Originally Posted by
Drew Wiley
I work with a lot of different films because they are in fact different in numerous ways. And this can be format related. For example, 8x10 is nice because the modest degree of enlargement means I can sacrifice grain size for the sake of other characteristics like curve linearity or speed - and speed is important for the
windy conditions common around here, combined with the smaller f-stops typical of 8x10 work. With 4x5 I have to be more nitpicky on the sharpness or acutance and grain question, so often use lower speed films, and with roll film backs, even more picky, though roll film has the advantage of being much cheaper than sheet film in general. Color film raises a very different set of questions, like which bank to rob next in order to keep shooting it in 8x10. But in terms of favorite b&w films, I rely quite a bit upon TMY400 in 8x10, with any number of other films as backups, depending on the conditions; FP4, ACROS, or TMY in 4x5; and ACROS in roll film, esp in the mtns, and sometimes Pan F in low contrast situations. For 35mm I change my strategy completely, and actually
prefer grainy little handheld snapshot prints without excessive detail, generally taken with either Delta 3200 or TMY400. Then there are the lab films for masking
and color separation work, using both TMX100 and FP4, along with ortho litho film.
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