sheets a month? Developing all them would get boring to me.
Not one to judge for sure, but normally people need not shoot that much, but none of us are normal.
Perhaps medium format would be a good high volume system which would save developing time and film.

[Ari]

Stick with HP5; it's a very good film, and you get good results. They also have no QC issues.
I know it's important to save money, this is an expensive habit, but film is not where you should cut corners or try to save a few $$$.

[Andrew O'Neill]

HP5, man! Tough to beat.

[Rayt]

I wouldn't switch out of HP5+ for Foma 400 just to maintain sheet count. That would be trading in quality for quantity. So if you are willing to do that then maybe MF is another option.

[Liquid Artist]

I have only tried Arista Edu 100 film once, but it seemed to be nice film. I wouldn't hesitate trying their other speed.

Although one box isn't enough for me to judge their quality control.

[Shootar401]

Whatcha shooting that needs 200-400 sheets a month?

Well it started when I did a shoot of two models last month. I shot 10 sheets of Portra 400 for the clothed shots and 30 of HP5 for the nudes. Since I still had a bunch of sheets left I loaded up 2 more Grafmatics and did some shooting around the holidays of friends and family. Now that I was on a roll, I finished the box shooting in and around an abandoned factory not too far from here. That is until the cops showed up and warned me that "it gets pretty dark here at night" and said I should leave before the sun goes down. At least he was cool and let me finish shooting even though I was very obviously trespassing. I spent another hour shooting and left to get a burger.

I shot my 2nd box of 100 in one day from 8am to 6pm around NYC and Central Park. No reason for it really as I just had the time and it's something I wanted to do for a while. I brought out my 127m, 207mm, Aero, and 10" and 15" Tele-Optar. Shot mostly with the 127 and 15" though.

Around 10-12 sheets went into testing developers. And another 10-12 into taking some pics of my girlfriend and my cats. As I found out cat's don't like to sit still for LF photos.

Yes, developing is a pain in the ass as I only have a Nikkor tank that holds 12 sheets. I can't afford tanks and hangers this month.

Just looking to save a little $, but I think HP5 is still the way to go

[Tim Meisburger]

Wow! 100 in a day! My average is about five a week...

[munz6869]

Yep stick with HP5. I started with various cheap films and lots of quality problems (on top of my own mistakes) - eeeeek! Once I discovered Kodak TXP I stuck to it like glue and now I know it pretty well, and have never in nearly ten years had any quality issues with the film itself. The quality control at Ilford/Kodak/Fuji is exceptional.

Marc!

[Shootar401]

Poked around some old Foma 100 and 200 negs I shot last year on the light table and wow! I see the manufacturing defects! I haven't noticed them before but they are there on my 120, 4x5 and 8x10 negs, they are mostly little white spots and squiggles, they are not dust but look like they are sections of the film that had bubbles in the coating process. Just out of curiosity I looked at some of my TMax 100, 400 and also FP4 and HP5 negs... Nothing!

HP5 it is! I'll keep the Foma around for now and maybe even buy a few more boxes just to have around, but all of my serious work will be with Ilford and Kodak.