B&W 100 ISO films for 135 format

[Orio]

What do you prefer amongst these, and why?

- Ilford FP4 Plus 125

- Ilford Delta 100

- Kodak TMAX 100
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ХОРИОС-61 ( ώρεος ) : Lens sana in corpore sano
www.timelessphotography.eu
www.oriofoto.net

Read list of equipment HERE

[Xpres]

FP4 was the first film I ever used. It was sold by our biology teacher at school out of a bulk loader. So out of habit I'd choose that. It also responds well to dodgy exposures in very old cameras and then souping in diafine. But the delta lends itself to portraiture for me, it seems to have much smoother tones and a wide range of them but needs careful processing.
Not very tecnincal - just a feeling.
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E1, SD14 and some other stuff!

[Jesito]

I choose on availability and price. On the retail stores around, they stock mostly Ilford HP5. To get the TMAX 100 or the new TMAX 400, I need to go to Barcelona downtown to specialized shops, and there you pay a price. But there you can find 120 film as well.



Jes.
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Jesito's backsack:
Zooms Sigma 18-200, Tamron 35-135 and 70-210 short, 70-210 long, 28-70 CF Macro (Adaptall)
Fixed CZJ Planar 50mm 1.7, Helios 44-2, Cosinon 28mm, CZJ Sonnar 135, Industar-61, Jupiter-9, Industar-50, CZJ Pancolar 50/1.8, Tamron 24mm, Tamron 135mm, Sands Hunter 135mm, Weltblick 135mm
DSLR Canon 350D, Pentax K10D
TLR/6x6/645 YashicaMat, Mamiya 645E, Petri 6x45, Nettar
SLR Minolta X300, Fuji STX II, Praktica VLC3, Pentax P30t, Pentax SF7, EXA500, EXA 1A, Spotmatic(2), Chinon CM-4S,
Rangefinders Chinon 35EE, Konica C35 auto, Olympus 35RC, Canonet 28, Yashica Lynx, FED-2, Yashica electro 35, Argus C3, Regula Cita III, Voigtlander Vitoret LR, Welta Welti-I, Argus C4, Kodak Signette 25, Zorki-4, Bessa-R
Compact Film Konica C35V, Voigtlander Vitorets, Minox 35 ML, Canon Prima Super 105
Compact Digital Caplio GX100, Aiptek Slim 3000, Canon Powershot 520


Life is that boring wasted time in between two pictures

[LucisPictor]

[F16SUNSHINE]

They all have slightly different personalities. For me I like the tmax100. The reason is for not just exposure latitude but also for good contrast control both diections. This film can easily be pushed to 800 without significant grain disruption. As it does become more grainy. The look is still smooth not clumpy like older kodak pan films. Holding back 1-1.5 stops the look is even smoother with a full 7-8 zones of detail. Development control is easy if you use the liquid Tmax developer. Even with other developers development control is not to tasky. Here is a link for times with different chems. (pdf).

http://www.kodak.com/global/plugins/acrobat/en/professional/products/films/bw/processChartLo.pdf?id=0.2.26.14.17.30.3&lc=en

Also consider the Fuji Neopan. The old 100 (SS) is very smooth grained as well. I push this film to 1600 at times. This gives it a very edgy look that has a kind of classic old newspaper feel.
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Current Kit
Canon 5D, 40D
Contax 4/18, 1.4/50, 1.4/85, 2.8/85, 2/100, 3.5/100, 2.8/180, Rollei HFT 1.4/35, 1.4/85, Zuiko 2/21, 2/24, 2/28, 2/35, 2/80, Yashica ML 3.5/21, 2.8/24, Helios 40 protype, Trioplan 2.8/100, Tair 11A,
Epson R D1(s), Bessa L, Bessa R2m, Leica CL, CV 4.5/15, 4/25, 1.4/40, Zeiss ZM 2/35, Yashinon1.8/50, CLE 4/90, Zeiss Opton 4/135 T, Electro GT, Electro GX, Electro CC

[lulalake]

I agree with most here, FP4+, especially for scanning due to the fine grain. Remember that when scanning you are scanning the grain and a not-fine-grain film will give you more apparent "noise".

I use that almost exclusively for B&W.

Do use a fine grain developer, Acufine, or one of the Pyro family. I prefer Wimberley WD2D+ Pyro (Google for details)
It's rather amazing.

Jules
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Heisenberg may have slept here.

[j.lukow]

@ Jules

Can colour film act the same way? Especially a 400 ASA that has been push a little too much - exposure wise . . .

I've been running into an issue (see: http://forum.mflenses.com/variation-in-graininess-with-the-same-lens-t7712.html )

My gut was saying that since it was an inconsistant problem I was probably pushing it a little too much - though I have to admit I'm not sure how

Jim
_________________
Jim's Kit:
Minolta Kit: Minolta X70 & Autowinder G, Minolta SRT200
LENSES:Minolta - 45mm & 50mm F1:2, PF 58mm F1:1.4,
Tamron 28mm f1:2.5, Tamron SP 35-80mm f1:2.8/3.8 & CF TeleMacro zoom 80-210 f1:3.8,
Vivitar f3.0~4.5 35-200mm macro focusing zoom, f 2.8 28mm CF Wide angle, 2x macro focus teleconverter,
Sigma F4 25-250, f 2.8~4 35-70mm zoom master,
Tokina SD f4-5.6 70-210 zoom, f4.5 80-200 "Ultra" zoom,
AutoImage 135mm F1:2.8, Spiratone 400mm f1:6.3, Magicon f3.5-4.8 35-70mm macro zoom,Accura MD mount Macro bellows
Start of M42 Kit:Praktica PLC2,Yashica TL Electro X
LENSES:Meyer Goerlitz Oreston 50mm f1:1.8 ,
Auto Yashinon DX 1:1.7 50mm,Steinheil Munchen Culminar 135mm f4.5, Adaptall-2 M42 adapter
Zeiss . . .
Zeiss Contaflex 126 system
Zeiss Contaflex Super

Other gear - Gossen Luna-Pro

[lulalake]

[j.lukow]

Thanks for confirming this concept which we tend to forget.

Today I picked up a batch of pics taken with my Yashica - for which I had only a couple lenses.

The result is grainy dark pictures

Oh well we can only learn by doing, and sometimes doinig it wrong

Jim
_________________
Jim's Kit:
Minolta Kit: Minolta X70 & Autowinder G, Minolta SRT200
LENSES:Minolta - 45mm & 50mm F1:2, PF 58mm F1:1.4,
Tamron 28mm f1:2.5, Tamron SP 35-80mm f1:2.8/3.8 & CF TeleMacro zoom 80-210 f1:3.8,
Vivitar f3.0~4.5 35-200mm macro focusing zoom, f 2.8 28mm CF Wide angle, 2x macro focus teleconverter,
Sigma F4 25-250, f 2.8~4 35-70mm zoom master,
Tokina SD f4-5.6 70-210 zoom, f4.5 80-200 "Ultra" zoom,
AutoImage 135mm F1:2.8, Spiratone 400mm f1:6.3, Magicon f3.5-4.8 35-70mm macro zoom,Accura MD mount Macro bellows
Start of M42 Kit:Praktica PLC2,Yashica TL Electro X
LENSES:Meyer Goerlitz Oreston 50mm f1:1.8 ,
Auto Yashinon DX 1:1.7 50mm,Steinheil Munchen Culminar 135mm f4.5, Adaptall-2 M42 adapter
Zeiss . . .
Zeiss Contaflex 126 system
Zeiss Contaflex Super

Other gear - Gossen Luna-Pro