B&W Film Tones

[h_A_Z]

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Just wondering, I have been using Ilford XP2 extensively but I don't do my own developing. Now my question is this, how come some pictures appears BLACK and WHITE while some others appear Sepia-ish and even some appears Grey-ish (not true BLACK and WHITE). Just thought I would like to ask since I cannot find anywhere for answers

[aauckland]

I assume your not doing your own printing, but use an outside develop and print service.

I believe Ilford XP2, requires special print paper, (to gain true black and white prints,) otherwise you can end up with B&W prints showing colour tones.

[tobey bilek]

Consumer labs prints black & white on color paper and attempt to neutralize the color which does not work 9 of 10 times. Others just make it sepia to camafloge the color cast.

 

If you print it on black & white paper it will not have a color cast.

 

As far as grey tones and no real black and white, that is where craftsmanship comes in and you don`t get it for consumer 4x6" print costs. The negative or the paper needs to be adjusted in contrast to fit the scene. This is why most people do their own,

 

I would not bother with black and white commercially done unless you can pay for a very expensive custom lab to do it.

[ndjambrose]

It's to do with how it's scanned.

 

XP2 has an orange mask (like as C41 film) which leaves a colour cast on the image. It can be easily and immediately removed by setting the correct compensation on the scanner. If you've had images returned from the lab that have a sepia cast then someone has neglected to do a final quality check.

 

Printed output on silver paper will appear b+w. Printed output on colour paper will also appear b+w if the scanned image is corrected to remove the mask. If you're doing it yourself then all you need is b+w adjustment layer or a correction curve in Photoshop.

[h_A_Z]

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess printing on silver paper should do the trick. At the moment I dont really have the time to actually learn or try to develop B&W. I know I will learn to do it eventually so for now it is just commercial c41 B&W for me

[richam]

XP2 has an orange mask (like as C41 film) which leaves a colour cast on the image.

 

:confused:When did this happen? Last time I tried XP2, it had a clear to pinkish base as described in Ilfoford's XP2 Spec Sheet. The scans I got back from the lab had a sepia cast nonetheless. Kodak B&W C-41 had an orange base like color negative films.

[Michael Hiles]

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:confused:When did this happen? Last time I tried XP2, it had a clear to pinkish base as described in Ilfoford's XP2 Spec Sheet. The scans I got back from the lab had a sepia cast nonetheless. Kodak B&W C-41 had an orange base like color negative films.

 

XP2 does not have an orange mask. The Kodak version does, because Kodak expects that most prints will be made on colour paper, and the paper and machinery expects an orange mask as is the case on its colour negative films. Neil is right about the Kodak film, but not about XP2.

 

Scans of XP2 can have a colour cast if the scanner is set to "colour negative" and "colour" output. There are some advantages to using "colour negative" input but the output should always be "Gray scale" with either XP2 or the Kodak version. If the scanner is set to "monochrome negative" and "gray scale" output there will be no colour cast.

 

Printed on normal B&W silver paper there are never any colour casts from XP2. There is no special paper for XP2. On colour paper in a commercial machine, rarely have I seen good prints from XP2 - the technician usually does not know how to deal with it (the machine is set up for colour or the Kodak film with the orange mask) and has no time to learn.

 

There is almost never a reason to home develop XP2 negatives - you need a C41 kit. Any reasonably competent local shop that still caters to retail film users will have a C41 machine that will do a first class job.

[ndjambrose]

XP2 does not have an orange mask....

 

 

Quite right. Sorry for the confusion. I've been using a lot of the Kodak stuff lately and it influenced my answer.

[fotohuis]

XP2 super is designed for making prints on classical B&W photo paper were the Kodak T400CN version (with orange mask) is for RA-4 prints in the mini lab.

They are all chromogene C41 films, so for a standard C41 processing.

 

Best E.I. for these iso 400 films is around iso 250.

[Michael Hiles]

Best E.I. for these iso 400 films is around iso 250.

 

Same experience. I use 200 E.I. - it gives rich shadows with good reproduction of details, and no highlight blowout.

[tobey bilek]

Ilford XP2 does NOT have a mask. Kodak version of the product has a mask.

[Doug A]

Best E.I. for these iso 400 films is around iso 250.

I'm going to give this a try. So far I've been happier with my Tri-X scans than with the BW400CN, but I'd like to continue using the C-41 film in the summer when the tap water here is 80ºF.

 

--Doug