B&W film help

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gkt

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I'm going in reverse. After shooting video on DSLRS for a living, I got tired of schlepping gear. That lead to a purchase of an M9. But since I was a kid I've wanted to learn B&W processing so I just bought an M6.

Any recommendations on film to load in this bad boy? Would like to shoot a few rolls and then find some instruction.

Thanks!
 
Tri-X seems to be a good place to start. Actually, anything 400 ASA/ISO that is B&W process is probably going to be pretty decent. They are fairly forgiving and relatively usable in varying light conditions, although 400 in low light will be just as tricky as it would on a DSLR.

I haven't tried a chromogenic (C-41) black and white film yet. People seem to really like or really dislike them. I'm sticking with B&W for B&W. 🙂
 
I agree. Tri-X is a great film to start with. It has very wide exposure latitude, and can be pushed or pulled with good results. It's a good film to learn on if you're going to start developing your own.

Check out the threads in the film processing forum here -- there's a lot of good info there on particular developers. There are also a couple of stickies by charjohncarter and Chris Crawford with excellent suggestions on how to get started with development.

My advice on developers: pick one, and stick with it until you can reliably produce results you like. A lot of folks recommend D76 as a good developer to start with; there's an Ilford product that's very similar (Ilfotec?). I started with Diafine, moved on to Rodinal, and am now using HC 110.

Developing your own b&w film is easy and fun (and cheap). Best of all, you control the process.

I see that this is your first post here. Welcome to the forum!!
 
c-41

c-41

I just did the same some weeks ago (cannot afford the Leica MM. Film is so cheap if You buy a Nikon FM and 15 manual focus lenses..). However, because I don't find time for the lab I took the Ilford XP2 (C41 - can be developed in any shop in one hour) and scan them. Some say chromogenic film is more appropriate for scanning because there are less issues with the grain, that can be much increased by the scan process.

So the question is if You want to go through the classical wet process or just "semi-digital".
 
C-41 b&w film is fine. You can get it developed in a mini-lab. There are some threads here about developing it home as well. A lot of folks recommend Ilford XP2. I think Kodak BW400cn has richer-looking dark greys, and you can easily correct the slight color cast in photoshop. Too bad Kodak discontinued it (or so I've heard).
 
D76 / Id11

D76 / Id11

Bingley said:
My advice on developers: pick one, and stick with it until you can reliably produce results you like. A lot of folks recommend D76 as a good developer to start with; there's an Ilford product that's very similar (Ilfotec?). I started with Diafine, moved on to Rodinal, and am now using HC 110.
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In europe, the Ilford equivalent of D76 was ID11. It seems it still exists.
 
As others have said, Tri-X is an easy film to learn on. D-76 diluted 1+1 (equal parts water and developer) is an easy to use developer that gives extremely beautiful results with Tri-X. It is considered the classic developer for Tri-X, but it is a powder that has to be dissolved in water, which is a pain. If you want a liquid developer, Kodak Tmax Developer also gives beautiful results and is easier to use because its a liquid you just dilute.
 
Arista Premium 400 (tri-x) is not just good to learn with, but to keep shooting with. It's not expensive and has a classic look. Try it with D76 1:1 for a while and once you know what you like about it, go to something like Rodinal and experiment with different dillutions to get what you want for the long run.
At least this is what I did years ago and that's my recommendation.
Best wishes!
 
TriX is a good suggestion. I would say, figure out which iso-type of film fits your needs, pick one, and a single developer too if you are developing yourself, as the key thing in my opinion is keeping the variables under control when you start, at least until you have a handle on things, and feel ready to add more complexity in the form of other films/ other developers/ etc.

Good luck and have fun, and as mentioned if you just want to dip your toe in, something like XP2 is a great option. If you want to try your hand at developing, or even wet printing, go for it, just try not to overwhelm yourself, as it can take the fun out of it. Whatever you choose, good luck & Rogers links above hold some great information.
 
