froyd
Veteran
Until my darkroom is built, I've decided to use c41 films for BW and have a lab handle the whole devoloping and printing process. However, so far i have been disappointed by the results I've had with Ilford's XP2.
I used and liked Ilford's c41 film in the past, but XP2 seems to be excessively contrasty now. I remembered c41 bw films having huge latitute, but what I keep getting lately are impossibly dark shadows and blown out highlights with little middle grey.
Does anybody have a similar experience? Is the Kodak C41 BW ilm better in terms of contrast?
I used and liked Ilford's c41 film in the past, but XP2 seems to be excessively contrasty now. I remembered c41 bw films having huge latitute, but what I keep getting lately are impossibly dark shadows and blown out highlights with little middle grey.
Does anybody have a similar experience? Is the Kodak C41 BW ilm better in terms of contrast?
zuikologist
.........................
I prefer the Fuji version (Neopan 400CN) to either Ilford or Kodak. It seems to have better contrast control.
anandi
Gotta catch the light.
Froyd,
Strange, I liked Kodak's BW400CN more than the XP2 because I thought it was more contrasty and printed better at the local grocery store labs. Never tried the fuji stuff, sounds interesting.
Strange, I liked Kodak's BW400CN more than the XP2 because I thought it was more contrasty and printed better at the local grocery store labs. Never tried the fuji stuff, sounds interesting.
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
I use XP2 because it's the only one which I can consistently print myself on multicontrast paper. Somehow I can't seem to get any contrasts out of BW400CN with my colour head.
In general a contrasty negative doesn't hurt, you can get it flat in printing but not the other way round.
Philipp
In general a contrasty negative doesn't hurt, you can get it flat in printing but not the other way round.
Philipp
froyd
Veteran
Like you, anandi, I received my fair share of dull BW prints from minilabs, but now I have found a couple of better places where they print with good contrast. I always felt flat prints were the fault of the labs' incompetence.
Now the problem is not with the prints, which, if anything, are too contrasty rather than flat. But with the negs, where little middle tone is captured.
Now the problem is not with the prints, which, if anything, are too contrasty rather than flat. But with the negs, where little middle tone is captured.
anaanda
Well-known
I like both XP2 and Kodak. I do my own prints which are much better than a lab. I use an epson printer with MIS black and white inks. I do usually have to darken the midtones with the sliders in photoshop to get some good contrast with the kodak film but the pictures come out great.
Bryce
Well-known
I use Ilford's film because I print in a wet darkroom. Kodak's film won't work for B+W printing due to its orange mask.
So this Fuji stuff, is it available in 120? Does it have an orange mask, or no? Didn't know about it.
-Bryce
So this Fuji stuff, is it available in 120? Does it have an orange mask, or no? Didn't know about it.
-Bryce
colyn
ישו משיח
I have bad luck with all of them.
No matter who processes and prints my prints come back purple.
I have to scan into Photoshop to remove the purple haze...
No matter who processes and prints my prints come back purple.
I have to scan into Photoshop to remove the purple haze...
S
sockdaddy
Guest
asked this in another (dying) thread, so i'll mention it again here.
does anyone have good experience in pushing any of these CN B&W films?
does anyone have good experience in pushing any of these CN B&W films?
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
XP2 "contrasty"? Are you basing this on the lab prints? You know, lab prints aren't the best gauge for the performance of film, including XP2 and 400BN.
I love XP2's wide exposure latitude. I like Kodak's 400BN smoothness. XP2 is much easier to scan than 400BN, but 400BN has virtually no grain compared to XP2 when you scan it with "conventional" scanners.
I like them both, I use them depending on what look I want.
I love XP2's wide exposure latitude. I like Kodak's 400BN smoothness. XP2 is much easier to scan than 400BN, but 400BN has virtually no grain compared to XP2 when you scan it with "conventional" scanners.
I like them both, I use them depending on what look I want.
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
sockdaddy said:
Yes; this is a shot from a roll of XP2 I rated and pushed to ISO 800. My lab grudgingly humoured me and pushed the film (they don't do that anymore, I have to find a new lab)
(edit: fixed the link)
Last edited:
Burkey
Well-known
Kodak 400CN Pro for me, at least as of today 
after looking at a CD of images I got back this morning when I was checking out my newly cleaned up VF135. I posted a quick shot I made with this film today on a thread about the Voigtlander 135;
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31362&d=1155646700
It may well be my lab's processing techniques but it required very little tweaking in PS to get a reasonable print from.
after looking at a CD of images I got back this morning when I was checking out my newly cleaned up VF135. I posted a quick shot I made with this film today on a thread about the Voigtlander 135;http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31362&d=1155646700
It may well be my lab's processing techniques but it required very little tweaking in PS to get a reasonable print from.
Flyfisher Tom
Well-known
Funny you should say that, I prefer XP2 for its contrast and smoother tonality compared to the Kodak alternative. Haven't tried the Fuji yet (I love neopan, so maybe I should give it a try).
This is from Kodak
IGMeanwell
Well-known
I still have a freezer full of T400CN ... so that is the film of choice for the moment
Never tried Neopan 400cn ... should look into that
Never tried Neopan 400cn ... should look into that
Burkey
Well-known
Jorge - which Kodak? I think they actually have two versions out now from what I see on BH Photo's web page. Nice tones in your example, BTW.
flashover
John K
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
Ilford XP2 is the one I prefer.
Not only because I can print it better in the wet lab but because it gives better tonality (at least for me). It can be scanned easily and i can judge the begatives better by experience than I could those with the orange base.
A lot of people that do weddings and protraiture prefer to "pull" it (i.e. expose as 200) to get better skin tonality.
I have used it in old 35mm rangefider and most of the times guesstimated exposures so a +/- 1 stop range of error can be handled easily. I think it is hard to convince a lab to push a C41 film since that would mean slowing down their workflow but if you find one.... god bless 'em!
Purple prints from minilabs are a very common problem, don't be discouraged by them. It is a lot better to scan the negatives yourself!
Not only because I can print it better in the wet lab but because it gives better tonality (at least for me). It can be scanned easily and i can judge the begatives better by experience than I could those with the orange base.
A lot of people that do weddings and protraiture prefer to "pull" it (i.e. expose as 200) to get better skin tonality.
I have used it in old 35mm rangefider and most of the times guesstimated exposures so a +/- 1 stop range of error can be handled easily. I think it is hard to convince a lab to push a C41 film since that would mean slowing down their workflow but if you find one.... god bless 'em!
Purple prints from minilabs are a very common problem, don't be discouraged by them. It is a lot better to scan the negatives yourself!
It was BW400CN
venchka
Veteran
A lot of C-41 B&W interest lately
A lot of C-41 B&W interest lately
If you saw my recent thread on C-41 processing, you know that the machine operators are the key. I don't have a favorite yet. With only 1 roll of properly processed and scanned BW400CN and my first roll of XP2 waiting to be loaded, the jury is still out.
Link to the results of my first roll of BW400CN that actually tuned out Black & White
The photos are straight from the CD. No tweaking. Perhaps I need to learn some "tweaking"? Please tell me what you all think. Am I on the right track? Sell all my gear and buy beer?
A lot of C-41 B&W interest lately
If you saw my recent thread on C-41 processing, you know that the machine operators are the key. I don't have a favorite yet. With only 1 roll of properly processed and scanned BW400CN and my first roll of XP2 waiting to be loaded, the jury is still out.
Link to the results of my first roll of BW400CN that actually tuned out Black & White
The photos are straight from the CD. No tweaking. Perhaps I need to learn some "tweaking"? Please tell me what you all think. Am I on the right track? Sell all my gear and buy beer?