sepiareverb
genius and moron
Time for the ignore list again!
35mm film reviews ?
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Time for the ignore list again!
Scandium
Member
Film Tests - Progress
Film Tests - Progress
This weekend the film tests continued with Legacy Pro 100, Acros, and Kentmere 100.
Acros/LP100
I ran some curves on LP100 and Acros at EI 100 in HC-110(B) 5.5 min. @ 20C. As far as I can tell, they are identical. Extremely fine grain. Grain is finer than the other films (Plus-X, Kentmere 100) in the test. The whites have a tendency to block on my scanner (Canon FS 2710), but the wet prints have good, fine detail in the highlights. Shadow detail is excellent, too. I'm going to try EI 80 in HC-110(H) with a little less development to see how the scanner responds. D-23 1+3 would probably be even better. That will have to wait a while as I have a lot of travel coming up in the next two months.
Here are some examples:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p241634678/e2ac0ef05
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p241634678/e20fc1f4c
Kentmere 100
This film was a surprise. It is very grainy for EI 100. It looks more grainy than Neopan 400 in either HC-110 or DD-X. The K100 grain is soft-edged sort of like oatmeal, where the Neopan 400 is sharp and crisp. The oatmeal grain gives the film an antique look and also makes it appear less sharp.
K100 example:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p241634678/e20ae970c
Neopan 400 in HC110(B) example:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p470933817/e27e28554
Neopan 400 in DD-X example:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p348146728/e2bc3c8eb
I processed the K100 in HC-110(B) for 6.5 min. @ 20C. Contrast is lower than LP100 or Plus-X and the scanner handled the whites very well. I don't care for the look of the grain. When I mix some D-23, I'll try it and see if the grain improves. Wet prints have nice tonal range, but the grain sticks out.
Summary
Acros/LP100 will be a winner if I can tame the way the whites react with my scanner. I like the film so much, it may drive me to a new scanner.
Plus-X scans and prints well. The grain is more prominent than Acros/LP100, but it adds a pleasant texture to the images. It has a nice look for street shots. Of the three films, this is the easiest to use. I like its mid-tones the best.
Kentmere 100 has wide latitude and handles contrasty scenes well. The oatmeal grain doesn't work for me. I'm going to try a couple more rolls when I get my D-23 mixed just to see what happens.
Next Phase
This week I'll try Acros/LP100 at EI 80 with HC-110(H) to see if scanning improves.
I am going to Italy in November and plan to pack some Plus-X and Neopan 400. If I can get Acros to scan satisfactorily by then, I'll take it instead of Plus-X.
I'll post more as the experiment continues...
Glenn
Film Tests - Progress
This weekend the film tests continued with Legacy Pro 100, Acros, and Kentmere 100.
Acros/LP100
I ran some curves on LP100 and Acros at EI 100 in HC-110(B) 5.5 min. @ 20C. As far as I can tell, they are identical. Extremely fine grain. Grain is finer than the other films (Plus-X, Kentmere 100) in the test. The whites have a tendency to block on my scanner (Canon FS 2710), but the wet prints have good, fine detail in the highlights. Shadow detail is excellent, too. I'm going to try EI 80 in HC-110(H) with a little less development to see how the scanner responds. D-23 1+3 would probably be even better. That will have to wait a while as I have a lot of travel coming up in the next two months.
Here are some examples:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p241634678/e2ac0ef05
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p241634678/e20fc1f4c
Kentmere 100
This film was a surprise. It is very grainy for EI 100. It looks more grainy than Neopan 400 in either HC-110 or DD-X. The K100 grain is soft-edged sort of like oatmeal, where the Neopan 400 is sharp and crisp. The oatmeal grain gives the film an antique look and also makes it appear less sharp.
K100 example:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p241634678/e20ae970c
Neopan 400 in HC110(B) example:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p470933817/e27e28554
Neopan 400 in DD-X example:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p348146728/e2bc3c8eb
I processed the K100 in HC-110(B) for 6.5 min. @ 20C. Contrast is lower than LP100 or Plus-X and the scanner handled the whites very well. I don't care for the look of the grain. When I mix some D-23, I'll try it and see if the grain improves. Wet prints have nice tonal range, but the grain sticks out.
Summary
Acros/LP100 will be a winner if I can tame the way the whites react with my scanner. I like the film so much, it may drive me to a new scanner.
