Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
If you want high quality, forget 400 speed films in 35mm - too grainy.
The best 35mm BW film, bar none, is Fuji Acros, but it's nearly 8 quid a roll.
TMAX 100 and Ilford Delta 100 are both very good, T grain films so less grainy than old cubic types like FP4, however, they can be less good in tonal range than old cubic types like FP4 and Fomapan.
Not sure about the Rollei stuff, some of it is rebadged Agfa aerial film and should be great. They do a couple of microfilms, one being Copex, I forget the other one, those will have the finest grain and highest sharpness of any 35mm films but will need special compensatory development to get a good tonal range.
A lot of it comes down to finding the ideal development for the film you are using and the look you wish to achieve. For me, my best results came when using a simple Metol developer (Kodak Microdol-X or Ilford Perceptol) at a 1:3 dilution and rating the films at half box speed (e.g. 50 for TMAX 100). then increasing development times by 20%.
To sum up:
Best tonality - slow cubic films like Ilford Pan F 50, Ilford FP4+
Best grain - microfilms like Agfa Copex
Best sharpness -microfilms like Agfa Copex
Best all-round - Fuji Acros
Best affordable all-round - T grain films like Fuji Neopan, Ilford Delta 100, Kodak TMAX 100
Best cheap film -Fomapan 100 _________________ I don't care who designed it, who made it or what country it comes from - I just enjoy using it! |