Recommended film (C41)B&W & colour

[Kris]

Here's what the adjustment curve look like. I don't know if it's helpful for you or not to show it but I will post it anyway.

 

[NoTx]

For color negative film 100-200 ISO, my choices are easy. I always use one of the following, and always like the results:

1. People / Street: Fuji NPS (160), Fuji Reala (100).

2. Portraits: Fuji NPS (160), Agfa Portrait (160, play with pushes and pulls to find your taste, up to ½ stop).

3. Landscape: Agfa Ultra (100)… no comparison.

And that’s all she wrote🙂

 

[That Guy]

Thanks for the demo, Kris. That looks better than what I got from the shop. Is this with Photoshop Pro or Elements? I actually don't have either, but need to get something. The pictures I posted were just resized in MS Paint (high tech, eh? 🙁 ). I don't have any tools for editing the images, really. I need to get something, and I'm thinking Elements would work for me, since I don't have the time or the ambition to learn Pro.

(Sorry to hi-jack your thread, Nick)

 

[Kris]

Chris, I use Photoshop 6.0 which I bought second hand for c.a. US$60. I have no ambition either to master any photo editing software. The reason why I bought PS is because most advices/tutorials on how to tweak photos use PS as photo editing program. Make it much easier to learn rather than searching for similar features in other software.

I also have this Arcsoft PhotoStudio 5 coming with my scanner. I haven't really used it yet but i'm pretty sure it has the basic features such as curve alteration, cropping and unsharp mask. If you find the price is relatively cheap, I'll install it in my computer and let you know what features there are in that software.

Also there's one feature very important for me in PS: the colour channel mixer. Used for properly converting colour photos into B&W rather than just simply desaturating. Try have a look at this recent photo critique thread:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2389458

Additional note: in that example above, the result achieved is similar to putting green filter on the lens. Therefore the pink sweater and the lips are darkened. Notice how her face also appears darker in my version, which I think also better. I like a female when she is a bit tanned (though not roasted!) rather than pale.

 

[taffer]

I think Paint Shop Pro is available as a shareware program and the last versions featured a lot of similarities with Photoshop. Another option is getting the advanced image viewer Irfanview. It's freeware, and the last version has advanced options for image resizing, level adjustment and filters.
You can find it in http://www.irfanview.com/
Good luck !
Oscar

 

[GeneW]

Re: Recommended film (C41)B&W & colour

Hi all,

Can you recommend 2 negative films for me? 🙂
Or just advise your favourites.!

...

1. Colour, max 200 ASA.
I've been using Kodak Gold 200. It's not bad, sometimes a lot grainier than I'd expect.

2. C41 B&W. I've only seen Ilford XP2 here
400 would be Ok if it's not too grainy. Haven't tried, miatakenly bought some Tmax 100 thinking it would was C41.

Thanks!! 😀

Nick

Nick, just a question. Have you considered picking up the smallish amount of equipment it takes to develop your own B&W? It's not hard to do, the equipment is inexpensive, and it opens you up to a large range of interesting films, most of which scan well (though NOT with Digital ICE).

You also have total control of the process, including pushing or pulling.

To me RF cameras and traditional B&W films are an ideal match.

My $0.02 Cdn

Gene

 

[chenick]

Re: Re: Recommended film (C41)B&W & colour

Re: Re: Recommended film (C41)B&W & colour

Is 2c Canadian worth much? 😛
I hadn't really considered my own darkroom, maybe I should... it would certainly allow more control over printing.
Unfortunately I can also see this hobby getting pretty expensive!!

I think I'll start with a slide scanner and see what goes from there!

-Nick

Nick, just a question. Have you considered picking up the smallish amount of equipment it takes to develop your own B&W? It's not hard to do, the equipment is inexpensive, and it opens you up to a large range of interesting films, most of which scan well (though NOT with Digital ICE).

You also have total control of the process, including pushing or pulling.

To me RF cameras and traditional B&W films are an ideal match.

My $0.02 Cdn

Gene

 

[GeneW]

Re: Re: Re: Recommended film (C41)B&W & colour

Re: Re: Re: Recommended film (C41)B&W & colour

Is 2c Canadian worth much? 😛
I hadn't really considered my own darkroom, maybe I should... it would certainly allow more control over printing.
Unfortunately I can also see this hobby getting pretty expensive!!

I think I'll start with a slide scanner and see what goes from there!

-Nick

Naw, 2c Cdn is not worth much. But I should add that I no longer have a full darkroom. Just a changing bag, developing tank, a few chemicals and few little doo-dads like graduated cylinders just for developing the film, not making darkroom prints. All the images from my developed negs now go through my slide scanner.

The cost per roll of developing your own B&W to the negative stage is very low, probably less than 50c per roll.

Gene

 

[Russ]

Nick, you don't have to tell the lab if you overexpose the film. Even if you did, they wouldn't do anything about it. Hardly any lab do push/pull processing of C-41.

I'm not sure if overexposing a good ISO100 film really improves the result but I've shot NPZ800 film at both ISO800 and ISO 500 for the same occasion and both developed at the same time. The later has deep black and smoother grain in the shadow area. At 800, the black area is more grainy muddy dark gray than deep black. I hope you understand what I meant.

I overexpose all of my negative films (color & B/W) by 1/3 of a stop. It insures better shadow detail and finer grain. 400 @320. 800 @ 650, and 100 @ 80.

