4x5/120 Ektar 100 in lieu of HP5+ and TriX?

**bmikiten** · 28-Apr-2022, 10:24

I'm fooling around with Ektar 100 in both 120 and 4x5 and noted that it has a very long dynamic range but less resolution than some other standard B/W films. Note that in this instance, I'm shooting Ektar 100 then processing as C-41 then scanning then digitally printing OR making digital negatives. I like the control that fooling with the RGB channels gives me for some subjects but have also noticed that some of the negatives/prints have an odd (not natural) 3D look as well. Is anyone else using Ektar 100 to produce B/W as a way to have two options when printing?

I'm an experienced B/W shooter with 30 years of large format so I'm not looking for a why I should only shot B/W.

Thanks

Brian

**Drew Wiley** · 28-Apr-2022, 10:55

You're somewhat mistaken. It's one of most contrasty color neg films, and realistically gives only about one stop extra latitude either side of what a typical E6 chrome film yields, but has neither the development flexibility nor anywhere near the range of many black and white films. Things start going strange once you try squeezing too much out of the nether regions of alleged latitude. It is capable of very high detail. I have no idea what is going on with your scanning issue, or what you mean by an "odd 3D look". I have made a few black and white prints from 120 Ektar via the double negative method; first, a relatively low-contrast, slightly-overexposed interpositive onto TMax100; then employing that to make a high-contrast printing neg using Tech Pan or over-developed TMax. Nice results, but with a distinct look different from typical black and white shots. A lot of work.

Having an orange mask, you need some way to null that out before utilizing other color filters, or they'll perform differently with respect to that, RGB-wise. That's fairly simple direct-optical, but somebody else will have to explain it to you scan-wise.

**Alan Klein** · 28-Apr-2022, 13:06

I would select Portra if I wanted to convert to BW after scanning. It's more neutral and less constrasty than Ektar 100 and scans well too using Epsonscan.

**bmikiten** · 28-Apr-2022, 13:08

Interesting. I'm seeing much more highlight response but haven't done any real sensitometric testing. Field testing showed great ability (3 stops) to capture highlights without compressing development (issues there with color shift either way). The scanner can render the layers properly so it looked like an interesting option. Ignore the 3D comment as it was just that - a perception possibly due to tweaking the different curves and edge effects. Your comments about it being a different look than B/W is my point as well. The scanner (Epson V850) does a good job with the mask so I'm not worried about that.

Brian