Subjective film advice

[Michael R]

Someone enlighten me, is it true that Tri-X is part tabular?

It isn't true. People get that from Anchell.

See Bob Shanebrook's book which includes photomicrographs of cross sections of both TMY and Tri-X 400 (TXP 320 isn't part tabular either). In fact it's the tabular film which is part tabular since it also has non-tabular grains.

So don't worry if you don't like tabular grains [not that I agree with the assertion tabular films "look" different (aside from being finer grained of course) but anyway...]. Tri-X, TXP, FP4, HP5 are still traditional grained emulsions.

[Neal Chaves]

I always liked TX320 and felt the TMAX films had poor mid-tone separation and blocked highlights (yes, even in the special TMax developer). When the price of TX320 became unreasonable, I switched to HP5+ and found my development times in HC110B and the look of the negatives to be identical. Now that HC110 cannot be shipped, I use Ilford Ilfotec HC and find my times are the same as with HC110. In short, I don't print film curves, but negatives I expose and develop myself, and I find HP5+ to be an accurate clone of TX320 and Ilfotec HC to be identical in performance to HC110.

[Rory_5244]

Hey Neal, Freestyle still ships HC-110: I get mine there.

[Two23]

I only shoot b&w in all of my film cameras. I was using Fomapan 100 for awhile as I like it's older formulation, but found it scratched a bit too easily. My "standard" film is FP4+, with HP5 when I need more shutter speed. I shoot those two in 35mm, 120, 4x5. I only shoot FP4+ in 5x7 since I'm not needing shutter speed there. I also have two boxes of Efke 25 that I shoot when using Petzvals on my 4x5, i.e. want slow shutter speeds. By basically sticking to two films, I can predict the results more easily no matter what format I am shooting. I tend to shy away from films with a more modern, high contrast look. I'm almost always shooting with pre-War lenses anyway (except when using my Nikon F3T or Rolleiflex.)


Kent in SD

[Greg Y]

My films of choice in 35, 120 & 5x7 are in this order FP4+ & Tri-X. I have a stack of TMY-2 in the fridge in 5x7...but use it sparingly...especially with the most recent prices. FP4+ is the most consistent for me in Pyrocat HD in glycol printed w/ a cold head (or a color head on the 5x7 Durst) on variable contrast fiber papers. I've used lots of HP5 in the past but prefer Tri-X 400 in roll fim or 320 in sheets.

[Ari]

Tim, that's an eclectic list, I'm not sure what I say will help, but...
For 8x10:
I like FP4 best, it has a look that's quite reminiscent of Plus-X 125.
HP5 has a nice tonal range, and I use that almost as much as FP4. Both films are developed in HC-110.
My personal tastes go off course when choosing a film based on format; I don't like Acros in sheet film, but love it in 120, vice versa for the Ilford films.
I gave up on Kodak films when I found I couldn't tame the contrast and have the look I wanted, and when they priced themselves out of my budget (whatever that is).