ISO 400 b&w film thoughts...

[squeaky_clean]

Just wanted to solicit some opinions on 400 speed black and white film. I'm sure there will be many... 🙂

I just got into a photography class where we will be shooting black and white exclusively, as we as doing our own deloping and prints. Thus far we are limited to 400 speed, and it has to be 36 exp. From my past (limited) experience I have been unimpressed with Kodak's b&w offerings, but I have not done any of my own developing. So...?

I have heard good things about Ilford, I even have a couple rolls... Just haven't shot any really.

I'm leaning towards:

Agfapan APX 400 (I can get 2 rolls and 25 sheets of agfa VC RC paper for $13)
Ilford delta or HP5
Fuji Neopan

Some I am interested in...

Foma FomaPan
Forte FortePan

Any thoughts would be great...
Thanks!
Chris

 

[dcsang]

Chris..

Tri-X

There is no need to search any further 😀

Cheers
Dave

 

[peter_n]

I use Fuji Neopan 400 developed in XTOL and highly recommend it. Many of the pictures in my gallery here were taken with that film/developer if you want to take a look at how that combo looks. Kodak Tri-X and Ilford HP5+ are also excellent films.

 

[billwheeler]

Chris,
As dcsang suggests, you couldn't go wrong with tri-x film. I also like fuji neopan and ilford hp5. FWIW, and this will differ from person to person, I normally expose tri-x at EI 320, neopan at EI 200, and hp5 at EI 400 and process the film in kodak hc110 developer. Most recently, I have been shooting tr-x film. Good luck.
Bill

 

[dcsang]

Ya, I usually expose Tri-X bang on at 400 - I guess I could "punch it up" a bit by going to 320 or even 200 but I guess it depends on our developing practices too 🙂

Currently I'm using Xtol but I'm sure it would look different in D-76 or such.

I do like HP5 as well, I just don't shoot it as much - it's more nostalgic for me because I used to use that back in public school some 28 years ago 😀

Dave

 

[JoshRoot]

I have long been a fan of Delta 400.

 

[Biggles]

I really like Neopan, because it's kinda crunchy/dirty-looking, in my hands, at least. I also like Delta 400, because it's creamy-smooth. Beautiful, well-modulated mid-tones, is how I remember the half-dozen rolls I shot of it. It looked for all the world like a 100-speed film. And Tri-X... when you get your exposure and film development right, Tri-X shows you everything. Detail in the blacks. I haven't seen that with the other ones. If you have a paper that matches it, the prints can be shockingly nice, as well as being easy to print. I mean, you'll freak. But it looks like utter shite on some modern papers.

It's very much a blondes/brunettes/redheads thing. Though it's often contrastier than I can reliably deal with in the darkroom, I reach for Neopan by default because it generally records the mood I want it to see. (Which would be a long-haired brunette in a short black dress caught eating chocolate cake without benefit of fork...)

Try a few. And don't be afraid to like them all, albeit for different reasons.

 

[VinceC]

I'll go ahead and stump for Agfa, then.

I learned my darkroom 25 years ago using Agfa film and papers while living in Germany. The 100 film was intensely fine-grained. The 400 Afga film was my mainstay, developed in Rodinal. I'm still convinced that it tolerated more cropping than HP5, Tri-X or TMax. The grain structure on Tri-X and HP-5 were possibly more pleasing, but the Afga held its own and showed less grain in the first place.

I learned to print on graded Agfa papers, and their #4 and #5 were superlative (again, this is all circa 1982 materials). I aimed for slightly thin negatives, then really punched them out with the #5 RC. The film-paper combo really preserved complex tones while hitting deep, deep blacks.

If Agfa's the most affordable deal, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. If you stick with photography, your days of Tri-X and HP-5 will eventually come, but there's no shame in Agfa.

 

[rovnguy]

Tri-X. Period.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I like HP5. It's what the high school photo teacher had us use. I still use it more than any other film.

 

[celluloidprop]

Tri-X, Neopan, HP5+ all great films. I'm ordering 100' of Tri-X tomorrow, it does everything the other two can do without any disadvantages (except for reciprocity - and then I'll just use Acros 100 for long exposures) and comes out a little cheaper.

I've also had good luck with TMax 400 developed in D76 1:1, but I prefer the texture of Tri-X (and Neopan is supposedly similar). Your lab might have been using TMax Developer (an unpopular combo, ironically) or XTol (turns TMax mushy from what I've heard) or something of that ilk.

 

[Kyle]

There's been some great advice given here. I know you didn't mention it, but if cost is an issue, then Arista EDU is a great deal. $1.99 for 36exp. I bought a few rolls, but I haven't developed them yet to see how the results are. Anyone have much experience with this?

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=&pid=1000000837

 

[kunihiko]

I have not done any of my own developing. So...?

So, you would better to experience more and see what kodak can offer.
BTW, I mostly shoot NEOPAN, because it's cheap and widely available here in Japan. It could be different where you are. You can't go wrong with any of well known brands.

 

[celluloidprop]

FYI Arista.EDU (Made in Hungary) is Fortepan and Arista.EDU Ultra is Fomapan. From what I've heard I'd avoid the Fortepan (lots of curl, soft emulsion, easy to damage), the Fomapan 100 is supposed to be excellent film and the Fomapan 400 an OK one.

 

[squeaky_clean]

Thanks for all the advice so far... I love this place!

Tri-X seems to be a reccuring theme... Maybe I should give it another go.

Might try one of those Agfa packs, just b/c they're cheap. 🙂

Cost isn't a huge issue, but I don't want to spend more than I need to get good results.

Keep it coming! I like hearing opinions and experience... Any papers anyone recommends? They have to be Varible Contrast Resin Coated...

 

[Honus]

Tri-X and Neopan

I am currently on a Tri-X binge, but I also like Neopan. I like Tri-X @ 1250 in Diafine and @ 250 in Rodinal and XTOL 1:1. Neopan I like @ 250 in XTOL 1:2.

As much as I like Tri-X, the following quote by Biggles makes Neopan hard to resist:

... I reach for Neopan by default because it generally records the mood I want it to see. (Which would be a long-haired brunette in a short black dress caught eating chocolate cake without benefit of fork...)

 

[squeaky_clean]

If only all film would do that!