Cheap color film for b&w conversion...anyone doing it?

[David_Manning]

My new thought: shoot very inexpensive drugstore-brand c41 color film, let drugstore develop/scan, and then convert to b&w at home.

I'm a former BW400CN junkie, but it's getting so expensive. Does anyone else routinely use this workflow for b&w final output? Would you mind sharing some examples of b&w shots converted from cheap color film?

I'm loving film b&w, but sometimes it's a drag to develop so many rolls of Tri-X after a trip...and BW400CN is expensive.

I just bought Fuji 200 c41 color film from Walmart at 4 rolls of 24-exp at $6.88 and I love the price.

 

[Dan Grisez]

I have done this but I don't have any examples I can share right now (I'll look for some later). I think that converting color to b&w works just fine and looks just as good as BW400CN (which I like but, yeah, it is expensive).

 

[ampguy]

works great with caffenol or d76. pre-washing and times can vary to get rid of some of the color casts.

examples

 

[David_Manning]

Looking through some of my past images, I've done this before, not as a routine, but because the image called for it. I think it looks really good.

This image was on good (read:expensive) color film (Fuji Pro400H), however I'd think that less expensive Fuji 200 or 400 would be incredibly similar:

Contax T3, Fuji Pro400H converted to b&w

 

[David_Manning]

Another isolated example, using Pro400H...

I think I may have run across a decent hybridization of workflow for me personally.

 

[FalseDigital]

I've done this a few times before. These shots below were taken with Fuji Color 200 ISO on an olympus stylus epic and converted to b/w.

These two below were shot with expired fuji 800 color film.

I'm pretty happy with the results. :]

 

[David_Manning]

Yeah, they look good...they're nice pictures too.

Well, I have some Fuji 200 coming back from the minilab this afternoon. I'll have to revisit and see if it's a valid option.

 

[shadowfox]

Sure, the only downside is the difficulty to get a satisfying darkroom print from the negative.
But for digital output, not a problem.

 

[md2008]

All B&W in this thread so far are converted from cheap generic film - not only that, but about 3 years expired and stored at room temperature to boot.

 

[Chinasaur]

Yep. Buy cheap a.. Walgreens film, or Fuji 200. Convert to B&W in Aperture. The grain can be nice if that's what you're after. But much cheaper than real B&W processing.

 

[David_Manning]

Good stuff.

I just got two rolls back this afternoon, and I think they look terrific...

Contax T3, Fujicolor 400, Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

[David_Manning]

And closer to home...

Contax T3, Fujicolor 200

 

[Shac]

David - great idea thanks for starting the thread
David

 

[jcrutcher]

I do it all the time but not necessarily cheap color film. If I shoot color which I do often since it's convenient to get developed I always look at a B&W virtual image, if it looks good I'll pull it into silver efex pro 2. I do my own scans so I have a tiff file to work with.
This shot is M2 the new Portra 400, converted in sep2. I had to add grain since the Portra is almost grain free.

[URL="http:// M2KN400-(4)-(CV7518) (3 of 9)-Edit.jpg by rootbeer2004, on Flickr

Thanks for starting this thread, I wondered if others did it.
Jim

 

[Dan Grisez]

Nice shots, everyone!
Here are a few I did with Fuji Supera Xtra 400...

Not too bad, I think.

 

[David_Manning]

Nice shots and conversions, everyone. I'm glad I'm not crazy for thinking or doing it.

Of course, some of the minilab scans leave something to be desired, but at least I can judge for myself whether it's worth re-scanning.

To be honest, I'm pretty impressed with the cheap Fuji 200 in color, too.

 

[Chinasaur]

Fuji 400 developed in Rodinal 1:100 for 20 min. Epson V500 using 2400dpi, Med Grain Reduction, Unsharp Mask@Medium, Color Correction switch. No other twitches. Marcus Whitman Mission, Walla Walla, WA. Bright Sun with Hexar AF.

Until I started buying Legacy PRO film; cheap a.. Fuji @ Fred Meyer™ was a pretty good deal..and still would be if Freestyle ever runs out of Legacy PRO 100 or 400 (*knockwood*). The only downside "for me", is that if you do NOT presoak....the stuff is g.. d....d hard to scan, especially if the exposure is off a "bit" toward the "over" side of the equation. The frames don't align, and it's back to using VueScan or some other "utility".

Otherwise, in a pinch..the stuff has a reeeely nice look, and makes a good substitute for B&W....better than C-41 Chromogenic since it's half the price. In fact, "IF" I couldn't get B&W film as cheap or cheaper than this stuff....I'd be ordering 120 roll bulk purchases of it vs the Legacy PRO 100 I "DO" order in bulk.

Just gotta pre-soak for at least five minutes before developing, and 10-20 minutes after final rinse to get the clearest negs. Fixing the "he.." out of it doesn't hurt either.

 

[filmtwit]

If you're spending that much time in aperture/Lightroom/Photoshop doing de-saturation, adding grain ect, why not just shoot digital?

 

[Chinasaur]

Uh..."I'm" NOT. I have a standard scanner default that is automatic. NOTHING else in ANY program is done...all is done in SCANNER/scanner app without interference. No desaturation (since it's developed in B&W chemicals) no added grain, no ETC. I cloned a piece of hair out of this one..but that's not unusual, and nothing anyone else doesn't do. The "dark" negative comes out of the soup. I hang it. It dries. I scanz it. It comes out juuust like this. Voila!

The only way this could be more automated or easier is if I paid you to do it for me 😀~

 

[Frank Petronio]

I often shoot C41 and get CDs scanned, then convert to B&W as needed. I will also shoot nicer quality C41 film, like the new Portra, and scan it myself for either B&W or color output depending on the image.

Edgar has a stash of outdated c41 he is selling cheap: http://www.4photolab.com/