BW "Tripod" 120 Film

My suggestion : If you are going to use a tripod so as to get ' best quality ' why not go to 4" x 5" Large format, you will then get QUALITY AND with movements better technical image quality as well, you will use less film and enjoy photography more.

BarrieB said:

My suggestion : If you are going to use a tripod so as to get ' best quality ' why not go to 4" x 5" Large format, you will then get QUALITY AND with movements better technical image quality as well, you will use less film and enjoy photography more.

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Because like I said already twice Barrie what I want is to make the best out of my Hasselblad. I do not need or want another camera, especially a LF one. I am just asking for help with slow films and developers.

I don't mix my own so my opinion may not count for much.
Everyone I've talked to (here and elsewhere) who mix their own, swear by it. You can make fresh stock whenever you need it, can mix up stuff you can't find locally and can fine tune to your likeing. When you pay for shipping powders are lighter than liquids so you may save some money there.
I am currently looking a scales myself for mixing my own alt process chemicals

arigram said:

D-76 or Rodinal and I am kinda dissapointed at the results.

What do wise photographers suggest I do?

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FP4+, which is my favorite conventional-grain film, is better developed in something like PC-TEA or one of the home-brew Phenidone-Vitamin C formulas that Pat Gainer, myself, and others have used and advocated. You can find those formulas in other threads on this site.

Fuji ACROS and Ilford Delta 100 are both contemporary T-grain (or equivalent) films which have a much finer grain structure than conventional films. Either, developed in one of the PC formulas will give you much finer grain than the combination you've tried.

Larry

As you found, Ari, the combination of Ilfosol and FP4+ is stunning and very hard to improve on.

I haven't tried any of the PC-developers yet, I'm having too much fun (and good results) with old Metol and/or pyrocat developers.

I have tried Delta 100 and TMax something in Ilfosol, and see no reason to continue on that route. Finer grain, possibly, but the tonal scale is not to my taste. I'll stick with the "traditional" films.

Interesting as I as just thinking about picking a slow and fast emulsion myself. One is definetly FP4+ in Xtol. For the other I was thinking of using Tri-x although I never was a Tri-X shooter before. HP5+ never floated my boat. APX400 I just started experimenting with.

My aunt is coming to visit from the States ("The Aunt from America" a typical old greek movie scenario) and I'll beg her to bring me some (let's say fifty) rolls of PanF+ and a bit (a pack of a hundred) of Oriental Seagull paper that I have been lusting a long time for. The reason being is that if I escape the shipping (160 US$) the cost of that stuff drops to half than I can find them in Europe, not only because of the euro-dollar exchange.

I printed last night some photos made with FP4+ at 64asa developed with Ilfosol-S (1-9) and they are GREAT! Superb tonallity, amazing latitude (detail everywhere, lows, highs and I don't use the ZS), non existing grain and good shaprness (not cut your finger with, but very pleasant). So I highly recommend this combo if you have trouble finding something faster.
For Tri-X Wayne see my other thread about Handholding a Hasselblad.
I also printed one image that I used Ilford Delta 100 at 50 developed with D-76 (1-1) and was beautiful. And I shot it handheld inside a dark room.

I thought really hard to just "stick with one film and developer" but I couldn't miss the chance to get PanF to last me for a long time! I'll throw them to the freezer and keep them for when I need the definition.

I really thank everyone who replied to this thread. Honestly!
You are the best!