Plus-X scans and prints well. The grain is more prominent than Acros/LP100, but it adds a pleasant texture to the images. It has a nice look for street shots. Of the three films, this is the easiest to use. I like its mid-tones the best.
Kentmere 100 has wide latitude and handles contrasty scenes well. The oatmeal grain doesn't work for me. I'm going to try a couple more rolls when I get my D-23 mixed just to see what happens.
Next Phase
This week I'll try Acros/LP100 at EI 80 with HC-110(H) to see if scanning improves.
I am going to Italy in November and plan to pack some Plus-X and Neopan 400. If I can get Acros to scan satisfactorily by then, I'll take it instead of Plus-X.
I'll post more as the experiment continues...
Glenn
Scandium
Member
Film Tests - Update
Film Tests - Update
Film Tests Update
Acros/LP100
I tried LP100 at EI 100 in HC-110 (H), 9 min. @ 20C.
Examples:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p123474929/e648c7f0
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p123474929/e2c2a2183
The first image is cropped a bit to improve composition. The second is the full frame.
Observations
Using dilution H helped the highlights. They still clip on some of the test negatives, but so long as the subject matter doesn't have too much contrast, the scans are acceptable. The grain is very fine and tonal scale is excellent. This combination is a winner. I didn't have time to do any wet prints, but based on these observations, they should be fine. I may have to move to a #3 or 3.5 VC filter as the negatives are less contrasty than dil. B.
Summary
The Acros/LP100 has the finest, almost nonexistent grain. Plus-X renders the shadows and foliage a little darker, probably because Acros/LP100 is a little less red sensitive. Acros/LP100 has so little grain that negatives have to be very clean when printing. Even the finest dust particles show in larger pritns. Plus-X grain adds a nice bit of texture. I'm definitely keeping some of each in the fridge.
Kentmere 100's grain doesn't appeal to me. I'm going to try some with D-23 later on to see how it changes.
5231 is on my list to try next. My schedule is getting busy, so I may not have time to get at it until late November.
I'll post the 5231 results later this fall.
Glenn
Film Tests - Update
Film Tests Update
Acros/LP100
I tried LP100 at EI 100 in HC-110 (H), 9 min. @ 20C.
Examples:
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p123474929/e648c7f0
http://gascherb.zenfolio.com/p123474929/e2c2a2183
The first image is cropped a bit to improve composition. The second is the full frame.
Observations
Using dilution H helped the highlights. They still clip on some of the test negatives, but so long as the subject matter doesn't have too much contrast, the scans are acceptable. The grain is very fine and tonal scale is excellent. This combination is a winner. I didn't have time to do any wet prints, but based on these observations, they should be fine. I may have to move to a #3 or 3.5 VC filter as the negatives are less contrasty than dil. B.
Summary
The Acros/LP100 has the finest, almost nonexistent grain. Plus-X renders the shadows and foliage a little darker, probably because Acros/LP100 is a little less red sensitive. Acros/LP100 has so little grain that negatives have to be very clean when printing. Even the finest dust particles show in larger pritns. Plus-X grain adds a nice bit of texture. I'm definitely keeping some of each in the fridge.
Kentmere 100's grain doesn't appeal to me. I'm going to try some with D-23 later on to see how it changes.
5231 is on my list to try next. My schedule is getting busy, so I may not have time to get at it until late November.
I'll post the 5231 results later this fall.
Glenn
amateriat
We're all light!
Thanks, Glenn...more to chew on here regarding my fave developer. Really good images, too!
- Barrett
- Barrett
Vitor
Member
here you go http://www.mediafire.com/?metmtmzdxhy
Scandium
Member
Film Reviews - 5231 Update
Film Reviews - 5231 Update
I bought 400' of 5231 Plus-X and have been working with it for a couple of weeks. My little film fridge is packed with >70 rolls of it.
I shot a couple of rolls at EI 80 and developed in HC-110(H) for 8 min. @20C. Development was nearly ideal for my scanner. Very good shadow and mid tones and the whites clipped only slightly. I may shorten the time to 7.5 minutes and see if that helps. 5231 is approx. as grainy as 125PX. I can barely tell them apart under high magnification. 125PX grain appears to have slightly a more uniform distribution. 5231 has more larger-size grains in the smooth mid-tone areas. The grain difference is not visible on 11x14 enlargements without a magnifier. The most apparent difference is that 5231 has visibly more detail in the shadows and mid tones.
