XP2 vs desaturated color neg film?

[HuubL]

Why are people still using XP2? Is there an advantage of scanned XP2 over color negative film if you can desaturate the scanned color neg?

 

[Sparrow]

a visionary commitment, and a creative constraint in my case

PS and an ability to cling on to highlights after all else has failed

 

[taxi38]

Why are people still using XP2? Is there an advantage of scanned XP2 over color negative film if you can desaturate the scanned color neg?

HONESTY......

 

[Gaspar]

I thinks XP2 looks slighly better then converted colour....

 

[HuubL]

HONESTY......

Explain...

 

[Rogrund]

I prefer BW400CN over XP2... 🙂

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I do prefer BW400CN, but, converted color film looks pretty good, too.

 

[mfogiel]

The answer is simple:
1) XP2 has one light sensitive layer, colour negs have three, hence single layer is sharper
2) I don't know exactly why, but the tonality from the desaturated colour film never matches that of a B&W emulsion - even that of XP2
BTW
XP2 or BW400CN are great films for portraiture, but they suck big time for other things, and since you have to expose them at EI 200 anyway, just get some Tri X, shoot it at EI 200 and develop yourself in D 76, for less hassle, less cost, and unscratched, sharper and tonally vastly superior negatives. Period.

 

[Nando]

I think that one can get some nice tonality from C41 colour to b&w if you put some work and thought into it. This one was taken with Fuji 400 NPH coverted to B&W in Photoshop.



I shoot mostly with Tri-X now but sometimes I go to a C-41 film for convenience. Also, for fine-grain, convenient speed and great scanning, I find that Kodak BW400CN is hard to beat. I great film to pair with older Leitz lenses that have high resolving power but have lower edge contrast. I love it with my 35f2.8 Summaron.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

"XP2 has one light sensitive layer, colour negs have three, hence single layer is sharper"

That's not true. XP2 still has multiple layers, but all of them are sensitive to all colors, unlike color film.

 

[daveywaugh]

I'll also vote for 400CN - IMO it's grain is much finer, rendering is 'smoother' and it just seems easier to work with (scan) than colour converted to B&W. I seem to still have more latitude. I know conventional wisdom would say use colour and convert, but I have never quite achieved the results like 400CN. And it's also why I don't even shoot 'real' B&W anymore. In a hybrid environment, 400CN and XP2 both give superior results IMO.

 

[daveywaugh]

Gee Nando - stunning image BTW. Maybe colour does convert as well 🙂

 

[Nando]

Thanks David. 🙂

 

[rogue_designer]

You can use BW filters (yellow, red, etc.) with BW400CN or XP2 with less issues than doing the same with color neg film and desaturating.

Also, I find that I think differently about my subjects when I know I have BW film in the camera.

 

[Nando]

You can use BW filters (yellow, red, etc.) with BW400CN or XP2 with less issues than doing the same with color neg film and desaturating.

I almost always use a yellow filter with my 50mm Summitar and I find it works the same way with BW400CN or XP2 as it does with any traditional B&W film. I never tried using such a filter with a C-41 colour film that I intend to convert to B&W in photoshop. That would be something I should try.