Before i get into the pros and cons of this film, first, a little background about iso might be necessary. Tim layton fine art how to choose a black and white film. However, foma seems to be improving its emulsion from time to time, so it is quite possible that the situation has changed. Photographic chemicals from ilford and kodak ilford paper developer. Though the perfect combination of weather and ilford film are in our midst. While this is perfect for experienced film photographers who love having a choice, we appreciate that it can be a bit confusing for people new to film photography. What black and white film should you start out with. This is an amazing, diverse film stock that can be used in many different scenarios. I then bought a digital 35mm leica m9 rangefinder camera. Film, paper, chemistry started by thegreatgasmaskman, feb, 2020. My lovehate relationship with ilford hp5 plus 400 iso black and.
From kodaks tmax to ilford to rollei, fuji, every analogue film producer. Jan 16, 2017 what black and white film should you start out with. Even today, as film is supposedly dying, there are a huge number of black and white films available to us. This item ilford 1574577 hp5 plus, black and white print film, 35 mm, iso 400, 36 exposures pack of 3 kodak ultramax 400 color print film 36 exp. The sizes and other characteristics of the crystals determine the sensitivity, contrast, and resolution of the film. Exhibiting notably wide exposure latitude, this film responds well to use in mixed and difficult lighting and provides medium contrast for greater overall control. Eastman kodak doublex 5222 a cinematic black and white film.
A black and white film is a type of photographic film that is made to be developed into images without color. In the 1970s dupont the new owners of the adox brand sold the recipes and. Dec 04, 2018 the last film on our list of the top 10 black and white negative 35mm film stocks comes from kodak alaris kodaks trix 400. Ive used this in a 1929 kodak pocket folding camera, and a 1958 yashica yashicamat tlr. Dont know much about kodak bw films, their only bw film i use reguarly is trix, but thats a 400 speed film. Mention the name ilford to any film photographer and chances are high theyll be able to name at least one film in the brands lineup.
Kodak black and white vs kodak black and white plus c41 bw. Attached are a couple of samples that i took with the yashicamat. Kodak, for example, makes two 400 speed films tmax 400 and trix. The advantages for any chromogenic film are they have very wide range of tonal values that is far superior to digital capture, and unlike conventional black and white film, they can be easily scanned. Undeveloped 35 mm, iso 12522, black and white negative film photographic film is a strip or sheet of transparent plastic film base coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion containing microscopically small lightsensitive silver halide crystals. Black and white also dubbed monochrome film is special in that, aside from its. Film is more fun is a place where i share about whatever busted up old camera im currently shooting and tinkering with, or my meanderings in film photography. At adorama, we sell a variety of black and white films for different levels of contrast, iso, and sharpness. To simply put, iso refers to the sensitivity of the. I also really like ilford xp2 400 when i am looking for the convenience of c41 film. When scanning, this effect appears as a myriad of small black dots throughout the film.
Even though this is a 400 speed film, the grain is not very. Again, to my eyes, the ilford film had better tonality. In my long film developing career i have tried many, but used consistently about 3, first microdolx, tmax and xtol. Im a longtime film shooter and spent many an hour in the darkroom processing black and white film of all sizes and emulsionsamong my happier times. Aug 31, 2018 because as you use them, youll begin to see that your preference for black and white film is as personal to you as is your favorite cereal brand. Ilford id11 film developer is equivalent to kodak d76. Nowadays im a pretty darn happy ilford fanboy as well. They do not display development times in other makers developers and i find information hard to find at their web site. Black and white film stock comparisons comparing kodak trix, ilford hp5, and kodak tmax in a variety of lighting situations. We compare available 120 black and white and color film stocks from kodak, ilford, fujifilm, and cinestill. A comparison of all the 120 film stocks on the market. When it comes to bw, apart from trix, i stick with ilford. They change the film which affects development time. So if the usual gear shot opener is obsolete, what to do instead.
In reloads, a true value can still be found, and kodak plusx, trix, tmax 100 and tmax 400 are among the brightest stars lighting the analog sky. And thanks to brands like ilford and kodak you can enjoy an extensive range of black and. If you are looking for a black and white film that produces a nice tonal range from dark shadows to high lights and one that you can use at several speed settings this is the one. Id like to think of ilford hp5 to be the black and quite equivalent of kodak portra 400yet another film that i tend to have a. Choosing the right black and white film for your shoot depends on the genre or aesthetic that you are trying to achieve. Im pleased kodak and ilford are still producing their fine black and white films. The films mentioned are ilford hp5, ilford delta 400, kodak tmax 400. It is ideal for action, available light and general purpose photography. The results from the m9 look filmic due to the kodak ccd sensor. Analogue photography has been on the rise, and kodaks reintroduction of. Certain films and developers are meant to work together as designed by their manufacturers and if you stick to the formula, you can expect specific, consistent results. While many shooters know and love hp5 plus, a film made popular by its generous latitude and similarity to kodaks neariconstatus trix, theres another 400 speed blackandwhite ilford offering that often gets overlooked. I already use ilford papers and chemicals and i use fuji color slide film.
In the 1970s dupont the new owners of the adox brand sold the. It served as the primary film type until the 1950s and is now popular among photographers who are driven by a vintage aesthetic. Im pleased kodak and ilford are still producing their fine black and white films, lets all keep shooting them so they will continue. However, with that being said i do believe that trix 400 is a good film that will get the job done, but it does not impress me. And thanks to brands like ilford and kodak you can enjoy an extensive range of black and white films fujifilm. Comparing the most popular black and white 400 iso films. Comparing hp5 with trix to find my goto blackandwhite.
