Ilford XP2 color cast

[thawkins]

I like using this Ilford XP2 film since it can be processed at the neighborhood mini-lab. The last roll I had processed came back with a distinctly greenish cast to all the prints. The mini-lab lady said it was a problem with the film or the camera. I disagreed and showed her some other examples of properly printed XP2 from the same lab. I suspect there is probably a setting change that has to be accomplished on their machine before the XP2 negatives are printed. Is this correct? Any of you good folks out there had any similiar experiences?? Eagerly await your replies.

Tom

 

[Nachkebia]

Hey Tom
You should tell mini-lab to print it as a black and white film and not like a color film, they have to choose pure black and white mode for scaning and printing, they usualy ask me, do you want pure black and white or with tint 😀

 

[thawkins]

Thanks, I just going out the door with the negatives and ask for a reprint. I'll tell them "pure black and white"!!

Tom

 

[Avotius]

what Vladamir said, never had a color cast with mine.

 

[gareth]

XP2 is a b&w film, and it is designed to be printed on b&w paper.
However it is a handy coincidence that it will produce a reasonable print on colour paper.
However the minilab operator will have to stop the machine and manually adjust the controls to give a neutral(ish) b&w colour print.

 

[rover]

However the minilab operator will have to stop the machine and manually adjust the controls to give a neutral(ish) b&w colour print.

Yup, when I used XP2 I always got the prints for free because they couldn't print them correctly, and I just wanted the negs for scanning anyways. I have had more success with Kodak C41 B&W stuff from labs.

 

[Nachkebia]

XP2 is a b&w film, and it is designed to be printed on b&w paper.
However it is a handy coincidence that it will produce a reasonable print on colour paper.
However the minilab operator will have to stop the machine and manually adjust the controls to give a neutral(ish) b&w colour print.

I don`t think it is necessary, My supermarket mini-lab has old kodak system, what I can see from watching there monitor, they just choose black and white nagtive while putting negative in and later choose paper glossy or matte, that`s it my photos are 100% black and white...

 

[markinlondon]

I've had green, purple and orangey tints from XP2. This has always been from high street chain processors. My local independent lab manage to print the stuff without casts.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Excellent. Nobody's saying this film is defective 😀

 

[Socke]

I have mixed results from XP2 printed in typical labs. It must be operator fault since they have to adjust for the missing orange filmbase anyways.

Kodaks BW400CN is better with typical labs, I get consistant prints with either one of the two big labs left in germany, even the 1cent 4x6 prints ordered via my local chemist.

So I use HP5 and FP4 for my normal B/W needs and sometimes Kodaks B&W C41 when I want the very low grain this offers.

Edit: I don't print wet, so I don't need a chromogenic B&W film without the orange backing.

 

[AusDLK]

As something of a traditionalist, I just cannot get used to the red cast of the Kodak BW400CN. It looks just like color negative film to me.

XP2 (which I use a lot) looks like and handles just like "real" black and white film. I have had hundreds of rolls of XP2 developed all over Europe the past two summers without a hint of problems.

I do not have prints made but I almost always have an A4 sized index print made -- and only once can I remember having to return to the lab to ask for a reprint because of something less than a neutral b&w print.

XP2 is terrific film.

 

[thawkins]

Thanks for all the replies. I just returned from the mini-lab with the new prints. They are perfect. The operator today was not the same oneas last night. I think the biggest problem with the provious operator was attitude. This was the tenth roll of XP2 I have used. To me it seems to be a better film than the Kodak counterpart. Thanks again for all the replys.

Merry Christmas to all,
Tom

 

[amateriat]

Kodak's BW400CN has an orange cast similar to its color-neg counterparts. The good part about this is that many labs will have somewhat less trouble getting a neutral print from it than from XP2. The bad part is that, unlike XP2, that orange cast makes the film all but unprintable in a typical b/w darkroom without using speacial paper etc. XP2 can be printed with relative ease in the wet darkroom. It also scans like a dream, which is why I love it and prefer it (although I'll certainly use Kodak's in a pinch).


- Barrett

 

[kvanderlaag]

As far as Minilabs go, make sure the printer is calibrated properly for the specific roll of paper in the thing. I know when we do black and whites, they really tend to show whatever negligence has been practiced in the maintenance of the machine.