Need suggestion on 120 BW

[tuanvinh2000]

I'm planning on going mostly medium format this summer. I got hooked after a roll of TMX 400 with the help from Helen Hill here.
Will use mostly with a Agfa folder/Rollei MX and shoot f8/zone focusing. I'm thinking ISO 400 will be better for speed like Arista EDU 400. Or for better grain Neopan 100.
Any other suggestions on cheap/good film are welcomed (with links).
Thinking of 20 rolls then see if i can got anything good to put together.

 

[clayne]

TMY2, Tri-X, any Ilford. Just try things out but my only solid recommendation would be Tri-X. No film will limit you.

 

[hausen]

I really like FP4+ at present. Love the way it scans. I use it in Rolleiflex 3.5F and Linhof 612.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

As long as light is reasonable it should work. The thing you need to be aware of with older lens shutter cameras, is that generally you are looking at top speeds of 1/300 or 1/500 (even slower with some of the pre war folders for instance). So loading up a roll of Delta 3200 for daylight work isn't going to fly (well, not without some filters anyway).

Sunny 16 gives you 1/500 @ f/16 for TMX400 at box speed or, being B&W neg, even 1/250 (not having shot it myself, but I'm sure that would be fine). So with some overcast or front lighting, f/8 should be very doable without filtration. Of course if you're planning to expose at an EI less than 400, or to use filters, it is even easier.

Personally I tend to prefer 100 to 25 films for slower shutters in daylight. But in Australia I can get anything from sunny 16 to heavy overcast fog (I'm in Tasmania). It means I can run any aperture from f/22 to f4 or so, even in full sun, and I like to have depth of field choices. Of course, when it gets to dusk some shots aren't doable or able to be hand held. That's the price I have to pay and I accept that, but I also don't mind using a tripod sometimes either.

If you buy online you can save quite a bit on many types of films. Some of my favourites, in no particular order, are: Ilford Pan F Plus (which I've liked at box speed or EI25, in ID-11 1:3); FP4 Plus 125; Fuji Neopan Acros 100; and Kodak TMAX 100. All these suit the speed range of the Compur shutters most of my medium format cameras use. For when I want to use my old Voigtlaender Bessa 6x9 fitted with a Prontor shutter with a 1/150 maximum speed I feed this an almost constant diet of Pan F Plus @ EI 25, for obvious reasons. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Brett

 

[tuanvinh2000]

Thanks Harrisii. Neopan 100 + ID11/D76 sounds like a good combo for the upcoming summer! I'm still shooting 35mm for night time so a little slow speed for the day + careful composition sounds good to me.

 

[matt_mcg2]

As per Hausen, I'd recommend you try the Ilford films, and FP4+ in particular. In 120 I find I get the perfect combination of smooth tones and sharpness from it, and it's very versatile. I can push it to 200 or even 250 if needed with no apparent change in tonality or grain. Also, Ilford films seem to dry flatter and cleaner than some other manufacturer's films, so it's easier to scan.

 

[Photo_Smith]

If a quality cost effective film is also needed try Fomapan which is about £2 a roll here.
Otherwise a good medium speed film like the aforementioned FP4 or Neopan will not let you down.
But if money is tight Foma make lovely films.

 

[shadowfox]

TMY2, Tri-X, any Ilford. Just try things out but my only solid recommendation would be Tri-X. No film will limit you.

That last comment is golden.
Think about what you want to do with the frames you created.
print? scan? photo-book?

If you summer has a lot of light, maybe choose 100 ISO film or slower.

 

[alienmeatsack]

I can heartily recommend the Arista films. I have had outstandingly good luck with them, both 100 and 400 speeds.

I've tried a lot of films and they are affordable and give great results so I stick to them.

 

[ZeissFan]

Kodak did a nice job with its latest version of TMax 400. I always liked TMax 100.

I'm also a big fan of Ilford's Pan F+ and FP4+, but not as big a fan of HP5, although I probably should give it another go soon.

I have a small stockpile (about 40 rolls) of Agfapan APX 100 and 400.

 

[ibcrewin]

I like Tmax 100 and Tmax400 in 120..

Also consider spoiling yourself and buy a roll or two of some Fuji Slide Film. Worth every penny.

 

[joeswe]

I would choose a film that you are familiar with in 35mm. That being said, there are some films that I like in 120 that I do not like in 35mm. Delta 400 is one of them. HP+ is also very beautiful and hassle-free in 120.
With an folder you are usually limited with the shutter speeds and aperture choice. Keep the shutter speeds as fast as possible (1/300s indicated is often closer to 1/150s in reality) and stop the lens down at least to f8, better to f11. I agree with most here that an ISO 400 film should be in order for most lighting situations. Anyhow, you will loose a bit of speed (half a stop or a stop) in bright high contrast situations when you want to pull development to get smooth tonality and retain highlight detail.

 

[Peter_Jones]

MF gives you the opportunity to run a film through for a given lighting condition and develop accordingly (I often have 36-exp 35mm films in-camera for several weeks so mixed lighting, but usually finish a 120 roll the same day)

I am a big fan of Acros, and have had good results from FP4. I've struggled a bit with faster films but my fault for using less suitable dev. My flatbed scanner doesn't help, but just bought Vuescan so that might change.

 

[whitecat]

Since the Neopan 120 is gone, I have had some good results in Tri X rated at 320 and developed in D76.

 

[tuanvinh2000]

That last comment is golden.
Think about what you want to do with the frames you created.
print? scan? photo-book?

If you summer has a lot of light, maybe choose 100 ISO film or slower.

I plan to do a photobook at the end + mostly scanning during the process.
I want a smoother look than TriX in 35mm but still prefer the 400 speed. Is Arista Edu 400 a lot more grainy than TMAX 400? I'm leaning towards Arcos 100 now for its smooth look and cheap price. I plan to be slow in shooting so no need for too much speed and plan to shoot mostly at f8-f16. Planning of using D76/ID11.

 

[tuanvinh2000]

I can heartily recommend the Arista films. I have had outstandingly good luck with them, both 100 and 400 speeds.

I've tried a lot of films and they are affordable and give great results so I stick to them.

Do you have some samples of scanned Arista 400?

 

[gsgary]

I plan to do a photobook at the end + mostly scanning during the process.
I want a smoother look than TriX in 35mm but still prefer the 400 speed. Is Arista Edu 400 a lot more grainy than TMAX 400? I'm leaning towards Arcos 100 now for its smooth look and cheap price. I plan to be slow in shooting so no need for too much speed and plan to shoot mostly at f8-f16. Planning of using D76/ID11.

Fp4 is nice

 

[sevo]

I plan to do a photobook at the end + mostly scanning during the process.
I want a smoother look than TriX in 35mm but still prefer the 400 speed. Is Arista Edu 400 a lot more grainy than TMAX 400?

Unless you use Delta 3200 or crop a lot, film grain itself is not going to be visible going from medium format to any regular photobook size and print resolution. Grain aliasing may be another matter, but as it entirely depends on your scanner (and its choice of physical resolutions) at which grain size it can occur, preventively choosing a film for fine grain could even make it worse - you'll have to test, or use a film you already know to have no issues on your scanner.

Concentrate on the tonality - what film/developer combinations are you most happy with?