Has anybody tried..............

**ignatiusjk** · 29-Aug-2009, 15:14

Has anyone tried that "Shanghai" B&Wfilm? I'm curious to hear what results anyone has gotten with this film. Let me know.

**Michael Graves** · 29-Aug-2009, 15:31

While I have heard that many people have gotten good results, the one box I tried was very poorly manufactured. Nearly every sheet had perfectly round pinholes in the emulsion. I'll stick to Ilford for speed or Efke when I want a slower film. Those are my two standards.

**neil poulsen** · 30-Aug-2009, 06:10

It's a lot easier to deal with dust on the negative than with pinholes.

**ignatiusjk** · 30-Aug-2009, 09:06

Originally Posted by Michael Graves

While I have heard that many people have gotten good results, the one box I tried was very poorly manufactured. Nearly every sheet had perfectly round pinholes in the emulsion. I'll stick to Ilford for speed or Efke when I want a slower film. Those are my two standards.

What film speed do you use with the Efke? I can't believe they have a 25 asa film speed for 4x5. I'm wondering what the difference in picture quality would be between the 25 and 100.

**Andrew O'Neill** · 30-Aug-2009, 10:08

Efke 25 exposed at EI 16 in Pyrocat-HD, and Xtol 1+1. I've never used a 100 speed film so I couldn't tell you the difference. All I can say is that it's a lovely film and I use it in 4x5 and 8x10.

**Ron Marshall** · 30-Aug-2009, 12:24

Originally Posted by ignatiusjk

What film speed do you use with the Efke? I can't believe they have a 25 asa film speed for 4x5. I'm wondering what the difference in picture quality would be between the 25 and 100.

Comparisons with films processed as positives with the DR5 process. Note the grain in the the 25 ISO sample:

http://www.dr5.com/filmtests.html

**Mike1234** · 30-Aug-2009, 12:30

Ron: Reference DR5.. me thinks I may need to re-think my options. Are there any continuous tone comparisons?

**Ari** · 30-Aug-2009, 14:01

I've posted a couple threads about this film here, including some photos. I shoot people 99% of the time, so:
In short, very good tonality, exposure latitude, and compatible with a few easily-available developers.
Very inexpensive, and considering its price, a high-quality film worth trying. I really like skin tones and very controllable contrast, meaning it will produce a good print at #0 or #3 (I print quite contrasty).
Yes, go for it, try it, it's a very good film at an unbeatable price.
I'm hoping they make a 400 ISO soon.