Suggestions for film with good push properties

[telenous]

I would like to ask for some advice on this...I have been trying all sorts of film and I think I have now found the ones that I like best (or the ones that seem to come out better than others where I process my film). But lately I have been thinking of trying an ISO 400 film exposed as 1600 and then asking the labman to push two stops. I 've seen a series of photos taken this way by someone else and they looked great. In that case the film used was TMax 400 and yet the only time I used TMax I hated the results. My expectation in exposing a 400 film as 1600 and then pushing in the lab is that I will have the fast properties of a film like Neopan 1600 but without the grain. Am I right to expect so? If yes, which films are the ones that are more appropriate for such treatment?

As I said I am primarily interested in ISO 400 films but any suggestions on ISO 100 films are also welcome.

I 'd be grateful for any suggestions, thanks in advance.

PS These days I mostly shoot Delta 100, TriX 400, XP2 400

 

[kaiyen]

In general, you will get tighter grain pushing a slower film than shooting a faster film, but you will get more contrast, too. So the grain of TXT @ 1600 will be tighter (not nec. less, just tighter) than Neopan 1600 @ 1600, but TXT will be more contrasty. This is especially true for Delta 3200, which has very normal contrast at 1600 and only slightly contrasty at 3200 but has big, fluffly grain.

TXT is probably the most versatile film out there. EIs from 200 to 6400 no problem in various developers for different looks.

allan

 

[telenous]

Thank you Allan. I guess I will have to start shooting with various different films to see how they do. The lab I develop my film has Ilford chemicals, so I expect Ilford films to have slightly the edge over the others.

 

[kaiyen]

The fact that the chemicals are from Ilford has NOTHING to do with which film is more pushable. It has to do with the chemical makeup of the developer, not the brand. TXT pushes wonderfully in Microphen, for instance. HP5 doesn't push much past 800 in anything, in my opinion.

Some film doesn't push as well. Tell us what you're thinking and many of us will tell you how to get the most out of it.

allan

 

[AOI Photo]

The first step would be to find out exactly what chemicals the lab uses. Different films push better or worse in different developers.

 

[boarini2003]

Try pushing HP5 in Microphen, a speed increasing developer, espically ideal for that purpose. Beautiful results!

 

[wintoid]

The following are my personal experiences.

I use Ilford DDX for pushing usually. HP5 pushes very well, keeping detail in the shadows far better than anything else I've tried. Delta 400 pushes surprisingly well, although if I get a snifter of grain I don't like it. TriX is OK... the blacks are a little dense, but sometimes that contrasty look can be lovely, and the grain is beautiful. Neopan 400 has ridiculously black blacks and not much shadow detail, so I've given up on pushing it (actually I've just plain given up on it, because even at ISO200 I don't like the shadow detail).

These are a few rubbishy shots of mine taken with HP5Plus in DDX pushed to 1600

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/98629590/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/98629595/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/98629588/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/98629592/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/98629593/

HP5Plus at ISO800 in DDX is stunning too:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/141943641/

 

[telenous]

Thanks for all your replies.

Allan - I see your point. I will ask my lab to see what they use. I haven't as yet pushed any film, I have a finished roll of Delta 400 exposed as 1600. I have also in my fridge a couple of rolls of each major player in the 400 category, to see how each goes, given the developing chemicals of my lab.

I will come back with more info on what they use; then perhaps it will make better sense to ask what sort of film has good push properties.

Thanks again

 

[telenous]

Wintoid - I like very much the look of these photos. Very good shadow detail. Thank you also for the info on the contrastyness of each film/developer combo. That answers in my mind how some people get the really deep balcks they do. I 'll have to decide what I like best, and under the circumstances, that probably means I should develop myself.

 

[mike goldberg]

Re: PUSHING ISO 400 FILMS
Hi... I follow this thread with interest.
The films available to me in Jerusalem & Tel Aviv are Tmax & HP5.
They don't sell Tri-X here anymore. BTW: What's TXT?
- From what I've read above, HP5 & Microphen look like a good combo.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[telenous]

Just to say - I 've developed (in my usual lab) my first roll of Delta 400 exposed as 1600. I am not happy with the results. Nearly half the photos look underexposed. The jury is still out on whether this is down to the specific properties of the film, the kind of chemicals my lab uses or even negligence on their part.

Next on, I will try Kodak TMax 400. I have seen some exceptional results with when exposed as 1600.

 

[wintoid]

I'm surprised. My results with Delta400 @ 1600 were in DDX, like this one for example

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/92802480/

Meanwhile I've been playing with HP5 in Diafine at 1600. This one was in very low light...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/159462333/

 

[jonasv]

Delta 400 at 1600 in microphen gives me exceptional results. Sorry, no pictures, but the quality is amazing, believe me.

 

[Finder]

Push processing is simply underexpose and overdevelopment. So shadow detail is going to be lost. There really is no way around that. Push processing will never give as good results as exposing the film at its rated ISO.

I just thought I would mension this. There is no "magic" to film processing.

 

[kmack]

I just tried some Tri-X @1600 in Clayton F76+
F4 at 1/10 sec on a monopod
The setting is a coffee shop in a converted church, no overhead lighting just some table lamps sitting around.

 

[kaiyen]

TXT is Tri-X 400. TXP is Tri-X 320. TMX is tmax 100, TMY is tmax 400, TMZ is tmax 3200. PX is plus-X.

TMY in Microphen has produced great results at 1600 with Lex Jenkins at photo.net. Worth a try. Low contrast, almost TXT in Diafine-like, to be honest.

Finder's point is very important - pushing is underexposure with overdevelopment, you are not actually getting that speed out of that film. However, certain films with certain developers will:

1) give you more actual speed (maybe 2/3 of a stop from box), which means you're starting off a bit better off

2) not go super contrasty as quickly.

allan