However, one of the first questions youll have to answer is. It is designed to give optimum results under most lighting conditions and when processed in a wide range of developers. Whether youre a novice to shooting black and white or a pro, you might not understand the differences between film stocks. Digital leica m9 i think when film can offer me something extra or different to digital then i get excited. Schleussner gmbh of frankfurt am main, the worlds first photographic materials manufacturer. That said, for this experiment, i used five different stocks, hc110 developer, and kodak fixer for the traditional black and white stocks and a unicolor kit for the ilford xp2 as its. To me, kodak never did black and white film really that well besides p3200 tmax. Purchase highgrade black and white films from adorama today and capture your subjects in superb negative contrast. Black and white film processing and developing is much easier process compared to working with colored film, as the chemicals required to treat its negatives are more readily available. In the 1950s it launched its revolutionary thin layer sharp black and white kb 14 and 17 films, referred to by us distributors as the german wonder film. Aug 07, 2005 in terms of fine grain, the best 100 speed bw film is ilford delta 100 in my opinion. The advantage of ilford xp2 super compared to kodak cn is it has grain similar to conventional black and white films. Because as you use them, youll begin to see that your preference for black and white film is as personal to you as is your favorite cereal brand. Coloring darkroom prints with tea, coffee, and wine.
I will post one of my pictures from my yashica a at iso 400. Adox was a german camera and film brand of fotowerke dr. Our black and white products enable the highest photographic quality, having been honed by 7 years of experience. Ilford delta 400 film profile a vintage look with modern. Nov 08, 2017 but for traditional black and white film i really like fuji acros 100 and kodak trix. The current rights to the historic adox name were obtained in 2003 by fotoimpex of berlin, germany, a company founded in 1992 to import photographic films and papers from former east europe. When you want to shoot black and white film, youre greeted by a strange and exciting array of films catering to all sorts of needs. How to choose a black and white film developer by tim layton. Kodak black and white vs kodak black and white plus c41 bw films, is there a difference. I always heard ilford hp5 had less contrast than kodak trix 400, and that ilford 3200 was meant to be shot at 1600, but i had no data to back these statements up. Assignment challenges versus the benefits of a tangible archive. Ilford fp4 vs kodak tmax 100 film i used mostly in 202014. The bigname film manufacturers such as kodak and ilford wont likely produce a film that wont perform well in d76 and i would go out on a limb and just.
May 03, 2018 we compare available 120 black and white and color film stocks from kodak, ilford, fujifilm, and cinestill. Kodak black and white vs kodak black and white plus c41. Ive never had much use for black and white film in the 100125 iso range. The highlights and shadows of kodak xtol be developer by leslie lazenby kodakss xtol film developer is my goto film developer, i think everyone has one. But for traditional black and white film i really like fuji acros 100 and kodak trix. Ilfords hp5 plus black and white negative film is a traditional and versatile panchromatic film designed for general use in a wide variety of shooting conditions. Choosing a black and white film developer is often a deeply personal decision, but not necessarily. I did not observe this phenomenon on kodak tmax 100 films though.
Oct 09, 2017 kodak trix 400 is known for its classic grain structure, great contrast with deep blacks and pure whites, while ilford hp5 plus 400 has less contrast with a subtle grain and very pleasant tones. Jan 31, 2020 comparing black and white film stocks. Panatomicx had contrast that was difficult for me to get a handle on. Kentmere film is only able in 35mm format and comes in two speeds, 100 and 400. Why i switched from kodak to ilford blackandwhite films. In my last blog post i discussed kodak black and white film, specifically kodak doublex.
Ilford hp5 plus black and white negative film iso 400 120 roll film. Both trix and hp5 have incredible exposure latitude, allowing them to retain their highlights up to 3 stops of overexposure. Mar 23, 2018 mention the name ilford to any film photographer and chances are high theyll be able to name at least one film in the brands lineup. Comparing and contrasting ilford films 7 6 share tweet. Nov 18, 2016 to some oldschool photo geeks, hp5 plus is nothing more than a pale, british imitation of the renowned american blackandwhite film, kodak trix. Ilford hp5 plus black and white film profile casual. The fun really begins though, when you start to mix and match for various. Kodak trix 400 is known for its classic grain structure, great contrast with deep blacks and pure whites, while ilford hp5. On forums and blogs everywhere we scarcely see hp5 plus mentioned without a reference to trixs alleged superiority. Consumed with intense fear that i wasnt shooting the best iso 100 black and white film, i immediately went home, jumped on amazon and bought a roll each of fuji acros 100, ilford delta 100 professional and kodak tmax 100 with the intent of doing an indepth comparison.
How do you decide what film to use, and how do you choose from the huge variety of. We are passionate about what we do with a long tradition of commitment to black and white film photography. They are at the moment probably my favourite slow black and white films. Kodak trix 400, tmax 400 and ilford hp5 plus, delta 400 at ei 25600 written by emulsive last updated on april 14, 2020. The slowest film ilford produces might also be the sharpest black and white film you can get your hands on. In terms of fine grain, the best 100 speed bw film is ilford delta 100 in my opinion.
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