Foma Ortho 400 for streets and portraits in Africa...which filter?

[darkosaric]

So soon I will be traveling to Kinshasa (again), and this time I have some Foma Ortho 400 that I could take with me.
Most of the photos will be some street photography and portraits of the locals.

Which filter should I use? On pan films I go always safe with yellow one, but for Ortho films - it is better to ask .

Thanks!

 

[Don_ih]

Not red.

You should get a distinct look using no filter, really.

 

[Paul Howell]

I would not use a filter, as a ortho film with limited sensitivity to Red, Yellow, and Orange, there is no point, a blue or green will only and act as a neutral density filter. Well maybe a polarizer to control reflections.

 

[darkosaric]

Noted, thanks guys.

 

[albireo]

Not red.

You should get a distinct look using no filter, really.

+1

 

[Arthurwg]

I've been to Kisangani, Beni, Butembo, Goma and points east but never Kinshasa. Good luck!

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Ortho film is only sensitive to blue and green (that's why you shouldn't use red; it effectively blocks all the light the film is sensitive to).

If you filter out the blue (using a yellow filter), then you end up with a slow, green sensitive film. greens (foliage, etc.) would be rendered lighter, blues darker (maybe the only way to darken blue skies a bit with ortho film). You'll be sacrificing a lot of speed, though. Note that standard filter factors do not apply to ortho film.

If you filter out the green, using a blue filter, you'll end up with a blue-sensitive look, like the old collodion plates. Blank white skies, open shadows, etc.

I'd likely not use a filter at all.

Doremus

 

[darkosaric]

When I am already asking : should I use D76, Rodinal or HC 110 (those I have right now)? Planning to shoot @400, looking for normal contrast, will print, not scan. Usually I use Rodinal, but from time to time I like to change film and developer of choice. And of course I like even more to use different cameras, it is boring to use M3 with DR Summicron all the time .

 

[Paul Howell]

Foma has posted developers and times for many common, as you have D76 on hand and HC 110 and Rodinal are not on the list I would go with D76.

https://www.foma.cz/en/fomaortho

 

[albireo]

Foma has posted developers and times for many common, as you have D76 on hand and HC 110 and Rodinal are not on the list I would go with D76.

https://www.foma.cz/en/fomaortho

Fomadon R09, present in the list, is Foma's Rodinal clone. The times are usable for Adox Rodinal, too, IME. I have tested Foma Ortho 400 in 120 in Fomadon R09 - it works really well, though I could not stomach the extensive highlight halation which seems to be a characteristic of this film.

 

[Paul Howell]

Oh, thanks, missed that. Living in the American Southwest, and for heads up on issue with halation which is an issue here. I was thinking about trying a roll, might give a pass or save until the winter.

 

[Sanug]

Darko, why do you choose Foma Ortho 400 for shooting street and portraits in Kinshasa? It is a very special film. I would prefer a standard film for the project.

Foma Ortho has really ISO 400, not a lower sensitivity as Fomapan 400. The contrast is high. Do not overexpose or overdevelop, the negatives easily become too dark and hard. I would not choose this material for shooting under african bright sunlight conditions.

The sky will become nearly white. Haze/mist will be visible much stronger than expected. There is no anti halation layer.

Some sample images, taken on a cloudy winter day. Still quite contrasty negatives. I developed in Adox XT-3 (Xtol) 1+2 12 Min, and another roll 1+3, 15 Min.. Both with nearly perfect results. The grain is fine, the sharpness good.

With Foma Ortho in 120, I had some issues with scratches. They came from factory, not from my handling.

 

[darkosaric]

Darko, why do you choose Foma Ortho 400 for shooting street and portraits in Kinshasa? It is a very special film. I would prefer a standard film for the project.

Hi Sanug,

I did not tried this film yet - and traveling soon, so I was thinking to take it and give it a try. But then - not sure what to expect - I opened this thread. Looking at your examples, it looks that maybe better is to skip it for Kinshasa, there we have strong sun and high contrast scenes right now.

I have some regular Foma 400, Kentmere 400 and also Adox CHS 100 II.

Thanks!

