high-contrast b&w, which lens/film combo?

[Jasper Street]

Hey guys,

I like high-contrast black and white images, and I'm wondering what 50mm lens and b&w film combination you would use on an M3 to produce them.

Sorry, there's probably a thread about it somewhere, but I searched and couldn't come up with anything so please forgive the newbie question.

 

[venchka]

You can get all the contrast you need with Photoshop & inkjet printers or variable contrast paper & filters.

Overexpose. Underdevelop. The same way Ansel Adams advised back in the Dark Ages.

What was I thinking? NOT! As someone later pointed out, I got it backwards.

Underexpose. Overdevelop. That would be PUSH processing.

 

[mfogiel]

The Planar 50 on a ISO 125 about film and developed in Rodinal will give you the "hard" look with lots of sharpness and microcontrast. The overall contrast can be adjusted as others have noted already.

Planar 50/2 ZM and Agfa Scala:

this one on Ilford Delta 100

and this on Fuji Acros

 

[blacktaped]

fantastic shots, Marek

Maurizio

 

[LChanyungco]

i shot this with a current Summicron 50mm & ADOX CHM 400. No Photoshopping except to resize 😀

 

[notturtle]

... except high contrast is achieved by UNDERexposing and OVERdeveloping and not the way Ansel advised (which was the opposite as posted higher up).

A zeiss ZM planar has good contrast, yes. A little higher than the summicron according to Sean Reids tests.

 

[Jasper Street]

The Planar 50 on a ISO 125 about film and developed in Rodinal will give you the "hard" look with lots of sharpness and microcontrast. The overall contrast can be adjusted as others have noted already.

thanks for the advice, and nice shots. I especially like the top one.

 

[Jasper Street]

i shot this with a current Summicron 50mm & ADOX CHM 400. No Photoshopping except to resize 😀

nice. thanks for posting!

 

[venchka]

Bottom line:

Any lens. Any film. Any developer. Any print media. You control contrast.

 

[shadowfox]

In the context of darkroom printing, if you want the ethereal type of high-contrast, check out Lith printing.

This thread is an excellent starting point.

 

[Jasper Street]

In the context of darkroom printing, if you want the ethereal type of high-contrast, check out Lith printing.


Excellent, I'll check it out. Many thanks!

 

[Todd.Hanz]

try Ilford XP-2, plenty of contrast I think.

of course some think Acros or PanF+ is contrasty, here's some Acros from a rollieflex with planar.

whatever floats your boat, good luck!

Todd

 

[Jasper Street]

thanks! That's what I'm looking for. I've only used t-max with my M3 so far but I'm going to do a little survey, I think.