Scanning XP2 vs. 400CN

whitecat

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Has anyone had better luck scanning one over the other. I have scanned alot of XP2 Super and do like it but wonder how it compares with the other product.
Thanks
 
I've had great results with both films. I found the XP2 scans have a bit more contrast. The BW400CN has very fine grain for a 400-speed film.

Here's one taken with BW400CN:
 
Lovely shot, Nando! My experience is similar to Nando's. I've come to prefer BW400cn for the tones, especially the richer blacks and dark grays. These are BW400cn:

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Thanks Steve. Your examples are great too. I agree about the darker tones. I very much like the tonality that BW400CN gives.

I like both films but overall, I think I prefer BW400CN. I find it works wonderfully with older classic lenses that have high resolving power but lower contrast. You get really smooth tones. I also found that BW400CN is one of the easiest films to scanning. My usual black and white film is Tri-X but when I want something with finer grain with about the same speed, BW400CN is a nice option.

I find that both XP2 and BW400CN look ugly if under-exposed and with the way my particular lab processes the film, I found that I need to shoot them as low as 250 or 200 ISO to get nice negatives.

XP2, to me, looks closer to a traditional B&W film than BW400CN. When I'm in Portugal, I use XP2 because its everywhere and BW400CN is very difficult to find. Where I live in Canada, its the opposite. BW400CN is always available stores and XP2 needs to be ordered from out of town.

Here's a couple taken with XP2:




 
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