Best B&W films with no filter?

[George Mann]

Hi again. Which B&W films will give me good (neutral?) Contrast without a filter?

 

[MattKing]

T-Max 400 has slightly less blue sensitivity, and as a result many people who use yellow filters with other films are happy to dispense with the yellow filter with that film.

 

[Sirius Glass]

If you do not want to buy filters don't, no one is twisting your arm. You are perfectly free to not take advantage of the things that filters can do to enhance a photograph. For decades I did not use filters for black & white film, now I do. So there is still hope for you.

 

[relistan]

Hi again. Which B&W films will give me good (neutral?) Contrast without a filter?

Pretty much all B&W films are designed to do that. If you want to shift contrast one way or another, you have a lot of contrast control with exposure and development. Filters will normally *not* give you neutral behavior as they are intended to modify the contrast behavior on a film that would otherwise be fairly neutral.

 

[R.Gould]

For landscapes, with no filter, I find that Fomapan give you great results, especially sky detail

 

[George Mann]

T-Max 400 has slightly less blue sensitivity, and as a result many people who use yellow filters with other films are happy to dispense with the yellow filter with that film.

I would be more interested in tmax 100. How does it perform with a naked lens (proper lens hood of course)?

 

[George Mann]

If you do not want to buy filters don't, no one is twisting your arm. You are perfectly free to not take advantage of the things that filters can do to enhance a photograph. For decades I did not use filters for black & white film, now I do. So there is still hope for you.

So you are saying that it is better to use a yellow filter than no filter at all?

 

[Ian Grant]

I've never found a regular B&W film that doesn't give excellent results without a filter. That's Foma, Forte, EFKE, Kodak, Ilford, Fuji. Only reason I say regular because Ortho films are different.

It's very rare I use a filter. However that's the way I work and see, others do use filters to great effect. As I said in your filter post the only one I use is Green.

Ian

 

[Ian Grant]

I would be more interested in tmax 100. How does it perform with a naked lens (proper lens hood of course)?

It's a fantastic film, only reason I no longer use it was I couldn't get it while living abroad.

Ian

 

[George Mann]

For landscapes, with no filter, I find that Fomapan give you great results, especially sky detail

Interesting, because images shot on this film without a filter using my Nikkor 50mm F2 has flat contrast, making it a bit dull looking.

 

[Sirius Glass]

So you are saying that it is better to use a yellow filter than no filter at all?

For black & white my camera usually wears an Orange filter, rarely a Yellow filter. I use Red 23, Red 25 and Red 29 for darkening skies. I use Red 23, Red 25. Red 29 and 720 for infrared. I also use a Polarizer. I have a Yellow-Green filter arriving next week to darken both skies and red rock.

 

[MattKing]

I would be more interested in tmax 100. How does it perform with a naked lens (proper lens hood of course)?

T-Max 100 has slightly different spectral sensitivity, so you would need to see if it appeals to you.

 

[George Mann]

In my other thread, I mentioned that I shoot the cheapest b&w films available.

I find that they tend to be a little flat, and sometimes unpredictable in their contrast rendering.

 

[koraks]

I would be more interested in tmax 100. How does it perform with a naked lens (proper lens hood of course)?

Excellent. Then again, I agree with the others who said that all films work well without a filter. Obviously a lot of contrast control is already available through development and printing. Filters are useful for modifying the rendition of hues relative to each other.
What kind of effect are you looking for?

 

[George Mann]

What kind of effect are you looking for?

The kind of rendition I get with Pan-X shot with a medium yellow filter?

 

[Arthurwg]

T-Max 400 has slightly less blue sensitivity, and as a result many people who use yellow filters with other films are happy to dispense with the yellow filter with that film.

Does that mean that blue skies will be rendered lighter rather than than darker? That would help me as blue skies in northern New Mexico where I live are often rendered very dark, even w/o a filter.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Interesting, because images shot on this film without a filter using my Nikkor 50mm F2 has flat contrast, making it a bit dull looking.

In my other thread, I mentioned that I shoot the cheapest b&w films available.
I find that they tend to be a little flat, and sometimes unpredictable in their contrast rendering.

Contrast gradient is a function of development. If you prints are "flat," then you need to develop more. If your contrast rendering is unpredictable, then you need to learn how to either a) tailor your development for each individual negative or b) use the contrast controls available to you when printing.

If, on the other hand, you are finding that you have tonal mergers in areas of adjacent colors, which look markedly different to the eye, but have about the same reflectance and are therefore rendered the same tone of grey in the print, then you need to learn how to recognize these and deal with these.

Once you can recognize mergers well, you can a) decide not to take the shot if you don't like the merger (especially if you refuse to do anything about separating the colors by using filters) or b) you can use an appropriate filter to separate the tones whichever way you like.

The kind of rendition I get with Pan-X shot with a medium yellow filter?

This begs the question: Why don't you just use Pan-X and a yellow filter? Or whatever film and a yellow filter? Or one of the films with reduced blue sensitivity (TMX, TMY)?

To paraphrase Scrooge, "Filters, once purchased, they may be used indefinitely for the purpose for which they are intended."

Filters are cheap on e-Bay. Heck, I got two sets of six B+W coated filters in brass rings in 52mm and 67mm for under $50.

Just sayin'

Doremus

 

[George Mann]

This begs the question: Why don't you just use Pan-X and a yellow filter? Or whatever film and a yellow filter? Or one of the films with reduced blue sensitivity (TMX, TMY)?

Pan-X is hard to find at a decent price. What is tmy?

As far as printing and developing goes, I depend on a commercial lab for that.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Pan-X is hard to find at a decent price. What is tmy?

As far as printing and developing goes, I depend on a commercial lab for that.

TMY is TMAX 400.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

TMX = T-Max 100. TMY = T-Max 400. TXP = Tri-X professional (320). I don't know the other designations offhand.

 

[Craig75]

pictorial films are all developed to the same contrast for their iso.

if its spectral sensitivity then you can choose view the sensitivity plots pdfs from the manufacturers and choose one that suits you

 

[Doremus Scudder]

pictorial films are all developed to the same contrast for their iso. ...

Zone System and BTZS users (among others)routinely develop their films to a variety of different contrast indices depending on the range of luminances in the scene being photographed. While the overall density range in the negatives may end up being more or less the same, the "contrast," strictly speaking, i.e., the amount of change in density for a given change in exposure, can change markedly.

Doremus

 

[Craig75]

Zone System and BTZS users (among others)routinely develop their films to a variety of different contrast indices depending on the range of luminances in the scene being photographed. While the overall density range in the negatives may end up being more or less the same, the "contrast," strictly speaking, i.e., the amount of change in density for a given change in exposure, can change markedly.

Doremus

of course you can choose to develop for 1 second and 100 hours if you choose but OP will be using a lab to develop so unless he's specifically telling them otherwise then they will be developed to a set time.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Weird question. Depends. TMax films are somewhat more neutrally balanced over the visible spectrum. But orthopan ACROS often has the most natural feel when it comes to outdoor foliage rendition - green isn't suppressed as much as in regular pan films. It has the same kind of look as a typical panchromatic film like FP4 plus a light yellow-green. Skintones often come out more naturally looking too. So it seems that Fuji ACROS would be your best bet, based on what you described, except for "cheapest". That stipulation severely limits your options to "none of the above".

 

[koraks]

So perhaps just continue using a yellow filter? Seems like the most straightforward solution.