dummbabbler
Hello,
I’m not quite as experienced as some of you, so I thought I’d ask for your advice.
Especially now in autumn and winter, when you want to get out and about without a tripod or flash, you sometimes need more than 100 ASA.
I used to use Ilford HP5 – last winter I used OrwoPan 400. They’re certainly good films, but having used Efke KB50 and KB100, I’ve now become a bit spoilt by the fine grain and sharpness that I can’t achieve with the 400 ASA films.
So here’s the question: what film should I use if I need a 200 or 400?
Can I expose the Efke 100 to the corresponding ISO rating? If so, by what factor do I need to adjust the development time (I use A49, 1+1)? Or are there other interesting films (no flat-crystal films – I haven’t had good results with them)? Is the Fomapan Classic 200 reasonably well-grained?
Question after question – but that’s what the forum is for........ B)
fotohuisrovo
Regarding the Fomapan T200:
This film works very well in the SPUR HRX processor, although the nominal sensitivity drops to 80–100 ISO, so it won’t be much help. However, it produces lovely grey tones and very fine grain.
Alternative: a compensating developer, e.g. AM74 (Amaloco), takes it up to ISO 160.
Best regards,
Fotohuis RoVo
www.FotohuisRoVo.nl
Robert Vonk
Gast
Hello!
The Fomapan T200 IS a fine-grain film (the T stands for T-grain!). My favourite 400 film is the Fuji Neopan 400, which has a finer grain than the HP5+ and also works well with the A49 – though it won’t become grainless at KB either. KB+400 film will always produce grain (depending also on the enlargement scale used). Of the conventional 400s, the NEW Kodak TriX is also said to be quite fine-grained (unlike the old one).
The Efke 100 could apparently also be pushed to 200, but as it’s already one of the coarsest 100s on the market, I’m not sure if that’s worth it....
Roman
Gast
By the way, the Orwopan 400 is identical to the HP5+!
Gast
Hi
That’s a bit of a bummer; at some point you’ll find yourself with your back against the wall.
T-Kristall films are certainly an alternative, but the ‘feel’ is different.
At some point, you have to make compromises. Either:
Depth of field (fast lens at wide aperture, or larger format)
or
Grain/resolution/grey tones (higher-speed film, or pushing)
or
more light (longer exposure and a tripod).
After that, you’ve simply reached the limit. (I like to use Tri-X and 6x6 or 6x9 for this sort of thing, but that’s just my personal compromise; everyone has to decide for themselves).
Regards
Martin
rherz
Hello,
If you’re going for a 400: Fuji Neopan 400 in A49, 1 + 1 for 12.5 minutes at 20 °C. Agitate continuously for the first minute, then tip the tank once every 30 seconds. The grain should then really only start to show beyond 20 x 30.
Best regards,
Robert
Gast
I really like using EFKE films too, but if I want something a bit more (ASA!!)
I go for the Fomapan 400. I expose it as ISO 320 and develop the film in A49 1:2 for a good 17 minutes. For me, it’s a brilliant 400 film: with fine grain, sharpness, lovely grey tones, and – just as importantly – available at a very reasonable price from our forum host. For me, it’s the all-rounder when I need or want something above 100 ISO.
Best regards,
Michael
dummbabbler
Right then, thanks a lot for the replies. So the forum isn’t quite as dead as I thought it was...
The bottom line is that, even in photography, there’s no such thing as a jack-of-all-trades.
I’ll give the Neopan 400 and the Fomapan 400 a go.
Even though the prospect of a 17-minute development time does put me off quite a bit B)
Maybe I’ll take my tripod with me every now and then after all............
Urnes
Hello,
Well, there’s also the combination of Ilford Delta 400 and SLD developer, which brings the Delta up to a true 400 ASA. But as a few others have already mentioned, at 400 ASA you simply have to make some compromises, unless you decide to use a tripod after all, in which case 100 ASA will do just fine.
As for the 400 Delta, it’s worth noting that it’s far less impressive than the HP5. And it doesn’t really matter how you develop it; I reckon you’ll always see the difference. I only realised it again recently when scanning. I mainly use it in low light for press work and presentations. In those situations, you can get more out of the Delta than out of the HP5.
Regards, Sven.
Gast
Hi,
I’ve just thought of another one:
Efke 100 can be pushed to 400 ISO using Emofin (two-bath process).
Unfortunately, I don’t have much experience with the fine grain effect, as I’ve only done this with 4x5 film. It’s not really comparable to 35mm or 120 film.
And the two-bath process has a massive influence on the gradient. My impression was exactly as the theory suggests:
The highlights become only marginally brighter than at 100 ISO (max one stop), whilst the shadows are developed to full density, so that the average speed effectively rises to 400.
So it’s suitable for high contrast. Not a misty autumn day, but bright sunshine with harsh shadows, or twilight/night with artificial lighting.
You could give it a go.
Regards
Martin
