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Best B&W film for studio work??


Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS

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It really depends on what look you want to achieve, Neil. Generally a fine grain / slow speed film will give you something more akin to what you expect from digital (although there are exceptions to this, such as TMax 400 - Which effectively presents fine grain in a higher speed film).

Delta 100 is a good film for this, although I personally prefer Neopan Acros 100.

If you want a film that really plays the light (and shadows), Tri-X remains my favourite (with noted caveat to all old timers that it ain't what it used to be...).

I suggest that you look at examples of each (Flickr pages, "I like Film..." Thread etc), and see how each handles highlights, shadows, and mid-tones, then figure what you want to try. Then play with the ambient and flash lighting to achieve it.

I also suggest that you step outside of this to vary it up, so that you can see what is possible.

Edited by EoinC
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Neil , some pictures with TX400 ,as said Eoin, in this link , to show you "pores skin" and "soft" edges and lines,

well reproduced by film versus MM with "smoothing" skin and "cutting" edges and lines

(translated by google, normally in french) 

https://translate.google.fr/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=fr&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.summilux.net%2Fforums%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ff%3D10%26t%3D51356&edit-text=

You have pictures in HD and big size under each picture

Best

H.

original link :

http://www.summilux.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=51356

Edited by Doc Henry
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Neil - the great thing about film is that there teally is no right answer. There are many brilliant choices and each givrs a slightly different look.

There are two basic questions:

Do you want grain, and if yes how much?

Do you want more contrast or less contrast?

 

 

I would suggest that you look into what film stocks Jan Scholz uses. After seeing what he does in natural light you might just be sold on the isea of using only natural light, which would increase your film choices infinitely.

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You don't say what you are shooting in your studio with your strobes. I assume female skin?

If so you probably want a reliably contrasty film such as Tri-X....the old choice of champions for "glamour" portraiture.... 

it prints lovely in high key thus giving every girl's complexion, no matter what her age, a glowing film star quality.  

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As the title says what do you guys feel is the best B&W film for studio work with strobes? I planning on using Ilford 100 professional

 

Why don't you try different films and find out which you prefer for yourself? Questions such as this are largely pointless here and you are getting replies from people who have probably never seen the inside of a studio anyway.

 

Fyi, when I did run a commercial studio, my standard pre chromogenic silver halide film stock was Ilford FP4 and later Kodak 400CN.

 

Make of that what you will, but your time will be better spent experimenting and learning for yourself instead of constantly asking what is 'best'.

Edited by honcho
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Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS

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Why don't you try different films and find out which you prefer for yourself? Questions such as this are largely pointless here and you are getting replies from people who have probably never seen the inside of a studio anyway.

 

Fyi, when I did run a commercial studio, my standard pre chromogenic silver halide film stock was Ilford FP4 and later Kodak 400CN.

 

Make of that what you will, but your time will be better spent experimenting and learning for yourself instead of constantly asking what is 'best'.

Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir, I asked the question because I like asking questions...............if you don't like answering questions like this then I suggest you do just that and ignore it ......Thanks

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Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS

You don't say what you are shooting in your studio with your strobes. I assume female skin?

If so you probably want a reliably contrasty film such as Tri-X....the old choice of champions for "glamour" portraiture.... 

it prints lovely in high key thus giving every girl's complexion, no matter what her age, a glowing film star quality.  

Dee we are actually going to try and mimic this picture: so basically full body shots.

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Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir, I asked the question because I like asking questions...............if you don't like answering questions like this then I suggest you do just that and ignore it ......Thanks

 

 I answered your question because my  studio film choice is 'best' .  There's gratitude for you! :D

Edited by honcho
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Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS

 I answered your question because my  studio film choice is 'best' .  There's gratitude for you! :D

I do appreciate your film choice recommendations............I didn't appreciate the rest of the BS that came with it.

I will ask my supplier in KL if he has such film:)

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You can develop almost every BW-film from very soft- or to very hard contrasts, some developers will push up the grain, some don´t , but you can´t chnage a

native more grainy film to a very fine grain film. So if you want to have sharp, fine grain pictures, get a delta 100, a Tmax 100 or a ACROS 100.

Correctly exposed and developed in a well tested standard- developer they will deliver technical high quality.

In the studio you can control contrast and soft/ hard lighting with your strobes and softboxes, etc. more than by choosing a different film brand.

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How sweet and how beautiful film photos  really

How beautiful this skin finely grainy :)

... we feel that the photo has a soul when watching

 

I'll have to try the 135 in Fomapan
I do not know what Neil thinks ....

 

... with Hasselblad (color and b&w) and M6 (b&w)

 

https://mrleica.com/2015/11/21/hasselblad-fashion-portraits/

https://mrleica.com/2016/03/13/leica-m6-vs-hasselblad501c/

 

Neil's question : best b&w ?

Fomapan , Kodak TX ?

 

Not bad eithe with Kodak and MP :)

http://blog.ricecracker.net/category/film/

Rg

H

Edited by Doc Henry
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You can develop almost every BW-film from very soft- or to very hard contrasts, some developers will push up the grain, some don´t , but you can´t chnage a

native more grainy film to a very fine grain film. So if you want to have sharp, fine grain pictures, get a delta 100, a Tmax 100 or a ACROS 100.

Correctly exposed and developed in a well tested standard- developer they will deliver technical high quality.

In the studio you can control contrast and soft/ hard lighting with your strobes and softboxes, etc. more than by choosing a different film brand.

This is fine advice for someone who is an experienced developer and printer, or for someone who is interested in the knowledge

But my sense is that Neil is interested in hearing views on the rendition and performance of various B&W films at more or less box speed and developed in whatever chemicals his lab uses (at least until he gets farther up the learning curve and figures out how to develop himself at a pro level and push and expand/contract film to manipulate its rendering).

Edited by A miller
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BBG will have FP4, Neil. 400CN is discontinued (It's a C41 B&W film).

There are still some remaining stocks of 35mm BW400CN around and it's worth searching for. At this stage of the OP's game, C41 emulsion would probably be more useful for studio work.

Edited by honcho
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Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS

This is fine advice for someone who is an experienced developer and printer, or for someone who is interested in the knowledge

But my sense is that Neil is interested in hearing views on the rendition and performance of various B&W films at more or less box speed and developed in whatever chemicals his lab uses (at least until he gets farther up the learning curve and figures out how to develop himself at a pro level and push and expand/contract film to manipulate its rendering).

you hit it on the nail Adam. All that other BS might as well be written in Chinese. I'm still memerised about all this film lark, but enjoying the hell out of it
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