I shot another set of rolls at EI 100 and developed in HC-110(H) for 9.5 min. @20C. Highlights clipped slightly less and the shadow detail is indistinguishable from EI 80. No change in grain from EI 80.
Summary
Acros/Legacy Pro 100
If you want the finest grain, best resolution, and highest sharpness of this group, Acros is it. At EI 80 in HC-110(H), 9 min. @20C it's ideal for my wet darkroom printing. The high zones clip more easily than any other film in this group. That is the only characteristic I don't like about it. If all I did was wet prints, this film is perfect.
125PX/Arista Premium 100
125PX has a little more grain than Acros/LP100. I can barely see the difference on 8x10 prints. The tonal rendering is different from Acros/LP100. The shadows and mid tones are darker. At EI 100 in HC-110(H), 7 min @20C I get negatives that scan well and print easily in the darkroom.
5231 Plus-X
5231 has similar grain and sharpness to 125PX/AP100. At EI 100 in HC-110(H), 9.5 min. I get negatives that both scan and print well. It has visibly more shadow detail than the others in the group and wider exposure latitude as well.
Kentmere 100
Kentmere 100 was a surprise. It is much grainier than any other film in the group. It has the look of an older era. The grain structure got exaggerated by my scanner so the scans look much grainier than the wet prints. It could work well for classic-look 35mm portraits.
In Conclusion
I'm going with the Plus-X's. They both scan and print well and both have pleasant grain. 5231 is a fine utility film with better overexposure tolerance and lots of shadow and mid tone detail.
I haven't had time to post comparative scans for the 5231, but will do so as soon as I can. I'm headed for Italy later this month and plan to bring quite a bit of 5231, especially since I have a whole fridge full of it. It will be a good field test.
I'll post some more results in December.
Ciao,
Glenn
Film Reviews - 5231 Update
I bought 400' of 5231 Plus-X and have been working with it for a couple of weeks. My little film fridge is packed with >70 rolls of it.
I shot a couple of rolls at EI 80 and developed in HC-110(H) for 8 min. @20C. Development was nearly ideal for my scanner. Very good shadow and mid tones and the whites clipped only slightly. I may shorten the time to 7.5 minutes and see if that helps. 5231 is approx. as grainy as 125PX. I can barely tell them apart under high magnification. 125PX grain appears to have slightly a more uniform distribution. 5231 has more larger-size grains in the smooth mid-tone areas. The grain difference is not visible on 11x14 enlargements without a magnifier. The most apparent difference is that 5231 has visibly more detail in the shadows and mid tones.
I shot another set of rolls at EI 100 and developed in HC-110(H) for 9.5 min. @20C. Highlights clipped slightly less and the shadow detail is indistinguishable from EI 80. No change in grain from EI 80.
Summary
Acros/Legacy Pro 100
If you want the finest grain, best resolution, and highest sharpness of this group, Acros is it. At EI 80 in HC-110(H), 9 min. @20C it's ideal for my wet darkroom printing. The high zones clip more easily than any other film in this group. That is the only characteristic I don't like about it. If all I did was wet prints, this film is perfect.
125PX/Arista Premium 100
125PX has a little more grain than Acros/LP100. I can barely see the difference on 8x10 prints. The tonal rendering is different from Acros/LP100. The shadows and mid tones are darker. At EI 100 in HC-110(H), 7 min @20C I get negatives that scan well and print easily in the darkroom.
5231 Plus-X
5231 has similar grain and sharpness to 125PX/AP100. At EI 100 in HC-110(H), 9.5 min. I get negatives that both scan and print well. It has visibly more shadow detail than the others in the group and wider exposure latitude as well.
Kentmere 100
Kentmere 100 was a surprise. It is much grainier than any other film in the group. It has the look of an older era. The grain structure got exaggerated by my scanner so the scans look much grainier than the wet prints. It could work well for classic-look 35mm portraits.
In Conclusion
I'm going with the Plus-X's. They both scan and print well and both have pleasant grain. 5231 is a fine utility film with better overexposure tolerance and lots of shadow and mid tone detail.
I haven't had time to post comparative scans for the 5231, but will do so as soon as I can. I'm headed for Italy later this month and plan to bring quite a bit of 5231, especially since I have a whole fridge full of it. It will be a good field test.
I'll post some more results in December.
