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Thread: What film to use for first test shots

  1. #11
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    I had a lot of problems just loading film into holders correctly

    then loading the film to process in tiny plastic boxes

    bellows factors

    and more

    most here as usual want all beginners to use oodles of expensive film

    for their benefit

    you WILL waste a lot of film learning

    I often set up trays with chem

    shoot inside and process within moments

    just testing...
    Tin Can

  2. #12

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    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    esearing, I believe it was Henry Cartier-Bresson.
    Philip Ulanowsky

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  3. #13

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    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    Cheap is fine for practicing procedures/processes, but for true learning to happen one needs to know that their materials are behaving with consistency, so that any intentional alterations to the process can be meaningful.

    Not saying that cheap cannot equal consistent...but just be careful!

  4. #14
    おせわに なります! Andrew O'Neill's Avatar
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    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    I would pick a film that has been around for a long time, from a reputable manufacturer. One that will continue on into the future. This Frankenstein 200 would be fun to try out, but no guarantees it'll be around very long. Maybe you could try some, and if you like it, buy a whack of it and keep in the freezer. It's pretty darn cheap!

  5. #15

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    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    I'd suggest that Mitchell buy a $30 box of Frankenstein 200. Of the 25 sheets, expose a couple to light and use them to practice loading his film holder(s). Turn the steps for making an exposure into a checklist and put the checklist on his phone or print a couple of copies. If he's going to process the film himself, also make a checklist for developing. Don't sweat mistakes. Happens to everybody and the film is only $1.20 a sheet. Do some 1-stop bracketing just to see what the impact is. At 23 exposures, decide whether to stick with Frankenstein or purchase a film stock that interests him longer term. I think that the time to move to a different film is when he sees concretely how sensitive film is to exposure and development and wants to learn how to control those factors with a predictable, quality stock. Unlike Frankenstein, there's also a wealth of advice on using Ilford and Kodak stocks that will help answer questions.
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  6. #16

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    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    Lowest sheet film available as the process of learning how to LF (if this is the case) will involve plenty of Oooopsiiees...

    From learning how to load sheet film,

    ~light leaking film holders, from wore out flap to !! dark slide area and more.
    ~loading the sheet of emulsion side away from the lens.
    ~Loading more than one sheet of film per side of the film holder.
    ~Loading the sheet of film with the interleaving paper causing ?? image on the sheet of film.

    Processing the film.. how best to do this.

    Getting to know the view camera and all it's controls, what they do..
    ~Setting up the camera on a tripod.
    ~Focusing/composing the image on the upside down_backwards on the ground glass.

    then sorting out this view camera movement puzzle (one of THE most important aspects and reasons to use a view camera), this section from the Linhof LF book can help: https://www.largeformatphotography.i...ong-amp-Linhof

    Getting comfy with the view camera is one significant part of learning how to LF.

    Figuring out the needed exposure time/lens aperture for the film image to be recorded which includes:

    ~Setting the shutter speed, winding up the shutter before exposure.
    ~Setting the lens aperture as needed before making the exposure (one of the most common Ooopsiiees).
    ~Pulling the dark slide then putting the dark slide back in the same side causing a multi exposure on the next image to be made..


    And there will be more.. Figure the first box of film as a steep learning how to LF process or why using the lowest cost film initially is a very reasonable choice. Once further up on the how to LF learning curve and the beginnings of where ya wanna to go with this LF image making stuff is the time to take on proper high quality film with the goals of expressive/creative image making.


    Bernice

  7. #17
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    I'm personally quite glad that I started out with high quality films instead, that I planned to stick with. Some of my very first b&w shots turned out to be "beginner's luck" classics which have been reprinted numerous times over the years. Lots of misfires early on of course. But ya never know. It's hard to be a competent lumberjack if you scrimp in investment early and try to learn cutting down trees with a fingernail file. I believe in learning with the actual tools and ingredients you'll need in the long run; otherwise, a lot simply has to be re-learned or re-invested, or you might get discouraged in route.

    Another reason is that a lot of my earliest view camera and sheet film work was done in rugged remote terrain hard to get into again; and the lighting is never quite the same anyway. Some things you only get one crack at. It would have been counterproductive, given all that effort, to gamble with so-so film. But at least I did already know how to tray develop b&w sheet film, since I used it for color film contrast masking at least a decade before getting into b&w photog per se. Likewise with view camera technique; I had already learned that for sake of color film. But even in that case, many of my very early color shots were truly keepers.

    Just dive in. Sure, there will be plenty of mishaps to the learning curve. But ya gotta start somewhere. To practice loading and unloading holders in the dark, you only need a single piece of film, even voided film.

  8. #18

    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    Was asking myself the very same question recently and ended up getting a box of Frankenstein 200, now, granted, I don't have much to compare it to, other than a (very) expired box of Tri-X, but here's a sample shot I took with the Frankenstein: https://i.imgur.com/FYcYSPd.jpg

    It was developed in HC-110, dilution B, for about 4 and a half minutes in homemade BTZS tubes. It ended up being way sharper than I expected, overall, I'm happy with my test shots so far! Enough that I was considering ordering a couple more boxes of it considering the price. It's sold out on FPP's website so not sure how many boxes B&H still has

  9. #19
    おせわに なります! Andrew O'Neill's Avatar
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    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    Anyone know who is making this stuff? I want to say it's just a rebranding, but what other ISO 200 B/W films are out there? I'd be tempted to buy a box if it were available in 8x10. Anyway, the cheapest stuff to learn LF basics on is single-sided XRAY film.

  10. #20

    Re: What film to use for first test shots

    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew O'Neill View Post
    Anyone know who is making this stuff? I want to say it's just a rebranding, but what other ISO 200 B/W films are out there? I'd be tempted to buy a box if it were available in 8x10. Anyway, the cheapest stuff to learn LF basics on is single-sided XRAY film.
    I was wondering the same thing, the only bit of info I was able to find was from here: https://randomphoto.blogspot.com/202...-film.html?m=1

    It doesn't say much, but my guess is it is a rebranding... relevant excerpt:

    I'm not going to go and tell you what these films actually are -- that sort of spoils the fun - but if you are familiar with their line of film stocks, you can probably figure it out. Besides, isn't it great when someone asks what you are shooting with and you can say "Frankenstein 200?"
    Edit: Found a comment on their facebook page saying it was actually Cine 16 motion picture film.

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