mikemgb Posted February 19, 2017 Share #1 Posted February 19, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have figured out my favourite ISO 100 film is Ilford Delta 100. Kodak T-max 100 was a very close second but the Ilford won out because it is easier to load on Paterson reels. I'm about to start testing 400 films to find the one I prefer. What is your favourite 400? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/269564-your-favourite-400/?do=findComment&comment=3216311'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 19, 2017 Posted February 19, 2017 Hi mikemgb, Take a look here Your favourite 400. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
harryzet Posted February 19, 2017 Share #2 Posted February 19, 2017 tri-x. a classic if there ever was one. hc110 1+6, 20 degree C, 2,5 min. or d-76 1:1, 12 min 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
honcho Posted February 19, 2017 Share #3 Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) I rarely use films faster than 100iso, but my preferences are fairly straightforward and are equally applicable to 400iso films if and when I would choose to use 400iso: Ilford Delta 400 for it's ease of scanning, tonal range, accutance and fine grain. Same applies to Kodak TM 400. It's been a good while since I last used Tri-X, the tonal range can sometimes appear a little too crushed for my taste but it is satisfying when the good qualities are extracted. KeithM recently posted a Tri-X image of a demolition site on 'I Like Film' with a beautiful, delicate quality to the tonal range as a perfect example of what can be done with Tr-X beyond it's more traditional use in social documentary work. That's about it. I 'm not sure what can be gained from that, if anything. I find films slower than 400iso more interesting and there are more options to experiment with. I look forward to seeing your images and your conclusions, though. Edited February 19, 2017 by honcho Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted February 19, 2017 Share #4 Posted February 19, 2017 While TriX developed in UFG or Acufine was my standby in the 1960s & 70s, with PnatomicX in UFG for quality, now I much prefer Ilford films. I mainly use PanF, and for my a-roll-now-and-then processing switched to Rodinal for its shelf life and easy mix-a-bit-and-discard use. I also really like the tonality. I also use HP5+ for 400 speed, and while Rodinal doesn't hide the grain, I still like the tones it gives with HP5+. My try with TriX these days made me move th HP5. I've even tried Delta 3200 in Rodinal, and while the result was better than I expected, I just got a developer better suited to Delta and will be trying it with Delta 100 & 400. Hopefully I'll have the time to shoot more, and if so I'll again try Acufine with replenisher to see if it's as good as I remember. Too bad UFG is gone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Henry Posted February 19, 2017 Share #5 Posted February 19, 2017 Hi Mike , the best you shoot one roll of each brand and look after each type of film. My preference : TX (deep black) HP5 (less black) and Delta 400. I don't know Fomapan Rg Henry 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
friedeye Posted February 19, 2017 Share #6 Posted February 19, 2017 TX curls - although now that I have a new scanner, I'll try it again. Love Delta - but I keep coming back to HP-5 400. I usually push it a stop and get excellent results. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobbu2 Posted February 21, 2017 Share #7 Posted February 21, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Been using TMax 400 (Tri-X before that) since the late 90s and never had any reason to switch to anything else. Fine grain, sharpness, tonality and pushability. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentShutter Posted February 21, 2017 Share #8 Posted February 21, 2017 Took me a long journey to come to the "classic itself" but I found and started loving the Kodak Tri-X 400 ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 22, 2017 Share #9 Posted February 22, 2017 I think my favourite 400 film is Delta 400. I find the grittiness of Tri-X a bit too much 1950's Magnum for my taste. Delta 400 strikes a happy medium between the oily smoothness of the chromogenic films, XP2 and BW400CN and the grain of HP5 and Tri-X. I have just loaded a 70mm cassette with Rollei 400S Panchromatic Extended IR film because that is the sole choice of film currently available in 70mm Perf. Type II. Ilford did a run two years ago of HP5 but it was over double the cost of the Rollei (€88 for 30.5M). Wilson 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted February 22, 2017 Share #10 Posted February 22, 2017 Kodak Double-X at EI 400 is very nice. TMax 400 is virtually grainless. Both scan well, which is important to me. TMax requires a lot longer fixing but that's a minor annoyance. I've shot a lot of Tri-X and have both the current version and several bulk rolls of the previous version (5063) in the freezer. But I find Tri-X overrated and hyped up. The tonality is quite poor and the grain often excessive. I accept that that makes the film useful for certain