Murchu said:
TriX is a good suggestion. I would say, figure out which iso-type of film fits your needs, pick one, and a single developer too if you are developing yourself, as the key thing in my opinion is keeping the variables under control when you start, at least until you have a handle on things, and feel ready to add more complexity in the form of other films/ other developers/ etc.

Good luck and have fun, and as mentioned if you just want to dip your toe in, something like XP2 is a great option. If you want to try your hand at developing, or even wet printing, go for it, just try not to overwhelm yourself, as it can take the fun out of it. Whatever you choose, good luck & Rogers links above hold some great information.
Click to expand...
Dear Damien,

Thank'ee kindly for the endorsement, but I disagree with your first paragraph. I fully accept that Tri-X or HP5 are all but idiot-proof, but there's still an enormous component of alchemy and personal taste involved, and it is conceivable (though not likely) that one of these stalwarts will not suit a particular photographer. From http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/choosing bw films.html (with a small addition):

We do not, however, endorse the view that you should pick one film and use nothing but that for three months or six months or a year or the first 100 rolls or whatever. By all means, if you want, buy a couple of rolls of Delta 100, a couple of rolls of Fuji Acros, a couple of rolls of Kodak T-Max 100 and a couple of rolls of Foma 100, and try them all. Or Ilford Delta 400, Kodak T-Max 400 TMY, Fuji Neopan 400, Kodak Tri-X, Ilford HP5. You may find one you love, and a couple you hate. THEN is the time to stick with the same film for a while, at least 10 rolls and maybe 20. Maybe even forever, or at least for years. If you've bought 'own brand', now is the time to buy 50 rolls, or a couple of 30-metre rolls for bulk loading.

I'd endorse your comments about developers, though. From the same source:

Develop either in a middle-of-the-road developer such as Ilford ID-11/Kodak D76 or Kodak Xtol, or Ilford DD-X. We recommend the latter because it's easy to mix (a liquid concentrate) and keeps half-way to forever. Then follow the manufacturers' instructions, supplemented if necessary by modules on this site such as how to handle 35mm and 120 film, how to choose a developing tank and how to develop film.

Once you've chosen your film, we'd recommend you stay with your initial developer. You may want to see what happens with other developers, and we would be the last to discourage you, but equally, unless you have a 'standard' developer as a reference point, you'll probably find it hard to get a handle on what you're doing. Certainly, it's a rotten idea to keep changing developers, according to what's cheapest and what's available. We would also recommend that at first you avoid 'trick' (non-mainstream) developers and such techniques as 'stand' development (minimal agitation), no matter how loudly their devotees may sing their praises. Yes, they work well for some people and some subjects, but there are also many more ways in which they can go wrong: consider just why these developers and techniques are not the 'standards', and do not attempt to run before you can walk.

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear Damien,

Thank'ee kindly for the endorsement, but I disagree with your first paragraph. I fully accept that Tri-X or HP5 are all but idiot-proof, but there's still an enormous component of alchemy and personal taste involved, and it is conceivable (though not likely) that one of these stalwarts will not suit a particular photographer. From http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/choosing bw films.html (with a small addition):

We do not, however, endorse the view that you should pick one film and use nothing but that for three months or six months or a year or the first 100 rolls or whatever. By all means, if you want, buy a couple of rolls of Delta 100, a couple of rolls of Fuji Acros, a couple of rolls of Kodak T-Max 100 and a couple of rolls of Foma 100, and try them all. Or Ilford Delta 400, Kodak T-Max 400 TMY, Fuji Neopan 400, Kodak Tri-X, Ilford HP5. You may find one you love, and a couple you hate. THEN is the time to stick with the same film for a while, at least 10 rolls and maybe 20. Maybe even forever, or at least for years. If you've bought 'own brand', now is the time to buy 50 rolls, or a couple of 30-metre rolls for bulk loading.
Click to expand...

All good info, and an area where you are vastly more experienced than I. Your distinction about not choosing a film lightly is a valuable one, and had not meant to imply to just casually pick one 🙂
 
I started on HP5+, but you can't go wrong with Tri-X either. Both are great, easily processed, and pretty forgiving in terms of exposure.

Have fun!
 
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