Low-ISO, High-Grain B&W Film?

[gtownby]

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I like to shoot Tri-X because of the nice grain that it provides.

However, with my 1000/sec limit on my MP (and 500/sec on the Hasselblad), I find Tri-X's ISO 400 to be limiting when I'm trying to open up the lens. Yes, I could buy ND filters, but I'm wondering if there is a ISO 100 alternative to Tri-X with comparable grain and contrast.

Thanks so much!

 

[250swb]

A 100 iso film is going to have much finer grain than Tri-X so the only thing you can do to increase the grain is with the exposure and developer and generally mess it up. So an ND filter seems like a cheaper solution with far fewer variables and what if’s involved.

[TomB_tx]

After all the years spent before digital trying to minimize grain...

[Anbaric]

4 hours ago, gtownby said:

I like to shoot Tri-X because of the nice grain that it provides.

However, with my 1000/sec limit on my MP (and 500/sec on the Hasselblad), I find Tri-X's ISO 400 to be limiting when I'm trying to open up the lens. Yes, I could buy ND filters, but I'm wondering if there is a ISO 100 alternative to Tri-X with comparable grain and contrast.

Thanks so much!

Shoot Tri-X at 100. Some people rate it at 200 anyway, so there's some tolerance to overexposure. You can pull-process it by a stop or two, or a good lab will do this for you.

[frame-it]

4 hours ago, gtownby said:

I like to shoot Tri-X because of the nice grain that it provides.

However, with my 1000/sec limit on my MP (and 500/sec on the Hasselblad), I find Tri-X's ISO 400 to be limiting when I'm trying to open up the lens. Yes, I could buy ND filters, but I'm wondering if there is a ISO 100 alternative to Tri-X with comparable grain and contrast.

Thanks so much!

 

try Arista EDU Ultra 100

[gtownby]

Thanks for the help, all. If not the ND filters, I'll try that Arista EDU Ultra 100. That's exactly what I was looking for.

(Unfortunately, I'm just a box-speed shooter since the mid-1970s.)

[PCPix]

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I know you mentioned you didn’t want to use ND filters, but what about a deep yellow or red filter, which will lose you a stop or two and also bump up your contrast… Although that might not be what you’re looking for! 

[gtownby]

Yes PCPix, I use the yellow filter a lot and need to get yellow and red to fit my new Voigtlander 50mm Nokton. But with the Nokton especially, a six-stop ND is probably the best solution. But also, that Arista Ultra 100 might help across the lenses that I have spread out over the 25mm and 120 platforms. I was just over at Freestyle in Hollywood and was amazed at all the film selections there.

[Einst_Stein]

Shoot any film, develop with rigorous agitation. Try Rodinal.

Or, rate tri-x at ISO 50, develop in d76, 1+1, 7min. 

Edited November 19, 2024 by Einst_Stein