Best B&W Film for Tonal Separations

[dinofilm]

Hello - I'm looking for some help on which B&W films give the best tonal separations. I am willing to trade off grain, accutance, speed, etc...to get the best tonal values. I am shooting both 35mm and 120. I know slower films have more contrast but does this then mean that they have less tonal separation? I have also heard that the tabular grain films (Delta and Tmax) tend to compress the midtones so I would assume I should look elsewhere.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Much of this is a matter of taste and technique. There are great photographs being produced with everything that's out there, and it's just a matter of finding what works for you.

I wouldn't generalize about any film type. TMX, TMY, Delta 100, and Delta 400 are four different films each with a different look, and you may even find that the same emulsion looks different in different formats. I don't think you'll find that Delta 400 compresses midtones. My own preference is for traditional grain films, but I'd use Delta 400 if it were available in sheet sizes.

 

[jim appleyard]

IMHO, the t-grain films just don't cut it for tone and contrast. I learned with Plus-X and Tri-X in the late '70's. I shot lots of t-grained film for years when it came out because it was supposed to be better film. I processed the t-grains with most of the dev on the market and was never happy with what I got; flat wimpy negs. I dumped the t-grains and went back to traditional films and the tones, contrast and ease of printing came right back.

Other folks like the t-grains and that's fine, but for me, it's Plus-X, Tri-x, FP-4, HP-5, Pan-F and the now gone Agfa films.

 

[ChuckP]

Some depends on where you want your tonal separations. Shadows, midtones or highlights? And also the paper you're printing on. Usually to get better separation in one area another area is compromised. And all kinds of printing tricks like masking and flashing to get different paper curves. Unless you have a specific problem to solve you should be able to get a good print of an average range scene from any film/paper combo.

 

[john_s]

.... Usually to get better separation in one area another area is compromised....

And another way of saying this is that what some people call tonal separation is actually compression at a convenient part of the curve that allows them to fit highlights onto their paper.

 

[Claire Senft]

When seeking tonal seperation the combination of the film, paper and developer are all important..particularly the film and paper. The main ingredient is probably what you like.

 

[Tom Stanworth]

Ahhh. That would be (IMO) APX100 then.....

Efke 100 is very pretty too...as is TriX. I fact there are very few traditional films I have not liked.

Tom

 

[df cardwell]

Hello - I'm looking for some help on which B&W films give the best tonal separations. I am willing to trade off grain, accutance, speed, etc...to get the best tonal values. I am shooting both 35mm and 120. I know slower films have more contrast but does this then mean that they have less tonal separation? I have also heard that the tabular grain films (Delta and Tmax) tend to compress the midtones so I would assume I should look elsewhere.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated. Thanks!

How a given film performs is linked to the developer used. With the right developer, any film gives perfect tonality. Specific applications sometimes need unsual performance. But for 90% of the pictures 90% of the photographers take, it is simple to prescribe film and developer combinations that will be completely satisfactory.

We see a lot of 'urban legends' here. Photographers have always liked to gossip. One of the favorite categories of 'lore' is the rubbish about tab grain film compressing midtones. They don't, and if they if they do, it is simple the wrong developer being used.

What is traditionally meant when we talk about tonal separation is the ability to distinguish one tone from the next. Like a piano being in tune. This can be seen on a curve by a straight line, describing a proportionate increase in density to exposure.

There is a wealth of solid data from the publishers.

Kodak's Xtol and D76 developers both give long straight-line performance from all films and would be ideal for your work. I suggest Xtol, and using Kodak's published times for a beginning place. Any film you would like to try will work well.

.