Neopan ACROS 100 for a conventional B+W emulsion. I also use a lot of Kodak TMAX400. Contrast can be controlled by changing the
exposure and development. My advice is to go for a "normal" negative, and not try to get too much contrast in the negative, since contrast can be added subsequently in digital or conventional workflows, but once shadow or highlight detail is gone, it's irretrievable.
Juan's advice to get ACROS rebranded as Legacy Pro 100 from Freestyle is spot-on. Depending on how much you buy (because of shipping) it's less than $3/roll.
XP2 Super is a good emulsion that can be sent through a color film lab. More expensive. Smooth as an ice rink before a hockey game.
There are other good choices too, but I like these.
Local contrast and sharpness are maximized by avoiding lens flare (use a hood!!!), and shooting at optimal apertures, usually f/5.6 to f/11. If you want contrast you'll also likely want to play with filters: yellow, orange, and red. I prefer a yellow-orange filter (B+W 040) for most of my landscape work.
Sand dune, Ocean Beach, Washington. 50mm Summicron-M, 040 filter, TMAX400 film (current version) developed in XTOL-Rodinal mix. The bad news: as I was advancing the film from this frame a huge bald eagle flew across this scene, came right over the top of the dune. I'll settle for the seagull but I would have loved to get the picture of the eagle!
