Good B&W film to use without a filter?

Shootar401 · Jun 8, 2013

Any ideas on some B&W 35mm film that I can use on a P&S that doesn't accept filters or have a manual ASA selection? I'm not sure if there are any current B&W films that do not need a yellow filter to get a good separation of colours. Even better if it was something cheap like Kentmere or Arista

markbarendt · Jun 8, 2013

Any of them will work fine.

removed account4 · Jun 8, 2013

any film will work.
the camera reads DX code.

kevs · Jun 8, 2013

Ilford XP-2 Super; wide latitude, fine grain, C-41 processing. You can always hold or tape a filter in front of the camera's lens. BTDT.

Cheers,
kevs

Neal · Jun 8, 2013

Dear Shootar401,

I agree with Mark. However, unless you plan on pumping a lot of film through your p&s, is a buck or two that important? The time spent making a decent working print on RC from a half dozen good frames and if there is a good enough one to make a good finished print, the price per hour difference is non-existent. Further, add in all the test prints, chemicals, washup time and it's hardly any savings at all.

Having said that, here is a quick scan of a kentmere 400, this was outdoor and overcast with no filter

.

Neal Wydra

AgX · Jun 8, 2013

The times the use of yellow filters was common were many decenniums ago...

And even then a yellow filter was only used in some situation (eg. skies).

Gerald C Koch · Jun 8, 2013

In my experience the only time you mayneed to use a filter is when a large portion of sky is incorporated in the pictures. Even in this case if you cannot see any clouds then a filter will not help. In all other cases the panchromatic sensitivity of the film should give the correct rendition. The idea that you must always use a filter goes back to the days of orthochromatic films.

Simonh82 · Jun 8, 2013

Tmax 400 may be a suitable choice. It has slightly lower blue sensitive and I've noticed skies look quite good with it. There is a clear separation between sky cloud and foreground.

Sirius Glass · Jun 8, 2013

Any Black & White film can be used without a filter as long as it is not infrared film.

Vaughn · Jun 8, 2013

As Simon just mentioned, Tmax films. They are not as sensitive to blue light as conventional films. I find that the skies with TMax tend to look more like skies when conventional films are used with a yellow filter.

removed account4 · Jun 8, 2013

SNIP SNIP SNIP

desertratt said:
I do not know where anybody gets this "I gotta have a filter" hooey.

i think it was answell
:munch:

id go for the fedora

alanrockwood · Jun 8, 2013

jnanian said:
SNIP SNIP SNIP

i think it was answell
:munch:

id go for the fedora

I think a Panama hat would be the best choice for summer shooting, whether it be a fedora style panama hat or a more classic plantation style Panama hat.

For winter, nothing beats a fedora, but I would go with a fairly wide-brim style, more in the spirit of a Film Noire hard bitten detective story theme.

Either way, the hat can be used as an improvised lens shade if held in one hand to shade the lens.

Besides, what could be more stylish than doing old fashioned black and white photography while wearing a hat to match the vintage of the medium?

jp498 · Jun 8, 2013

Yes, I know from personal experience tmax400 sensitivity like like normal film with a yellow filter. It's not badly priced if you buy it 20 rolls at a time for 35mm or pro-packs for 120.

heterolysis · Jun 8, 2013

I was once told that I had to get yellow and red filters. Spent two weeks swapping filters, shooting up and down the west coast on my vacation, and I wish I had just left the damn things at home.

msbarnes · Jun 8, 2013

Arista gives me really white skys and acros gives me nice skies and so I guess Acros is less sensitive to blue.

Arista.edu 100 (foma 100) (35mm Rollei 35)

Untitled by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr

Fuji Acros 100 (Rolleiflex 2.8E)

Untitled by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr

This is not a fair comparison in terms of grain/tones but you can get an idea of the spectral sensitivity. I like both for different reasons but overall I'd prefer Acros or TMAX. I don't shoot TMAX often but it rendered skies similarly to Acros. I personally don't bother with filters because I want as much speed as possible.

From my experience Tri-X and Hp5 renders skies OK too but I prefer the sensitivity of TMAX and Acros (no experience with Delta and very limited with Fp4). I like Foma 100 but it seems much more sensitive to blue than the other films that I use.

Kodak Tri-X (Nikon F100)

Untitled by Michael_Sergio_Barnes, on Flickr

Patrick Robert James · Jun 8, 2013

For Desertratt, I would suggest a clown hat...

eddie · Jun 8, 2013

Filters have a place in your bag. I agree with Gerald, and find them useful where there's a lot of sky, and you want more cloud definition.

Chrismat · Jun 8, 2013

Rollei Retro 80s is a good one to use with its slight red sensitivity although its exposure latitude is less than what you would expect from a typical black and white film. It's a beautiful film when shot and processed correctly, but a little pricey.

kevs · Jun 8, 2013

Sirius Glass said:
Any Black & White film can be used without a filter as long as it is not infrared film.

And strangely enough, infrared film can be used without a filter in the same way a television can be used without an aerial.

Sirius Glass · Jun 9, 2013

kevs said:
And strangely enough, infrared film can be used without a filter in the same way a television can be used without an aerial.

Yes but that is just wasting the IR capability. Just because a car or truck can be driven into a river until the engine is flooded, does not mean that driving a car or truck into a river is the best use of the car or truck.

lxdude · Jun 9, 2013

Sirius Glass said:
Just because a car or truck can be driven into a river until the engine is flooded, does not mean that driving a car or truck into a river is the best use of the car or truck.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVTHs8BaOrU

Then there's these guys...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnT7thvsPM4

Sirius Glass · Jun 9, 2013

I never ever ever stated that those people had even as much intelligence as one celled organism have.

Newt_on_Swings · Jun 9, 2013

I don't think anyone mentioned orthochromatic film, you don't need a filter when using it.

Gerald C Koch · Jun 9, 2013

Sirius Glass said:
Just because a car or truck can be driven into a river until the engine is flooded, does not mean that driving a car or truck into a river is the best use of the car or truck.

Too many people seem to confuse the verbs can and should.

Noble · Jun 10, 2013

Shootar401 said:
Any ideas on some B&W 35mm film that I can use on a P&S that doesn't accept filters or have a manual ASA selection? I'm not sure if there are any current B&W films that do not need a yellow filter to get a good separation of colours. Even better if it was something cheap like Kentmere or Arista

TMAX 100 is advertised as having less of a need for yellow filtration. Check the data sheet at Kodak. It ain't cheap like Arista.

My question is what are you doing with this camera? 35mm cameras are dirt cheap nowadays. You can get an excellent late model fancy SLR with a NEW nifty fifty lens for less than $200. Life is short.

Also I would be very careful with the DX coding. I have definitely had some nice cameras have trouble with the DX coding on Efke cannisters. I'm pretty sure something like Kodak Tmax 100 won't give you any problems but beyond big names like that you better check and make sure everything is registering correctly.

If you are going to have this camera for a while I would seriously think about investing in something less limiting.

Good B&W film to use without a filter?

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