Neopan 1600 - what do you do?

[Aziz]

I shoot Neopan 1600 75% of the time, in the day, night, whenever. I like to keep my shutter speeds above 1/250 and aperture small when shooting in the street; this film allows me to do that.
I get more than acceptable wet prints when shot at 1600 and developed in DD-X.
It's a great film, dare I say better than Tri-x (well for me at least).

 

[nico]

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/

thanks a lot for quoting my blog Kully 🙂!
I also remember using neopan 1600 with the slow 21 skopar in very low light condition with decent (in terms of exposure) results ... I should dig through my gallery and blog ....

ciao

 

[sepiareverb]

The Sprint film developer 1:9 does wonders with Neopan 1600.

 

[capitalK]

I used it for a wedding last summer, allowing me to easily shoot inside a dark church with a VC 21mm f/4 lens. I haven't printed any of these up yet put I plan to.

 

[samuelphoto]

The Sprint film developer 1:9 does wonders with Neopan 1600.

Interesting. Any examples to share?

 

[mcgrattan]

Heh. Everyone is in the same location. I spoke to the same rascally Robert earlier today. I buy my film elsewhere, though. It's cheaper.

 

[kramynot2000]

I use Neopan 1600 in my Nikonos V when I'm diving. Unless the visibility is very poor, I don't need a flash and the wreck pix have a great look to them.

 

[sepiareverb]

Nothing scanned. My students use Sprint and their Neopan 1600 looks fantastic.

 

[mich8261]

I tend to rate Neopan 1600 @ 1000 or occasionally at 1200 (as if that makes a difference!)...

kind of a newbie question on the above statement. If you rate it at 1000 I take that to mean you meter it at 1000, right? And then do you process it according to the box instructions at 1600?

thanks.

 

[Tom A]

kind of a newbie question on the above statement. If you rate it at 1000 I take that to mean you meter it at 1000, right? And then do you process it according to the box instructions at 1600?

thanks.

Michel, I tend to shoot with the meter or brain set at 1000 asa. Processing is done more by experience than "box info". When you get into high speed films there a multiple factors to contend with, your metering, lens choice, processing and printing skills. The trick is to buy a stash of the film - at least 5-10 rolls and shoot the hell out of it. Shoot as you intend to do and bracket exposures (at least +1 and -1 f-stop). Then process first according to the box and then start pushing (add 25% to the time) and even pulling (take off 20% of the time) and see where your style fits with the film/developer combination. Keep notes and once you got it established - you can fire away and be certain that what you want is what you get (within certain limits - one can always find new ways to screw up). It sounds tedious to do the test, but with high speed film, there are a lot of variables to contend with and in the end it will pay off.

 

[mich8261]

thanks for the thorough response Tom. I am heading to London in a little over a week and I wanted to bring some fast film. I will not have time to conduct this test prior to the trip, so I guess I will begin there by bracketing most of my shots.

 

[Ronald_H]

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

High contrast concert work when the light is poor or your lens is slowish.

Nikon FM, Neopan 1600 @ 1600 in Diafine. Tokina 80-200 f2.8

 

[Bob Michaels]

When I really need high speed film and shooting 35mm, I use Neopan 1600. If I have any options about aperture and shutter speed using and e.i. of 800, it is pushed Neopan 400. But beyond that is when I figure I really need something faster. That choice is Neopan 1600.

Then I shoot Neopan 1600 with the lens wide open and the shutter as slow as I think I have a chance hand holding. I determine what the e.i. really is by incident metering. Then I develop according. My choice is DDX. I just take whatever zones that e.i. gives me.

For me, the low light key is not to set exposure index then determine aperture and shutter speed. My choice is run out of aperture and shutter speed options first, then determine e.i. Then, you take what tones you have to get the photo.

 

[pachuco]

Now try Delta 3200 and have a blast! I've posted these before but I want to show you how cool high speed film can be. These are from Election Night this past November. Use a meter for best results if you can:

 

[Nokton48]

I have been using up (20) 36exp rolls I bought a couple of years ago at Midwest Photo. I like it so much, I bought 500' from Megaperls in Japan, while they still had it. Better get going with that, before it ages too much. Prefer it to Ilford or Kodak.

 

[notturtle]

..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

Thats due to underexposure and over development at 1600 (this film is nowhere near a real 1600). If shot at half that speed and developed more moderately, it is very graceful and completely tame. dev'd at 1600 it has a distinctive look with no shadows and bright whites, but so is any film pushed beyond its limits. Its a distinctive look, but at 800 or so it produces quite TriX looking images wtih a very balanced tonal range.

 

[MichaelW]

Both the above are Neopan 1600 rated at 1600 and processed in Diafine. The top photo was taken at night under a couple of fluoro tubes, the bottom frame was made in Hanoi with some street lights.

 

[Harry Lime]

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

Take a look out the window. It's another fun filled overcast and gloomy day in London. F16 and be there.

 

[Muggins]

Might just try that tomorrow, Harry - I'm at work and the camera and film aren't but I reckon I can afford to waste a few shots in my lousy efforts at "street" - hell, it's Oxford, there's bound to be interesting people somewhere around. Then there's a bit of time in the evening to play under lights.

A thought - I was on White Horse Hill just before sunset at the weekend, very watery winter sunshine and blue skies, and gnashing my teeth because the only B&W I had to hand was 125, so anything needing a filter was out. Has anyone tried it under sunset skies with filters, or is that just too far outside what it was designed for?

Adrian
(currently wondering how many rolls he'd get through if he tried every idea!)

 

[kully]

Wonderful 2nd shot MichaelW and that shot is great Ronald_H