shanghai and other cheap film ...

[jeffoto]

I am about to embark into 4x5 for the first time and will play with the camera a lot before exposing any film, but once I decide to try film, I am curious what experiences people have with some of the inexpensive B&W films such as the Shanhai found on ebay or the Arista (I know old Arista was HP5) from Freestyle.

Is the quality consistent? How does it compare to the old standby of TX?

I am very familiar with the various films from Kodak and Fuji as I've been a professional photographer for 25 years, I've just never played with 4x5 and want to go cheap to start.

I had thought about a Polaroid back and Fuji instant so I can see immediate results (ok, I shoot digital in my day job) and to not have the expense of developing while learning. I still may do that, but probably a combination of things - depends on what I cobble together for a system.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Anupam]

I have found that the cheapest film tested, shot and developed well produces better results than the "best" film shoddily handled. So, when I got into 4x5 I took Ansel Adams' advise of getting to know one film well and bought 500 sheets of Arista. I have just a few left and never regretted buying that many.

[Ron Marshall]

I've used the Arista.edu, from Freestyle. Similar to FP4, I shoot it at EI 125. Can't be beat for the price.

I have only used one box, so I can't say anything about quality control.

[RDB Korn]

Jeff,

I just started in 4X5 the past couple of months, so I have also wrestled with these questions.

I bought a 50 sheet pack of the Arista Ultra 100 from Freestyle, reasoning that a less expensive film would be a good choice while learning. Since I've only recently discovered that I've been loading the film into the holders *backwards*, I'm glad I did go with this film. Even with that *little* mistake, I've had some pleasing first results with the film. I believe the emulsion might be a bit more susceptible to scratches than the more expensive films (of course, loading backwards won't help) and developer choice is a bit more important with this film. Once I've made my worst beginner mistakes with the Arista, I intend to try out some Ilford and Kodak films. Developing costs are actually quite low for b/w sheet film, in my experience.

As far as instant films go, a few things you may or may not be aware of. The most important is that the Fuji 4X5 film is a pack film not a sheet film. Therefore it does not work in the Polaroid 545 holders. You'll need either a Polaroid 550 holder or a Fuji PA-45 holder. The former has been going for astronomical prices on eBay (well over $200), the PA-45 can be difficult to find. I found mine through Megaperls for a very reasonable price. The per shot price will be at least $4 (more typically $5-6 now) for the vanishing Polaroid products, and between $3-5 for the Fuji depending on where you source it. I have shot both with my 4X5 and it certainly is a good way to learn. Just much more expensive that traditional sheet film.

Paul

[Jiri Vasina]

Arista.EDU Ultra 100 is just a rebadged Fomapan 100 film. And Fomapan 100 is my main BW film, both in rolls and sheets. Very nice tonality, no quality concerns so far.

Arista.EDU from what I know was Forte film. Forte quit last year, so if it is still available, it will finish soon.

Arista (without the edu) was Ilford, but this repackaging is something way in the past.

As for Shanghai (or Era) films, I too would be interested to hear some opinions...

[mrladewig]

I have no idea about the Shanghai, never used it.

But I just bought a 50 sheet box of Tmax at my local shop for $51. Ilford Delta 100 was just a little more. Compared to the color film I usually shoot $1/sheet is a screaming deal. Shanghai is roughly $0.50/sheet. Sure you could shoot twice as much for the same price, but Tmax is predictable and has alot of users.

That said, I did buy 4 boxes of out of date Provia at 0.32/sheet, so I guess that's an even better deal. It has a slight color shift, but so far I've been able to correct it during scanning.

[Maris Rusis]

I think the old J&C Pro 100 film in the 8x10 format was Shanghai. Out of the last 200 sheets I have used there were about 10 with emulsion coating defects (pinholes, bubbles, streaks) and the rest were fine. At only $1.80 per sheet I won't complain but it is not a film I would use for stuff that has to be perfect and I can't re-shoot.

[domenico Foschi]

I have been using arista edu ultra 100 (Foma) and I absolutely cherish it with HC110.
I have seen one sheet so far with damaged to emulsion but I don't know if it was already existent or it got damaged in the shuffling.
I don't particularly mind damaged negatives, I like the retouching stage, be it negative or print.
At $20 for a box of 50 compared to Ilford which charges more than 4 times as much, it's a no brainer.

[Tomaas]

Arista edu exposed at EI 100 gives beautiful results!

150 sheets remaining in the freezer.

No quality issues so far.

Tomaas

[domenico Foschi]

I have been using arista edu ultra 100 (Foma) and I absolutely cherish it with HC110.
I have seen one sheet so far with damaged to emulsion but I don't know if it was already existent or it got damaged in the shuffling.
I don't particularly mind damaged negatives, I like the retouching stage, be it negative or print.
At $20 for a box of 50 compared to Ilford which charges more than 4 times as much, it's a no brainer.

Sorry, I should have said more than 2 times as much.