purposes but for me that prevents it from being a general-use type of film. Also, the curl is just horrible and very difficult to get rid of, which affects the scanning. Harry, 2,5min in HC-110 sounds much too short to me. tri-x. a classic if there ever was one. hc110 1+6, 20 degree C, 2,5 min. or d-76 1:1, 12 min 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted February 22, 2017 Share #11 Posted February 22, 2017 How do you shoot the 70mm perf, Wilson? I think my favourite 400 film is Delta 400. I find the grittiness of Tri-X a bit too much 1950's Magnum for my taste. Delta 400 strikes a happy medium between the oily smoothness of the chromogenic films, XP2 and BW400CN and the grain of HP5 and Tri-X. I have just loaded a 70mm cassette with Rollei 400S Panchromatic Extended IR film because that is the sole choice of film currently available in 70mm Perf. Type II. Ilford did a run two years ago of HP5 but it was over double the cost of the Rollei (€88 for 30.5M). Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 22, 2017 Share #12 Posted February 22, 2017 How do you shoot the 70mm perf, Wilson? In a Graflex Combat Graphic giant rangefinder camera. It is just going off to have a CLA but must have film in it before you run the clockwork motor drive film advance and shutter cocking system, or you will break the shutter and clockwork motor. I had put a roll of Ektachrome 64 in the camera but as that is my sole roll of this and no more being made, I wanted to keep it for future use, so have taken that out and put in a cassette of the Rollei 400S. Wilson Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/269564-your-favourite-400/?do=findComment&comment=3219065'>More sharing options...
Martin B Posted February 22, 2017 Share #13 Posted February 22, 2017 But I find Tri-X overrated and hyped up. The tonality is quite poor and the grain often excessive. I accept that that makes the film useful for certain purposes but for me that prevents it from being a general-use type of film. Exactly my observation, too. No matter which developers I was using, the actual Tri-X 400 always came out more grainy than HP5+ 400 in comparison. My favorite 400 films therefore are HP5+ 400 and Kodak T-Max 400. But I was able to push Tri-X 400 up to ISO 3600 with very good results. But in this case I used Xtol as developer to avoid excessive grain formation. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted February 22, 2017 Share #14 Posted February 22, 2017 Thank you Martin. I will have to try out HP5+ I'm intrigued by your results pushing Tri-X that high. Would you mind posting an example or two? Exactly my observation, too. No matter which developers I was using, the actual Tri-X 400 always came out more grainy than HP5+ 400 in comparison. My favorite 400 films therefore are HP5+ 400 and Kodak T-Max 400. But I was able to push Tri-X 400 up to ISO 3600 with very good results. But in this case I used Xtol as developer to avoid excessive grain formation. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemgb Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share #15 Posted February 22, 2017 Interesting seeing the different opinions, what one person loves, another hates. Of course, once I have my favourite films then I have to figure out my preferred developer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted February 22, 2017 Share #16 Posted February 22, 2017 Thank you Martin. I will have to try out HP5+ I'm intrigued by your results pushing Tri-X that high. Would you mind posting an example or two? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 22, 2017 Share #17 Posted February 22, 2017 For those who it might affect, XTOL is a very useful developer, in being hydroquinone free. I have only used this since becoming sensitised to HQ many years ago. Wilson 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemgb Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share #18 Posted February 22, 2017 Very nice, I've used Ilford Delta 3200 a couple of times recently, rating it at 1600 and 6400, these images are much better than even the 1600 version. However, so far I have only developed it in Ilfosol-3, I have Perceptol and HC-110 but I want to stick to the one developer until I'm sure I'm being consistent in my technique. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted February 22, 2017 Share #19 Posted February 22, 2017 Very nice results Martin. Seems I will have to add Xtol to my cabinet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted February 22, 2017 Share #20 Posted February 22, 2017 Now that's what I call a camera. Very impressive indeed. In a Graflex Combat Graphic giant rangefinder camera. It is just going off to have a CLA but must have film in it before you run the clockwork motor drive film advance and shutter cocking system, or you will break the shutter and clockwork motor. I had put a roll of Ektachrome 64 in the camera but as that is my sole roll of this and no more being made, I wanted to keep it for future use, so have taken that out and put in a cassette of the Rollei 400S. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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