Neopan 1600 - what do you do?

Muggins

Muggins

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I've just succumbed to the lure of a roll of Neopan 1600 in our local Snappy Snaps (staffed by two rangefinder shooters...), and suddenly realised that I bought this stuff and I haven't a clue what you'd use a film that fast for - what a twit!

So... What do you use it for, and what should I do with it? Current first guess is Highgate Cemetery, mausolea and the like, but beyond that...

Adrian
 
I just got my first roll back and love it. Exposed at 1600, shop-developed.

Great for in-door people shots in almost dark - but as I said, I am a total novice with it.

477753911_fK2Bv-L.jpg


Roland.
 
well...when the sun goes down, the iso has to go up. low light situations are the reason that fast films were developed. if you don't shoot low light scenes, there's really no reason to shoot neopan 1600.
 
I love the stuff - depending on what camera you're using, you'll be using it for different things. A camera with a max shutter-speed over 1/2000 means you can use it during the day (lovely grain and nice contrast). On something like a Leica, it's a wonderful low-light (read: night/interiors) film.

Along with Fuji Pro 800Z it's my staple evening film (although the Natura 1600 I'm trying at the moment may replace the 800Z).

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I tend to rate Neopan 1600 @ 1000 or occasionally at 1200 (as if that makes a difference!). It is one of my favorites for low light, hand held stuff, but also for massive depth of field with lenses like the 21/18/15/12 mm.
At the moment I have been playing around with NP 1600 and stand developing in Rodinal. There is a bunch of try's on my Flickr site - with times and additional info (like running it with Sodium Sulphite).
I did pick up 200 rolls of it last fall and thought that I should use it up before it goes bad. I find that it works well for about a year after expiry date, but after that it can get some fog. I much prefer it to Delta 3200 and Kodak's T Speed Tmax 3200. It is less finicky and can be pulled or pushed from the 1000asa without major problem. Most of these "hi-speed" films are nominally around 1000 asa anyway.
 
Oh dear, not doing very well, am I? Not only do I ask a silly question, but my search before I posted missed a whole thread on the subject :eek:

My fastest glass is only about f1.8, on an OM10 so 1/1000 top speed. I can do 1/2000 with the Nikon F3, but I think the fastest glass for that is f2.8. I may well wander out and just play with the meter settings on one or the other with it set to 1600 (I think it's probably safer to shoot "by the box" first time), and see what look like sensible limits first. Sounds like I could have done with it when I was in Dundee in October, and it was dreich!

On my older cameras, might be worth a try in a Werra with a 1/750 shutter speed, I guess, other than that I don't think I go above an alleged 1/500. On the other hand, with slower glass... Dear me, don't like this thought business!

Only one thing to do... experiment!

Thanks for the hints,

Adrian

PS Nice catchlights on the glasses, Roland.
 
That's pretty much the plan now - or at least wander round and see how the meter and speeds look while I find something good to experiment on. Then shoot some pics.

Repeat 100 times... I must not impulse buy!

Adrian
 
Hallo Muggins, f/1.8 is fast enough!

I rate it at EI1600 for reflected and EI1250 with my incident meter and dev it in DD-X 1:4 for 5 minutes at 20C (as the box says). I tried D76, XTOL, HC-110 and diafine but DD-X was the best for me (scanning and enlarging).

Of course, everyone meters differently and, indeed, has different meters so play around as see what you get.

It has a nice contrasty-but-not-too-contrasty look to it and the grain is not 'ugly' as I find in Delta3200.





 
Ah, for another use. 'nico' from these forums liked to use this at 1600 in his Bessa L with 21/4 so he could just slap the aperture at f/22 and have good shutter speed and everything in focus during the day. His blog is here: http://fotonico237.blogspot.com/
 
Nice shots, gents, lots of ideas brewing!

Kully, I'm typing this about 400 yards from your pic number 3.

Adrian
 
use it for anything! Grain is little worse than Hp5+ and it is about double the speed. I tend to rate it at 800 in DDX or similar and find that works nicely. I think it is noticeably slower than delta 3200 (true speed of Neopan 1600 is probably about 640, maybe 800, with Delta 3200 being about 1200). The delta has sharper, larger grain.

I have used it mainly to shoot pics of my children and largely used delta 3200 where I need a real hike in speed. I find that Neopan at 1600 is very contrasty and significantly underexposed even in fast devs like DDX. Its good stuff and I have some nice low light portraits from it.
 
I love Neopan 1600 for street photography, especially in winter, and available light of course, but it also performs well in daylight. it is very contrasty so abtract work and expressive portraits both work too. it is a very fine piece of film in my eyes.

check it out
 
kully said:
Small world, and you bought it from the rascal Robert in Snappy Snaps on the High St?
Click to expand...

Ah, so that's his name! Of course, he knows mine from the slips on the envelopes...

It's not on the High Street, but Cornmarket Street serves the same prupose as an ordinary High Street would, so yes, we're talking the same place.

Adrian
 
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