so now...film choosing...

[narsuitus]

for those of you occasional film shooters, what is your poison?

I occasionally shoot the last of the film in my refrigerator.

The most recent black and white films I have purchased are ISO 100 Fomapan 120 rolls and ISO 100 Arista EDU Ultra 4x5 inch sheets.

When I routinely shot 35mm B&W film, I used ISO 400 Tri-X usually purchased in 100 foot rolls.

When I routinely shot 35mm, 120, and 220 color print film, I routinely used Kodak or Fuji portrait film.

When I routinely shot 35mm color slide film, I shot a lot of Fuji Provia and Astia and Kodak Ektachrome in 100 foot rolls.


Film Supply by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[mcfingon]

I like XP2 so much that I sometimes consider standardizing on that and processing at home because I'm 15 miles from the nearest mini-lab and maybe 60 miles from the nearest pro lab. Acros 100 on the other hand I found to be very finicky for exposure, developer, development time and possibly even the phase of the moon. Great results under perfect conditions but I'd never use it again.

Cheers,

R.

I seldom use XP2 but have been impressed with fine grain and good tones. I've found the quickest way to process at home is with Ilford LC29 developer at an unauthorized 1+9 dilution for 5 minutes at 20 degrees C, then normal black and white stop, fix and wash.

 

[brennanphotoguy]

XP2 is really cool if you want a C41 process b/w film. I liked it better than the BW400CN before they discontinued that anyways. Personally though I'm a die hard Tri-X user. I like to keep my stash over 150 rolls at all times much to my girlfriends displeasure about fridge space.

 

[giganova]

I use FP4 @125 and HP5 @800 most of the time. Same developing time in Ilford DD-X, so I can mix & match rolls.

If you don't want to develop yourself, you can send your rolls to a lab and get them developed/scanned right there. I recommend The Darkroom and North Coast, but there are others like Richard Photo Lab, Phototechlabs, and Schulman Photo Lab, to name a few. I like The Darkroom the best because they are fast and you can download the scans days before you receive the film and the scans on CD-ROM in your mail, usually on day 2 after they received the rolls of film. Plus, every developed film comes back with a prepaid envelop to send in your next batch of films.

 

[ferider]

TMAX 400 @ 400 or 800 (same development times)
HC-110 (keeps forever) 1 +31 or 1 + 63
Photographer's Formulary T5 Archival Fix

Easy and beautiful results.

Like jja my favorite is (the new) TMAX400 in HC110. Or APX100 (Rollei Retro) in Rodinal.

For both films, you can literally see the silver when looking at the negatives.

Roland.

 

[giganova]

For both films, you can literally see the silver when looking at the negatives.

Is that a good or a bad thing? 😀

 

[zuiko85]

Don't know your particular neighborhood or your budget but.....
Around here there simply is no choice as far as film developing. You send it off through the mails. So there is the considerable expense of outgoing and return postage plus the processing cost. For my budget at least, for B&W, that means processing at home. I wonder how many folks who are involved in this as a hobby can afford the cost and time of having B&W done by a remote lab.

Forgot to say, I also shoot 35mm half frame and labs often charge more for that format.

 

[mcfingon]

Where would the fun be in a remote lab?

 

[Roger Hicks]

I seldom use XP2 but have been impressed with fine grain and good tones. I've found the quickest way to process at home is with Ilford LC29 developer at an unauthorized 1+9 dilution for 5 minutes at 20 degrees C, then normal black and white stop, fix and wash.

C41 processing is quicker and gives better results. I use a Jobo CPP for temperature control.

Cheers,

R.

 

[AlexBG]

I'm trying Hp5 and Delta 400. Looking forward to the delta more than Hp5 as it sounds like what I am after with grain and sharpness.

 

[noisycheese]

...for those of you occasional film shooters, what is your poison?

Tri-X, developed in D-76 1:1 in my kitchen sink. 😀

 

[back alley]

i'm lucky that i have a lab about 5 minutes from my place...they sell some film and do 1 hour processing...it's pricey...film goes for around 10 to 12 bucks per roll depending on which you shoot and processing is about the same. so about $20ish bucks for a roll of 36 complete.

 

[giganova]

There's also a lot of community centers with fully equipped photo labs you could check out. Just bring your own chemicals!

 

[back alley]

There's also a lot of community centers with fully equipped photo labs you could check out. Just bring your own chemicals!

not so much around here anymore...

 

[John Bragg]

I'm trying Hp5 and Delta 400. Looking forward to the delta more than Hp5 as it sounds like what I am after with grain and sharpness.

Delta400 is finer grained but HP5+ is sharper and has great tones.

 

[thawkins]

Delta 100, Velvia 50 and occasionally HP5.

 

[borge]

Ilford HP5+ as an allrounder for B&W (ISO 250-3200, Xtol or HC110).

Fuji Acros 100 as a low-speed film. I absolutely love this film. Works well in Xtol and HC110. Insanely expensive!

Adox Silvermax 100. This film has so much latitude it's crazy. And it's so easy to scan. Also works well in Xtol and HC110. It's not in production any more, and I have 16 rolls left of it in the fridge.

Fuji Pro 400h / Kodak Portra 400 for general color if I want "perfection". I think I prefer Fuji Pro 400h, as it has a warmer color signature that I like.

Fuji Superia 200 or Kodak GC Ultramax 400 otherwise. I love these, and they're dirt cheap, and give great results that looks like "film" unlike Pro 400h and Portra 400 which can sometimes look a little bit too clean.

 

[Leica All Day]

i'm lucky that i have a lab about 5 minutes from my place...they sell some film and do 1 hour processing...it's pricey...film goes for around 10 to 12 bucks per roll depending on which you shoot and processing is about the same. so about $20ish bucks for a roll of 36 complete.

Wow, that sounds pricey. I haven't lived in the states for about 10 years so I'm not sure what prices are in California (San Francisco) but out here in Thailand I pay around 3.50 USD for a roll of Kodak Pro Image 100 (36 exp) and about 3.00 USD to have it developed AND scanned to CD.

I know that doesn't help you out Joe, but just letting you know there are places out in the wild where shooting developing film is still relatively 'inexpensive'

Cheers, michael

 

[back alley]

lots of changes, even here...we used to have several pro labs and we now have one...they don't process film at all!!
the local pro shop used to have 3 big fridges for film, they now have half of one fridge with film in it for sale.
we are lucky as we have a chain store that still sells and processes film and they actually do a pretty good job...lots of pros used to use them for their slide film.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Kodak Pro Image 100 , I absolutely love everything about it

"Go on . . . . "


Michael, I've never heard of this film. Is it still available in Thailand? Can't seem to find a source here in the States. Kodak made a film by that name in the late 1990's. Would be interested in trying some.

Best,
-Tim