plasticman Posted May 31, 2007 Share #1 Posted May 31, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Apologies for the big no-no word 'best' in the title - i know, i know - these things are all subjective etc - but which film has (in your opinion - or possibly even in strictly scientific terms) the best tonal range? Saw some slightly reduced price Ilford Delta 100 Pro yesterday - and not really knowing my a*s from my elbow i impulsively bought ten rolls, only to get back to my computer and find that some people say it's a film with rather harsh contrast, while others claim it has good tonal range... So to avoid the same sorts of mistakes again, please just tell me what i should buy - and save me from filling my refridgerator with film i never use... Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 31, 2007 Posted May 31, 2007 Hi plasticman, Take a look here b&w film with best tonality?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stunsworth Posted May 31, 2007 Share #2 Posted May 31, 2007 Difficult to say Mani as one person's best is another person's poor - you knew someone was going to say that didn't you <grin>. At the speed your using I'd try Ilford FP4. I used a lot of this film and it's my film of choice at this speed. XP2 also possibly has what you are looking for, but I've never really got on with this film. It's very smooth with very little grain, but I always found the negatives lacked 'bite', if anything looking too smooth. Your opinion may differ, so it's worth trying a roll to find out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin Posted May 31, 2007 Share #3 Posted May 31, 2007 Agfa APX 100 dev. in Rodinal 1+50 and printed on new foma multigrade Baryt paper Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share #4 Posted May 31, 2007 Thanks for the tips. Couple of extra points: - because the long-term (and probably totally unrealistic) plan is to develop and print in a traditional darkroom, I need conventional b&w film recomendations, rather than monochrome color films; - is Lupus Imaging actually producing and distributing these Agfa films? I certainly haven't seen them anywhere here in Stockholm - but then I haven't really known what to look for, to be honest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
strick Posted May 31, 2007 Share #5 Posted May 31, 2007 Delta 100 is no bad choice for getting good or even very good tonal range (don' forget its sharpness and resolution!). Try it. Less good in contrast and resolution, but champs in tonal range are Kodak Tri-X, Plus-X and Ilford HP5. FP4 is recommendable, too, balancing contrast and tonal range smoothly. Finally, its all a matter of taste. Best, Greg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share #6 Posted May 31, 2007 Delta 100 is no bad choice for getting good or even very good tonal range (don' forget its sharpness and resolution!). Try it. Thanks Greg! Now i have 10 rolls of it I'm gonna have to! I've gotta say it's really interesting trying a range of films - i'm really looking forward to working through some of the films sold by Freestylephoto. (though Swedish customs always slam me for a big extra fee (plus a fine) whenever i import anything from the States). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 31, 2007 Share #7 Posted May 31, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Mani, you can get some of those films from within the UK from Retro Photographic in the UK - welcome to retro ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share #8 Posted May 31, 2007 Mani, you can get some of those films from within the UK from Retro Photographic in the UK - welcome to retro ! Wow! Excellent! Thanks (again) Steve!! As usual, the supreme fount of all knowledge that is the Leica Forum comes through! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodor Heinrichsohn Posted May 31, 2007 Share #9 Posted May 31, 2007 Mani, Here my 2 cents worth. I used to use Kodach Tech Pan developed in Tetenal Neofin Doku and Fuji Acros with a Tetenal developer. After Tech Pan was discontinued, I have started to use Spur Orthopan UR and Spur Nanospeed UR developer ( 16-20 IS0, solution 1+24, 5-6 minutes, 20 degrees centigrade) as well as Delta 100 and Acros in Spur SD 2525. Delta 100 exposed at 80 ISO, developed in 1+19 concentration for 5 minutes. Acros exposed at 80 ISO, developed in 1+24 for 6 minutes. Both films in steel 250ccm tank at 20 centigrade, first 2x inversion of tank, after that once every 30 seconds. Results in beta value of about 0.6. Enlarger Leiz Focomat II c, various Papers. Spur developers and Spur Orthopan at : Dipl.-Ing. H. Schain + Partner, Johann-Haack Str. 2, D-52379 Langerwehe. Tel ..49 (0)2423-6198, Fax ..49 (0)2423-406980 e-mail schain@spur-photo.com Ask for data sheets for Spur Orthopan UR + Spur Nanospeed and also Spur SD 2525 for details and instructions for use. Try it out for yourself and see, whether you are satisfied. Teddy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photoskeptic Posted May 31, 2007 Share #10 Posted May 31, 2007 Another vote for Delta 100. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Metroman Posted May 31, 2007 Share #11 Posted May 31, 2007 Ilford XP2 for convenience. Rollei Retro 100 or 400 in Rodinal for enjoyment. Netherlands - Fotohuis RoVo Germany - Photoimpex Photoimpex in the UK They also sell Adox. I have some Adoox CHS 25 and ADOX APH09 to dev with but I am still waiting for something called the sun! Have fun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted May 31, 2007 Seems like way more than 2 cent's worth actually Theodor! It's a pity that we don't have a Sticky thread that collects excellent advice like this: people's favorite films and how they process and/or print them. Could be a really encyclopaedic collection of knowledge and experience. Also in Steve's recommended site I must say I like the look of those Eastern European films - anyone tried the ADOX/Efke 25 or 50? Looks like they need special treatment, so they'll definitely have to wait for me to find a darkroom, but when i came back to film one of my initial disappointments was that everything slow seemed pretty much to have disappeared - good to see that isn't true! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share #13 Posted May 31, 2007 Andy - please don't give me links like that German Photimpex site - because then i get to see cameras like that Fotoman 6-12 Panorama! Definitely not safe for work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Metroman Posted May 31, 2007 Share #14 Posted May 31, 2007 I know what you mean I get itchy palms everytime I go there...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
usefeet Posted June 2, 2007 Share #15 Posted June 2, 2007 Delta 100 is a very good film, particularly if you like contrast. One of my favourite films. Like most things, you should try it. As a modern performance film, exposure latitude is narrower than "older" films but accutance is higher. -w Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrogers Posted June 3, 2007 Share #16 Posted June 3, 2007 I like delta 100 quite a bit, and develop it in Xtol. Very fine but sharp grain, yes contrasty, but nice tonality too. A great 35mm landscape film. Enjoy your bargain! --clyde Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.Morrison Posted June 3, 2007 Share #17 Posted June 3, 2007 I must agree with Gregor for his choice of films. I find Kodak PlusX very useful because of its great latitude; I've even taken successful night shots with it at about f4 and 1/15th sec. Yours, Robert Morrison, M4-P, etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted June 3, 2007 Author Share #18 Posted June 3, 2007 Thanks for all the help guys! Glad to hear i didn't totally mess up by choosing the Delta100! As i said, there's a whole world of b&w film out there waiting for me (in spite of what the boring doomsayers would have us believe!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted June 3, 2007 Share #19 Posted June 3, 2007 The choice of films with good tonal range is wide and all of he films above will produce excellent tonal ranges in the right hands. Pick the film you want for your preferred image characteristics and shooting style - hand held/tripod/wide open/filters etc..etc. Then control the tonal range with exposure and development. It's especially difficult if you're using a 35mm as a snapshot camera, but if you use a whole film on a subject, or subject with similar lighting conditions, you can then really make the film 'sing' for you. For quality from 35mm, it's really important that you don't end up with a neg that has just 3 zones of tonal range, when you really wanted 8. If you only want 3, that's fine, but it ain't a full range. Don't want to be complicated, but an understanding of the Zone System, and the concept of exposing +/- and pushing/pulling development is very helpful. , if not essential for top results. See my landscape images on this forum to see how I've managed some quite nice skies and shadows with full detail using this approach. A 50/100 iso medium speed film will give you the capability to do this. Rolo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted June 3, 2007 Author Share #20 Posted June 3, 2007 Thanks for the detailed response Rolo - and some really impressive landscapes on the Photo Forum. I'm at the early stages of coming back to film right now, so still no darkroom of my own - but the hope is there that i'll find the time and make the effort to do it. When i finally get there i'll be using the wealth of information flowing on these threads. I've always been an admirer of Ansel Adams, and tend to use a primitive version of the zone system by metering areas of a scene that i feel are mid-gray - but i've already seen the limitations that a wider metering involve: somewhere i saw a good recommendation for a spot-meter (was it on Marc Anthony's blog?), and i've been thinking that this might help when the subject demands more careful assessment. Anyone have any good ideas? (before i go off searching for myself, that is) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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