Film Floozy or Faithful ?

[Beemermark]

I switch every few years between Kodak (T-max 100 and 400) & Ilford (50 & 200). Years ago I would go looking for the cheapest, newest rave. Found out that's a deep, dark hole. Other brand films come and go, or keep the same name but it's not the same film. Consistent process and using two films for the right occasion keeps me from wasting a lot of money and time getting lackluster results. Kodak and Ilford maybe aren't the cheapest, they may make slight changes every great while, but they are consistent.

 

[zuiko85]

I like a cheap date so....am willing to try ‘cheap’* film. But in my dotage just not shooting much anymore. Least ways not like my youth when I might go through a 100ft. bulk roll of Tri-X in a heavy shooting weekend. Now, a precious roll of 120 in a 6x9 (so, eight shots) is treated like gold, with tripod and notebook and consideration before I release the shutter.
If I feel especially loose I’ll load up a 35mm half frame and rattle off, oh I dunno, maybe 10 or 12 shots in a hour. Hot stuff there gramps!

*really, no such thing anymore, prices seem to go up by the week now days.

 

[mbisc]

I like consistency, so it's been TMax 100 for me since 2004. I do use TMax 400 for my Travelwide, but I don't view that as cheating 🙂

 

[retinax]

I like consistency, so it's been TMax 100 for me since 2004. I do use TMax 400 for my Travelwide, but I don't view that as cheating 🙂

Of course not. As long as it stays in the family...

 

[chipgreenberg]

Once I find materials that give me the look I want I stick with it. Over the last 25 years or so went from Velvia > Ektar 100 > Portra 400

 

[Lids]

When I shoot b&w, I pretty much use only Tri-X.

With color, I don’t discriminate. I use whatever I can scrounge up on the cheap. Provia 400 was my favorite (sniff).

 

[aizan]

a bit of both.

80%
i have the old standby's sorted out: kodak tri-x, t-max 100 and p3200; ilford hp5+ and delta 3200, kodak portra, fujifilm pro 160ns and 400h.

20%
but once in a while i like to dabble for fun: kodak pro image 100 and ektachrome 100, fujifilm provia 100f and neopan acros 100, ilford ortho plus, etc.

 

[Beemermark]

I've tried a lot of the Eastern European and Asian films (are they rebranded Eastern European??) films in the past. I would figure out a developer and process and be in love. Then I would buy another batch and it was totally different. So I gave up. 35mm in 100 ft rolls, 120 Tmax 100 or 400. when that ran out (recently) I switched back to Ilford Pan F+and HP5. While I might go years between Kodak and Ilford there is no major surprises. Maybe a little tweaking. This only applies to B&W.

 

[Freakscene]

Tried new TMAX 3200 this winter. Went through several rolls for three or so months. This film is garbage.

Really? Or did you just not give it a proper go?

At EI1000 in Xtol 1+1 it looks just like 1970s Tri-X

And at EI3200 or higher (I have gone to 25,000) in T-Max, T-Max RS (the best for pushing this film) or DDX, you can see in the dark with good tonality.

Having worked in a lab, I had to learn to make the best of everything, including insistence by clients for film + developer combinations that give inflexible tonality, hard to print negatives, or, worst of all, instructions attached to a wildly variably developed roll of some random film to "make it look like [insert name of any famous photosgrapher]".

Since the Monochrom appeared in 2012 for my own 135 work I shot Plus-X until I ran out, then Foma 200.

Marty

 

[kiemchacsu]

In Vietnam, 35 mm film used to be widely available. Not anymore, and so I'll buy whatever film I can lay my hands on.

What kind of film are you talking about?
I see that now film is really booming again in vietnam again,
send me a message, let see if i can help.

 

[raydm6]

I'm faithful to a wide range of films:
...
35mm
- Tri-X at 400/800 or 1250 with Cal's Diafine Slackers Brew. Scans are nice, can't wait to wet print some one day. MPix True B&W prints look fantastic.
...

I thought this reference was to a proprietary formula 🙂

Cal's Diafine Slackers Brew (Post 19)...

And full Diafine thread...

 

[valdas]

I like experimenting. That’s part of the game for me - maybe because I have no expectations in achieving anything in terms of artistic results, so I like very much the process and the element of unexpected when dealing with something new.

 

[raydm6]

I'm all over the place.

In the 'fridge:

• Tri-X
• Plus-X
• CHS-50
• Scala
• a few C-41's (chromogenics) lying around somewhere

Same with color... ...like trying different emulsions.

 

[Schlapp]

Kentmere 400 90%. Polypan f 10%

 

[ranger9]

Now that all my films get digitized instead of darkroom printed, I feel that a lot of the subtle distinctions I used to cherish no longer make any difference. I pick an ISO appropriate to what I plan to be shooting and buy whatever is available in that speed range. Shockin', ain't it?

 

[Moto-Uno]

Any port in the storm , (or so it appears when I look in the fridge) 🙂🙂🙂, Peter

 

[steveyork]

I shoot a lot of Fomapan 100 in bulk rolls, mainly because it's inexpensive and I like the classic look. I'm in a sunny environment, so I don't need the speed. Haven't had any QC issues with Fomapan, except for 100' of Foma 200 which was badder then bad. To be fair, I ran into a brick of Tri-X about the same time which was equally bad. Both slightly out of date, both cold stored. Being the cheap guy, I forced myself to shoot most of it, fooling around with different developers, trying to make them look less bad. Nothing really worked and I wasted a lot of time.

I do experiment with some oddball films. Currently struggling with Eastman 5234, an iso 6 copy film.

Honestly, I just should pay up and get the good stuff, something Delta 100 or FP4. Never been a big Kodak fan after the demise of plus-x, though I appreciate the flexibility of Tri-X and it looks good in Diafine. Still have a half dozen couple bricks of EFKE in the freezer. Don't know why I'm saving it.

Mostly used Rodinal and HC-110 due to self life, but in the last year or so I've tried some others -- Diafine (ok), Clayton F76 (very nice), Adox, FX9 (very nice), Fomadon LQR (yuk!). I don't like powders.

Nice to still have choices! Something the digital crowd doesn't have, unless they drop on a different lens.