XP2 vs. color-neg?

[celluloidprop]

Is there any advantage to using XP2 (for scanning, no access to a darkroom currently) vs. any other color-neg and reversing in Photoshop?

 

[Stephan]

Greater latitude for a start I guess... Personally I prefer the Kodak c41 BW though, xp2 tends to really block out dark areas it seems.

 

[DwF]

To the extent that for me, I did my best B&W when shooting silver or XP2. I really fet that I learned to see B&W through the camera (and color was no part of it). I would say that is reason enough.....but I am corrupt these days (and lazy to soup negs)and currently shooting Fuji 800 with the idea of reversing in PS. This allows me to shoot at 800 instead of XP2 at 200. I do end up keeping images in color when I do this and it becomes an exception to reverse..... so just my two cents.

 

[markinlondon]

I think the supposed advantage of XP2 is that you can also print traditionally, so you can get that hand-made fibre print as well as scanning it easily. I never found it quite lived up to the "best of both worlds" idea and abandoned it a few years ago in favour of traditional emulsions. It can look nice but still has that "desturated" look to it, that digitalesque smoothness.

So, if you're only planning to scan why not just desaturate colour? Isn't that effectively what XP2 is, colour film with the colours missing?

Mark

(Turning into a bit of a silver purist)

 

[celluloidprop]

I hadn't read good things about the Kodak C-41 (mostly about the orange base, but since I won't be printing trad. for a while that's kind of irrelevant). I'll have to give that a whirl if I stick with them.

So, if you're only planning to scan why not just desaturate colour?

That's mostly what I was thinking, but couldn't decide if I was unaware of anything particular (tonality, latitude and such).