Ciao,
Glenn
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
Glenn, you might want to try the 5231 with Beutler. I shot a couple of cans of it last summer - rated it @ 100 and developed it in Beutler 1:1:10 for 6.5-7 minutes. Amazing mid-tones, great shadow detail and you only got fried high-lights under extreme conditions (contrast so high that no film could have handled it).
Scandium
Member
5231 Development
5231 Development
Thanks, Tom. I've never used Beutler. I've got all the chemicals for it on the shelf, so I'll add it to my list to try. I'm planning to try D-23 1+3 next. I've found it's almost impossible to blow highlights with it as well. D-23 has been my favorite for years, but HC-110 is so easy to use that I default to it when I get really busy.
Thanks for the advice,
Glenn
5231 Development
Thanks, Tom. I've never used Beutler. I've got all the chemicals for it on the shelf, so I'll add it to my list to try. I'm planning to try D-23 1+3 next. I've found it's almost impossible to blow highlights with it as well. D-23 has been my favorite for years, but HC-110 is so easy to use that I default to it when I get really busy.
Thanks for the advice,
Glenn
gilpen123
Gil
Not a review but good starting point from Nikonians http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/jrp_faq/jrp_faq_what_film/faq_what_film_to_use.html
ZeissFan
Veteran
I've been shooting a bit of Rite Aid branded 400 color print film. It's rebadged Fuji, and it's reasonable and very good. I have no complaints.
I've also shot some Ektar recently, but I need to scan the negatives. The prints were only so-so -- I went with the lowest bidder, and you get what you pay for. I had to convince them it was C-41.
In b/w, I've shot Arista EDU 100 (very nice), Efke 50 (also nice) and some Fomapan 200 (wasn't as impressed with it, but I need to shoot some more before making a final decision).
I really like the Rollei-branded infrared film, as well as the ATP film. Also, I'm shooting Agfapan APX 100 and APX 400, Tri-X, Ilford Pan F and FP4 and occasionally some outdated TMax 3200.
I've also shot some Ektar recently, but I need to scan the negatives. The prints were only so-so -- I went with the lowest bidder, and you get what you pay for. I had to convince them it was C-41.
In b/w, I've shot Arista EDU 100 (very nice), Efke 50 (also nice) and some Fomapan 200 (wasn't as impressed with it, but I need to shoot some more before making a final decision).
I really like the Rollei-branded infrared film, as well as the ATP film. Also, I'm shooting Agfapan APX 100 and APX 400, Tri-X, Ilford Pan F and FP4 and occasionally some outdated TMax 3200.
venchka
Veteran
Get really old film
Get really old film
You would LOVE 10-20-30 year old film from questionable sources at ebay. Expose the film in a Holga. Develop in equally old developer from the same questionable sources at ebay. With careful bidding you might pay more than the same products new.
Enjoy.
Get really old film
You would LOVE 10-20-30 year old film from questionable sources at ebay. Expose the film in a Holga. Develop in equally old developer from the same questionable sources at ebay. With careful bidding you might pay more than the same products new.
Enjoy.
freax
Established
Hi.
I think you are wrong. A lots of magazines (photography or not) sells articles do you like it or not. Magazines wants profits as any company.
I don't know for which company you work but if it's a big one and you relate to your boss you can ask him if he didn't receive a proposal to a paid article. The company where I work periodically receives these offers.
Car magazines comes to my mind also.
The better comment I've read about this theme was analog photography are like pianos: "New electric pianos are cheaper, portable, etc..., but the old steel strings ones how they sound !".
But if you buy music magazines you will never see steel string pianos in there 🙂
[]'s
I think you are wrong. A lots of magazines (photography or not) sells articles do you like it or not. Magazines wants profits as any company.
I don't know for which company you work but if it's a big one and you relate to your boss you can ask him if he didn't receive a proposal to a paid article. The company where I work periodically receives these offers.
Car magazines comes to my mind also.
The better comment I've read about this theme was analog photography are like pianos: "New electric pianos are cheaper, portable, etc..., but the old steel strings ones how they sound !".
But if you buy music magazines you will never see steel string pianos in there 🙂
[]'s
Al Kaplan
Veteran
The electronic "pianos", usually referred to as "keyboards", aren't going to get handed down generation to generation like a Steinway grand piano. Most likely they'll end up in the trash like a TV set that'd cost more to repair than replace.