 

[taffer]

This thread made me remember I had some XP2 negatives in a drawer somewhere that I gave for lost as the prints the lab gave me were total crap, almost no contrast, no detail, nothing. They were taken with my Zenit SLR and I remember the batteries died in the cold and I had to guess exposure and with a red filter my judgement was a complete disaster.

So after reading this I decided to gave 'em a second opportunity on my scanner, and... I think I'm going to use XP2 again... reasons are here:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php/cat/541/ppuser/25

 

[Russ]

This thread made me remember I had some XP2 negatives in a drawer somewhere that I gave for lost as the prints the lab gave me were total crap, almost no contrast, no detail, nothing. They were taken with my Zenit SLR and I remember the batteries died in the cold and I had to guess exposure and with a red filter my judgement was a complete disaster.

So after reading this I decided to gave 'em a second opportunity on my scanner, and... I think I'm going to use XP2 again... reasons are here:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php/cat/541/ppuser/25

Speaking of XP-2, which I like as a B/W C-41 emulsion, I've been using the Fuji Neopan 400CN (C-41 process) as of late. It has a bit more contrast than the XP-2. It was designed by Fuji and is made by Ilford. However, the standard Neopan 400 (traditional silver film) is beautiful!

 

[Doug]

XP2 has a long, forgiving, exposure latitude that lends flexibility in darkroom printing... but the consequence is muddy dull machine prints from the local lab. So it can be deceptive. I used Ilford Multigrade papers in the darkroom, and almost always had the contrast above normal to get some life in the print. Even easier when "processing" a scan of the neg. The film provides all the detail you might want in both shadow and highlight, and it's up to the user to pull out what he needs. That's just the way the material works, and I really like the richness I see in the results. 🙂

Oscar, you've given those old XP2 negs some new interest! I'm looking forward to your new ones.

From the above article about Neopan CN, it looks like Fuji may have tried to compromise a bit more in the contrast to get more lively machine prints. It'll be interesting to try this product to see if it gives up some/too much in the shadows and highlights, and to find out if it uses an orange mask.

Here's one from my Bessa-T, with old 35 Summicron...

 

[taffer]

XP2 has a long, forgiving, exposure latitude that lends flexibility in darkroom printing... but the consequence is muddy dull machine prints from the local lab. So it can be deceptive.

So that's the explanation for the dull prints I received from the Zenit and the surprise after scanning the negs... I recognize that long exposure latitude looks interesting so my next roll may probably be XP2, and I'll give HP5 a rest for a while... it's always good to change !

Russ, thanks for the info ! That Fuji may be worth to try too...

 

[Russ]

So that's the explanation for the dull prints I received from the Zenit and the surprise after scanning the negs... I recognize that long exposure latitude looks interesting so my next roll may probably be XP2, and I'll give HP5 a rest for a while... it's always good to change !

Russ, thanks for the info ! That Fuji may be worth to try too...

Taffer

The last time I checked, the Ilford Neopan 400CN, still was not available in the States. And the last timeI checked with Fuji, they still had no plans to offer it over here? I have mine sent over from the U.K. If we need to make a bulk order, let me know.

 

[Doug]

Russ, does the Neopan CN have an orange mask? If not, is there any faint tint to the film base?

 

[trisnadi]

For colour works I use Kodak Supra 400, good for film scanning. For BW C41, I use Kodak BW400CN ('new' version of T400CN). I like using chromogenic BW because I can use the 'ICE' feature of the film scanner. Samples of BW400CN: http://www.pbase.com/trisnadi/northjakarta

 

[taffer]

Well today I've found a surprise in the campus photo store in the shape of a 3-pack of XP2 (36 exp.) for 9,95. Not bad, not bad at all... I've also finished the roll on my Fed so I guess I'll have some environmental portraits in a couple of days.
I've also fallen in love with the Leica CL and 40 'cron I've seen in another photo store... but that's completely off-topic in this thread 😀

 

[Kat]

Has anyone heard of Fuji Pro Plus? I went to buy some film today, the nearest store I could find had limited options, they had only Kodak (Gold, CE, MAX), YKL, Fuji Superia and, a pack of 5 in plastic labeled Fuji Pro Plus. The clerks weren't too informative, when I asked for differences they just said the brands. They did inform me that the Pro Plus was for use in their studio. So I was wondering if this was a higher-end film, but funny thing was they were selling it for cheaper than the Superia.

 

[titrisol]

a) color: Fuji Superia is my favorite

b) C41 BW: Ilford XP2, rate it at 200 (or set your exposure compensation to +1)

Hi all,

Can you recommend 2 negative films for me? 🙂
Or just advise your favourites.!

Bear in mind that the photography stores here in Ireland aren't great, so nothing too rare. I've been to over 4 photography stores and none have ND filters, 100 ASA colour film etc.
Digital P&S are taking over!!

1. Colour, max 200 ASA.
I've been using Kodak Gold 200. It's not bad, sometimes a lot grainier than I'd expect.

2. C41 B&W. I've only seen Ilford XP2 here
400 would be Ok if it's not too grainy. Haven't tried, miatakenly bought some Tmax 100 thinking it would was C41.

Thanks!! 😀

Nick

 

[Russ]

The Fuji Superia X-Tra films are excellent. I prefer the Neopan 400CN for B/W chromogenic films. (Joe, I do have your 6 rolls & prints boxed, just have to get to the Post Office to send off). You Canadians, are tougher to send to. No UPS at work for Canada.

Russ