 

[Sanug]

I would prefer the Adox CHS 100. Under african light conditions, ISO 100 should be sufficient. Anyway, I recommend using a test roll prior to the trip. Maybe you will need to adjust the exposure and development. Do you use 120 or 135?

In 135, you will have to be careful with Adox CHS 100 II when loading/unloading the camera. The film base is a good light conductor. Only load/unload this film under subdued light indoors, never outdoors, otherwise some frames will become exposed. This is no issue with the 120 film.

Fomapan 400 in 120 may have some issues with pinholes. And the real speed is more 200 than 400.

The opposite is with Kentmere 400, which has very low contrast at box speed and quite normal contrast when exposed to ISO 800 with extended development (Adox XT-3 1+1 16 Min.).

 

[darkosaric]

I use 135, thanks. I know about Adox, I am carefull with it.

 

[albireo]

I have some regular Foma 400, Kentmere 400 and also Adox CHS 100 II.

Adox CHS 100 II is one of the most disappointing films I've ever used. In my workflow, it's scarcely a 50 ISO film AND it is extremely grainy in D76 1:1 and HC110 dilH. Almost as grainy as Fomapan 400 in the same developers. Comparable grain to Kentmere 400 for matched gamma.

I have personally never had issues with pinholes in Fomapan 400. Not sure why people insist on this 'real speed' for Foma 400 (200 is not its 'real' speed in my workflow and with the developers I use, by the way) but fail to mention speed considerations for other films.

Kentmere 400 is a good all-rounder. Contrast is determined largely at development, so you can make Kentmere 400 as contrasty as Foma 400 or Acros, if you so wish. The main deciding factor should IMO be spectral response: Foma 400 has a very different spectral response from Kentmere 400. Each I find is suitable for different subjects.

For your use case, I think you can't go much wrong with Kentmere 400 exposed at 250-320, Y2 filter on, and development in D76 or D23 1:1. Fomapan 400 at 250EI in Fomadon Excel or 320EI in Fomadon LQN is also excellent, but blues will render darker than with the Kentmere and reds will be lighter (very pale lips, if you take portraits of Caucasian subjects). You won't need a yellow or orange filter with Foma 400, given its spectral characteristics approximate the impact of one of those filters.

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

Hi Sanug,

I did not tried this film yet - and traveling soon, so I was thinking to take it and give it a try. But then - not sure what to expect - I opened this thread. Looking at your examples, it looks that maybe better is to skip it for Kinshasa, there we have strong sun and high contrast scenes right now.

I have some regular Foma 400, Kentmere 400 and also Adox CHS 100 II.

Thanks!

My suggestion would be to use a film you are used and feel confident with for important stuff and only use the Ortho 400 for situation when you would like to experiment. Ortho is very particular film and may give you result that you didn't expect/want, that would ruin a once in a lifetime scene.


For the scenarios that you do feel like using Ortho, I suggest no filter.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[darkosaric]

I will use 2 cameras, one loaded with Kentmere or Fomapan, and one camera with Ortho, as I am curious how this will come out.

 

[Paul Howell]

Although I shoot both Kentmere and Fomapan as my daily shoot around film, when traveling I use Tmax 400. Wide latitude, can be shot at 800 with little to no adjustment to time in developer, a push to 1600 is only stop. Resolution may not be up to TMax 100 standards but a 125LPM very respectable, as a T Grain film grain is also much better than Foma aor Kentmere. On the other hand if want to maximize the sharpness of the Leica lens, then Tmax 100 at 200LPM, just need to be careful to over expose so as not to blow out your highlights.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Why would you want to use a film that you had not tested and have no experience with for important work?

Doremus

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

By the way, I've been on your shoes on the past (taking a new/unknown film to a trip) and more often than not, result where not what I expected (on the best-case scenario) or total unusable image on worst case scenario. Better bring equipment and film you know and trust. Leave experiments to a controlled, repeatable scenarios.

 

[darkosaric]

It is not very important work, I travel a lot (on business), I was already in Kinshasa twice. But I think I will test Ortho before my trip, just to be more prepared what to expect from it.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

It is not very important work, I travel a lot (on business), I was already in Kinshasa twice. But I think I will test Ortho before my trip, just to be more prepared what to expect from it.