film speed

[FrankS]

I was just wondering, when RFF members load up their cameras with B+W film for general shooting, when you don't know what to expect to be shooting, and when the film will probably not be used up for a few days, DO YOU USE 100 OR 400 SPEED FILM?

If you know what the shooting situation will be, for example interiors or city streets at night with no tripod, then of course you would pick 400 speed film. If you know you are going to the beach on a bright sunny day, or if you are in the studio using flash and a tripod, then of course you will pick 100 (or slower) speed film.

But what is your default B+W film speed for a camera you schlepp around with you day in and day out when photography is perhaps not your primary goal?

I ask this because in the past I used only medium format cameras and 400 speed film. With larger negatives there is no problem with grain when making prints. This RFF site has corrupted me into using 35mm format cameras again and I wondered about the trade-off in speed and quality when the negative size is smaller.

Thanks.

 

[Tim]

well....I use Ilford's FP4, which is 125 asa. And then sometimes find myself wishing for more speed, but personally I reckon the grain and tones on FP4 is way better than HP5. I kinda rely on my ability to run at f2 and hand hold to low speeds. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.
I guess this depends on your camera as well - with 400 asa film I've occasionally managed to get into situations where I can't stop down enough. So my decision on 125asa as a "default" is swayed by the max shutter speed of 1/1000 and aperture range of f 2-16.
Of course, YMMV.....

tim

 

[taffer]

Well, must say I love Delta 100 but for overall versatility I started using HP5+ 400 and after that switched to Fuji Neopan 400.

You may try a film/developer combo to reduce grain and still have the benefits from a medium-high speed film, you never know when your camera will end at a night club 😛

 

[Pherdinand]

Good question - i have the same dilemma.
Why do you ask only about the black and white films?
Actually, i have my yashica CC loaded with reala100, one GSN witn NPZ800 and the SLR with NPH400 (ok, these are colour negs but still the reason is the same), and the Contax with delta3200, although this one had a reason, the concert i was going to.
Nowadays i carry the GSN with iso800 everywhere i go - but the autumn is very dark here, with lots of rain; today midday the light was a weak EV9 outside, that would mean f/4 and 1/30 for iso100 - so the 3 stops of the NPZ helps here.

In the same time, summertime i did find the 400-iso film limiting since the GSN's top shutter speed is 1/500, so out on a sunny day i had to use f/11 or f/16... (time for buying ND filters?)

Oh by the way, the Rolleicord is loaded with tech pan, iso25 😀 But i have no time nor inspiration nowadays to finish even those 12 frames🙁

 

[RML]

I usually don't shoot B&W. I shoot colour but I always shoot iso400.

On occassion I might shoot a roll of Efke KB100 but I find iso100 very very limiting. Unless I have an overriding need to shoot iso100 I would shoot iso400 (or up).

 

[Pherdinand]

One more thing: usually it's better to overexpose negs than underexpose. If you really have to choose one film, you can be better off with 400-speed one or two stops overexposed than 100-speed 2 stops underexposed...
This is certainly true with colour negs, but it works even with black and whites i would say. Of course, you loose some quality on the grain size but that's not always a problem. I have 20x30 cm prints from 35mm 400-speed negs that are indiscernable in quality from the same size prints off reala100.

Finally, Ilford's XP2 C-41 BW neg should be developed in the same way no matter what iso you use (between 50 and 800). Although i dislike the iso800 results, this offers a great possibility to use speeds between 100 and 400 on the same roll and still get reasonable quality.

 

[FrankS]

I asked specifically about B+W film because that's all I shoot seriously (colour is for family snaps) and because 400 speed colour film is perfectly adequate due to the fact that the negative image is made up of dye clouds (which replace the silver halide crystals during colour development development). These exhibit far less grain than the actual discrete silver grains which form the B+W negative image.

 

[Pherdinand]

I see your point, Frank. Sorry then for my totally out-of-place comments🙂

 

[Roman]

Re: film speed

?

This RFF site has corrupted me into using 35mm format cameras again .

Thanks.

Hey, sounds like me - my Mamiya 645, my Pentacon 6 TL and Kiev 60 don't get a lot of use these days...

Since I have got the Russian RF bug, I've got plenty of cameras lying around, loaded with different kinds of B&W films, and since I usually carry at least two cameras on me at all times, I have something useable film-speed-wise, most of the time...

