When Grain Doesn't Matter - Which Film?

[rknewcomb]

If you're shooting 8x10 or bigger and making contact prints, do find the use of slower film like ISO 125 or is faster ISO 400 more useful?
I realize that it depends on your approach to shooting, wide open and soft, or f22 and lots of depth of field, if you shoot outside in bright light or at sunset....
Sometimes I might use a barrel lens with a lenscap shutter so too fast a film isn't so good. But, having that speed might also be helpful at times.
I'm thinking about the Ilford order and what to buy - can't really afford to buy a lot of both speeds.
Thanks for any help.

[Gem Singer]

Ilford HP-5+ is my favorite film in all formats of roll film and sheet film.

I've tried several film brands and ISO's, and HP-5+ always came out on top, especially for 8X10, where grain doesn't seem to matter and higher speed is an advantage.

[venchka]

I have very limited experience, but I agree with Eugene about HP5+. I do plan to give TMY-2 (New Tmax 400) a try next to HP5+ and then settle on one or the other. BTW, My use has been limited to 120 & 4x5.

[Ralph Barker]

If trying to choose a single film for contact printing, I'd suggest going with HP5+ for the added versatility. You can always add ND or other filters to slow it down, if needed.

That said, there are circumstances where I prefer FP4+ or Delta 100 for images where the characteristics of those films are more consistent with the objectives for a specific image.

Life, and the photography thereof, is always filled with compromises.

[Ron Marshall]

I prefer TMY for 4x5, but for 8x10 I would probably use HP5.

[John Powers]

Your choice of "f22 and lots of depth of field" is a surprise to me. Is there a limitation on your lens(es) higher numerically than f22? For depth of field beyond camera movements, most of my (8x10 and 7x17) work and that which I read about here is f45-f64 and higher numbers. The saints of depth of field, E. Weston, A. Adams and the rest of the f64 group used, oddly enough, f64 and higher.

When I shot 35mm, my lenses with exception of the macro would not go higher in number than f22. If you are just starting LF you have some wonderful f stop/depth of field discoveries to make. If I have misunderstood I am most sorry.

John

[Ken Lee]

With small f/stops, often come long exposures. The convenient reciprocity characteristics of TMax films are a nice plus, over more "traditional" emulsions.

[Bruce Watson]

If you're shooting 8x10 or bigger and making contact prints, do find the use of slower film like ISO 125 or is faster ISO 400 more useful?

I think you are asking the wrong question(s) maybe. A better question might be along the lines of "what film for contact prints and why?" and it would be better still to say what kind of contact printing (silver gelatin, platinum/paladium, carbon, gum bichromate, etc...).

That said, two things you might want to consider. First is reciprocity characteristics. This is important because as formats get larger shutter speeds get longer. It effects both shadow detail and highlight "blocking." That is, you may find yourself increasing exposure to ensure you record your shadow detail, and this typically requires that you pull development to keep from "blowing out" your highlights with too much density. Simply put, better reciprocity characteristics typically mean less work for you. With that in mind, modern emulsions like Acros, Tmax, Delta typically have much better reciprocity behavior compared to "traditional" films like Tri-X, HP5+, and FP4+.

Second, if you are using one of the many alternate processes that needs negatives with lots of density, how does the film perform when developed to large Dmaxes? Often people choose staining developers for this service, so the question can become how does this film work with that developer to make those alternative process prints?

All that said, TMY-2 seems to be a serious favorite of the 10x8 and larger crowd. It's fast, it's got good reciprocity characteristics, and it works really well (so I'm told) with the staining developers like pyro and pyrocat-hd.

Edit: something else. If you are going to use alt processes that need UV light for print exposure, check to make sure that your film doesn't block UV. TMY-2 doesn't contain a UV block. TMX does. Just something else to consider.

[Michael Kadillak]

Your choice of "f22 and lots of depth of field" is a surprise to me. Is there a limitation on your lens(es) higher numerically than f22? For depth of field beyond camera movements, most of my (8x10 and 7x17) work and that which I read about here is f45-f64 and higher numbers. The saints of depth of field, E. Weston, A. Adams and the rest of the f64 group used, oddly enough, f64 and higher.

When I shot 35mm, my lenses with exception of the macro would not go higher in number than f22. If you are just starting LF you have some wonderful f stop/depth of field discoveries to make. If I have misunderstood I am most sorry.

John

A great rule of thumb is to only stop down as much as necessary to obtain the necessary depth of field for your particular shot. This also implies judicious use of camera movements (emphasis on as little as possible).

I make a couple of 8x10 shots last weekend with a 24" Fuji and even though I had a building slightly angling away from me I was able to make the photograph at f 22 2/3 and it was razor sharp. I stopped using my loup (thanks to Michael Smith) and just watch the ground glass from a distance and can do just fine for most images. To stop down excessively comes at an optical and visual price that you do not want to pay the toll taker unless you absolutely must.

I shoot 8x20 and 11x14 at f22 and f32 regularly and rarely if ever need to stop down further and that is a very good thing.

TMY is a great film but I have also attained excellent results with Efke 25. I would not hesitate to shoot FP4+ either and I probably will buy some in 8x20. The only film I can't use is HP5 because of the fact that it is high end density limited. For Azo and alt processing where large density ranges are the norm and necessary HP5 simply does not get it done.

Cheers!