B&W film favorite

TareqPhoto

Hey all,

I would like to ask, if you have to choose 1 or 2 B&W films for all the time, which one or 2 will you choose? for all formats [35mm up to large format]

I am sure many will favorite Tri-X, me too, but then i am not sure if i have to choose HP5+ or Acros 100 or something else[TMAX & Delta are top priority].
 

PLynch

I would choose TMAX. If I could count a paper as my 2nd I would pick Harman Direct Positive Fibre paper. I got into photography shortly before TMAX came out. It was easy for me to make the switch. I was not to set in my ways and I liked the TMAX developer.
 
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TareqPhoto

That's fine, in fact i started with TMAX films as well, and still i have them and will use them when necessary, it was nothing much easier than using TMAX film with TMAX developer and the results were always great for me, but now i am trying to give Tri-X more tests and i will use D-76/XTOL as my main dev for now.
 

spenzer

I have been using Ilford Delta 100 and 400 for years and am really happy with it. I also use the Ilford chems, and happy with those as well.
Have you used these and how do they compare to TMAX?

thanks
 
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TareqPhoto

I used Dleta 100 and 400 few times and liked the results, i was using Ilfosol 3 and TMAX developers with them until i changed to D-76 and again great results, i really prefer Ilford over Kodak films of same iso speed, i maybe prefer HP5+ over Delta 400, and i will try Microphen dev later with Ilford medium to fast speed films and see the results.
 

Ralph Javins

Good morning;

For 35mm, my old favorite was EKCo FX-32 Panatomic-X with Microdol-X. EKCo TX-400 Tri-X was my second choice, mainly for the greater range and speed it provided. I dunked it in Microdol-X also. After EKCo dropped FX-32, I went to TP-25 Technical Pan. Now that is gone also along with Microdol-X. Now I am trying XTOL as a developer and also beginning to work with Adox CMS-25 and CHS-20 with their developers. At least TX-400 is still here. With my old Honeywell-Heiland Strobonar flash, I could take a photograph out to 1000 feet with TX-400 at f/1.4 at night. I did that once, mainly to show that I could, but most often I just went out to about 250 to 300 feet.

The Adox CHS-20 slowed down to ASA 5 is what I have been using for lens testing. That way I can test a lens at f/1.4 outside in normal sunlight (a repeatable and reproduceable lighting condition) with a camera all of us can still buy.

Enjoy; Ralph, Latte Land, Washington
 
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TareqPhoto

Cool Ralph, lucky you that you had used old films in the past, most of those films i don't now about unless you mention them, i came late to the film, started to shoot just this year, so definitely a lot of films were discontinued and i have to use what is available now [and slowly few are discont. as well], so great to hear your experience

Thanks
Tareq
 

STEREOKODAK

I use T-Max 100 almost exclusively for B/W. I send it to Dr5 and he makes it into B/W slides. It's a good crisp film.
 

alan951

Hi all, I started with T-Max, used Delta. But my favorite is Efke 25 and 50 I like that old formulation.
 

jphotos

I like to try different B&W films, but I tend to use a lot of Ilford as far as tried and true goes.

I also use Efke for my SpeedGraphic--or I will, anyway, once I learn how to work it
 

Iantoz

Hi, I am new to this group but I just have to say that I like the Lucky HSD, I develop it in caffenol and I like the results. I use a Canon EOS 5 for my 35mm and a recently bought Kowa 6 for my 120, as a retired man of little means I have a lot of fun on a budget.
 

Iantoz

I have just added a scanned photo of a dragon, it was taken with a Canon EOS 5

Iantoz.
 

Silvertooth

Hi all,

I, too, am new to this group but thought I would jump in. Like Ralph, I used Kodak Technical Pan. It was by far my film of choice for years. If I wanted "high speed" film I would use AgfaPan 100 in Rodinal--grainy but beautiful. I am about to order some Adox of some sort, not sure what to get yet. Did they simply buy most of the Agfa recipes?

Aubrey
 

BradleyK

For my medium format shooting, I have been a long time PanF Plus user. In the winter months, however, I generally switch to FP4 Plus. When my present stash of both runs out, I am going to give Delta 100 a spin.

For my 35mm shooting, the bulk of my work is done with HP5 Plus/Tri-x (I use the two interchangeably); recently, though, I have begun shooting with Delta 3200.
 

Spoons

Minox 8x11: Pan F. MF: Acros 100 & Tri-X. Sheet: FP4 & Tri-X. XTOL dev works well with all these.
 
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TareqPhoto

OK, after long time i didn't post here, i came up with some favorite films of myself choice:
Acros100, TMAX400, HP5+, Pan F+ and FP4+

My favorite developers so far of what i used are: TMAX, HC-110 and Ilfosol. Later i will test XTOL, Diafine, Caffenol and maybe Pyrocat-HD if i get it and see if i will prefer one of those i didn't use yet, i have D-76, it is ok but not that favorite yet, also i have ID-11 which is same as D-76 and also Microphen which i bought for Ilford fast film specially Delta 3200.
 

lensworker

Tri-X has been my favorite for the last two years - it's all I have used.

Fuji Acros is an interesting film, though. I think it would be a good choice for making big prints (20" or larger on the long side). I have been poking at the idea of giving Acros a try for large print landscape applications, especially with my XPAN.
 

Larry L

I've been shooting the TMax films for many years. Tmax 100 in 35mm and Tmax 400 in 120 and 4X5, given I have to used TMax RS for sheet film I develop all my TMax films in the RS. My favorite film of all time was the Kodak Technical Pan film developed in Technidol. Sadly, I used my last roll this summer. Enlargement could easily go to 16 X 20 off a 35mm negative I've even cropped the negative some onto that large a print with excellent results. Just purchased two rolls of Rollei ATP 1.1; marketed as a Technical Pan replacement. Quite pricy with the associated developer - but I fear that is where we're headed in B&W films.
 

pkaren62

Here goes - my first posting on the forums!

It really depends what you want to get from your images. I use a range of films depending on what I'm trying to achieve.

For 35mm and 120, I love Ilford Pan-F Plus because of its really fine grain. It's slow, though, at ISO 50.
Ilford FP-4 is a happy medium - nice grain and faster at ISO 125 although I tend to use it rated at ISO 80.
I use HP5 if I need the extra speed.
I almost always use a tripod so I'm less sensitive to speed.

For 120 using 3 films is not an issue since I have multiple backs. For 35mm where your choice is made for 36 frames, I tend to stick with FP-4 - a nice balance of grain and speed.

For 4x5 I primarily use Tri-X because of its tonal range. I use it rated at ISO 160.
I also use FP-4 for its finer grain, generally rated at 80 but depends on the specific situation.

For printing images, perfect focus finding with Pan-F Plus is entertaining (but eminently achievable) since the grain is so fine. The others are easier.

Papers
I'm an Ilford girl through-and-through. Fibre-based. I've tried the new classic and I love it.

Good luck with your selection
Karen
 

aslan_leon

Greetings to everyone
I prefer kodak terms can be found
ilford(Hp5 and Delta) very expensive therefore I can use pan100 or pan400
neopan across 100 (ilford same price) It has excellent tonal transitions
also fomapan400 has good contrast
for 120 format tmax 100 satisfactory
nowadays all films, I'm using D76
 

riki 2.8

I love Tmax 100 for 120 format.
In my 35mm compact camera I use triX.
 
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