Right now my FED-2 is loaded with Fomapan T200 rated at 125 (though once my stock of T200 and Efke 100 is used up, I will switch back to Fomapan 100 or APX100, rated at around 80); my Zorki-6 is loaded with TMax3200 rated at 3200 (like it always is), and my BessaR is loaded with Neopan 400 rated at 800 (because even during the short daylight hours it can be quite dark right now; usually I rate the Neopan 400 at 250, or use TriX at either 250 or 800, or use Neopan 1600 at 1000).

Frank, how about using either a 400 speed film at around 200 to 250, which will give reasonably fine grain even with that film, and allow you to take pictures in most situations during the day? Or how about using XP2? I don't use it myself, but being able to mix exposures from 100 to 800 ASA on one roll DOES sound convenient...


Roman

 

[GeneW]

My normal film is iso400 stuff and only occasionally does the grain get really tough. Today's emulsions are finer grained than the iso400's I grew up on. I still shoot a lot of Tri-X but find I really like the grain of Neopan 400. I develop both in Rodinal 1:50 and they look very sharp and Rodinal is no fine-grain developer.

Having said that I've been experimenting with a few iso100 films lately. TMax100, Delta100 and Acros 100. I really like the images, but, like magic, every time I load one of these, it turns overcast and rainy for the week! I think the weather is controlled by the film I load 😀

My solution to this is to load iso100 into my Bessa and take along my Olympus XA loaded with iso400 just in case ...

Gene

 

[Pherdinand]

"I think the weather is controlled by the film I load "
Gene, would you take that techpan out of your camera please???

 

[FrankS]

I see your point, Frank. Sorry then for my totally out-of-place comments🙂

Pherdinand, I don't think your comments were in the least bit out of place. I hope my response did not make you feel that they were.

 

[back alley]

lately, i have been shooting only xp2 at 200 or 320.
i normally use a 400 speed film as my standard and often have delta 3200 rated at 1000/1600 in my camera.

as soon as i get my own scanner i most likely will drop using xp2 and start experimenting with a few that i normally don't use.

i have some fuji 100/400 in the fridge and thanks to roman, some fomapan and efke also.
i love the grain of delta 3200 and look forward to using it again.

joe

 

[FrankS]

Roman, you are right of course, one must simply have at least 2 cameras with at all times.

I do not use any of the chromogenic films like XP2 because I develope my B+W film at home. (cheaper)

 

[Roman]

Joe,
so the films did already arrive?

Frank,
I do not use them myself either, because I love to have full control over results by choice of developer and time, but they sure seem convenient...

 

[Doug]

I prefer the chromogenic B&W and have processed it at home like the other kind. I like XP2 shot at EI 250, and indeed for color I pick UC400 also shot at EI 250. I also like the look of FP4 at EI 250 in Diafine. It's helpful to fixate on one film speed, then "calibrate" your eye for exposure!

But in the past couple years for my environmental portrait project, I'm shooting Fuji NPZ800 at EI 500, as the business interiors and f/4 max aperture call for a bit more speed. If I were to use traditional B&W film for this, it would be Tri-X at EI 1200 in Diafine.

 

[back alley]

roman,

sorry, i thought i p.m.'d you with the info and my thanks.
my apologies and yes, they arrived sometime this past week.

joe

 

[GeneW]

"I think the weather is controlled by the film I load "
Gene, would you take that techpan out of your camera please???

LOL, Pherdinand! 😀

Gene

 

[doubs43]

Frank, I have three bulk loaders. They're presently loaded with Ilford Pan-F (50), Agfa APX-100 Pro (100) and Freestyle Photo's house brand D-Max (400). For every day shooting I pretty much stay with the Agfa APX-100 Pro.

I have Freestyle's house brand (Arista) 120 film in 125 and 400 speeds. The film is made by Ilford so I expect it's FP-4 and HP-5 badged as Arista. I don't see any difference between Arista and the Ilford brands anyway. Again, for every day shooting I load the 125 film.

If I lived in the Pacific Northwest where there's a lot of dreary, rainy days I'd likely use 400 film as a norm but here in sunny Georgia, 100/125 film does just fine. Even our cloudy days are pretty bright! Of course, the time of year in many parts of the country makes a difference too. In your neck of the woods I suspect that 400 film would be good for Winter most days.

Walker

 

[peter_n]

For an inside project I've been using Neopan 400 and HP5. For regular shooting I use XP2 rated at 320 now that it's fall/winter. Spring/summer I use 100/125 like FP4. Next summer I'll be using Efke KB100.