If photography was a three-club golf match...

[Worker 11811]

Okay... Slightly obtuse title but I promise it will make sense.

I just picked up three Watson 35mm film loaders for cheap. I paid $30 for the lot. One of them still had film in it. Now I am deciding what films to put in them. Since I have three loaders for film and golf season is ready to start in my neck of the woods, I thought it would be interesting to make the analogy.

In a three-club match you have you have your driver, your iron and your putter. There's one club for teeing off and heavy hitting. There's one club for shot range shots and one club for fine control.

So, if you had to pick only three films, which would you pick for your heavy hitter, for your short game and for fine work?

I have always used T-Max 100. I thought that could be my heavy hitting film.

I have been thinking about getting some Ilford XP-2 because I want to start developing color film and this film is a C-41 process. It would be a way to get some practice developing C-41. I could also use it for finer work, I think.

I was also considering the purchase of some Neopan 400 (or Legacy Pro 400) to give it a try. That could be used for my middle game.

Yeah, it's a bit of a silly question but, what the heck? You've got to smile every once in a while, right?

So, what three "clubs" would you put in your bag?

 

[Christopher Walrath]

I think TMax (TMXY-2) would have to be my spoon. And I might throw in Velvia 50 as a seven-iron kind of thing to get me close and kill on the short game. But my putter (which would be a two iron) would have to be something totally different, say an IR like Efke820, or some such.

 

[mrred]

I have 3 too. 1 - portra 160nc, 2 - foma 100, 3 - neopan 400. The color takes me forever to finish, the foma 100 is for my finer work ande the neopan is my day-to day often used as 3200. The latter may also contain hp5+ or tmy2 at any time. My love just happens to be with neopan for the moment (still 3 more cans in the fridge).

 

[nyoung]

TriX-320 or 400 (depends on format) for the long game, Portra 400 VC - middle game, Ektar - short game.

 

[arigram]

HP5+, FP4+, PanF+.
I think the base ISOs (400,100,50) are a hint.

 

[topoxforddoc]

HP5 is my one club bag. I shoot a lot of low light, night time, stage work. The grain is fine enough for daytime 400 shooting and doesn't get obtrusive at 1600 in XTOL. I do have a small stock of kodachrome 64 still, but that club's just been broken by Mr Eastman.

Charlie
www.charlie-chan.co.uk

 

[Vaughn]

FP4+ is my hook shot -- a consistant scoring shot when things get tight in the middle. Tri-X for my drive towards the basket when there is little daylight between the opposing players. Outdated Tech pan is for when I want to toss a shot towards the basket from beyond the 3-point line. But in reality, I use as many films as I did types of shots. TMax400 for the reverse lay-up when even Tri-X can't get me directly to the basket, Tmax100 for the solid 8 foot jumper, Acros for the turn-around jumper, and anything that is free for the free throws.

I find golf to be a frustrating way to take a walk.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Tmax 100, Tmax 400, Efke IR 820. In that order.

Jeff

 

[MattKing]

Recently I bought a second loader. As a result, I have Plus-X in one loader, and TMY-2 in the second loader.

I'll see if I feel the need for a third "club".

 

[Allen Friday]

A 3-iron, 7-iron and a sand wedge. (Yes, I can put with the sand wedge.)

 

[Denis R]

switch

different horses for different courses

Delta 400 and Tmax 400, essentially the same for my use, I think of it as my winter tires

polypan F cheap racing slicks, can't be too far from perfect as they will blow out easily, fair weather only

color film for "all season" driving, currently fujicolor pro 160c in 120, must be rotated often to avoid uneven wear

was on the HS golf "team", low score in the 90's for 9 holes, but I did "letter" in it somehow :confused:

 

[Worker 11811]

I just pulled the trigger on a new order from Freestyle.
1 spool each of Legacy Pro 100 and 400 and 1 spool of Ilford Pan F+.

I was going to get T-Max but I changed my mind because I can buy it locally. I have a couple rolls in my stash right now. If I need more I can buy a roll or two.

I picked the other films because a lot of you guys liked them for one reason or another. I have always used T-Max and Tri-X. I wanted to try something new. These are the ones that had the most votes which I haven't used before.

I figured if I don't like them I don't have to buy them again. Right?
What the hell? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Eh?

 

[lxdude]

A 3-iron, 7-iron and a sand wedge. (Yes, I can put with the sand wedge.)

Save the sand wedge for lunch. (Sorry)

So what's the ball?

 

[Worker 11811]

Well, I also bought some XTOL and some HC-110. I've still got a half gallon of D-76 and another full pack, unused, on the shelf.

If I'm going to experiment, I might as well go all out.

 

[sun of sand]

I'd take the
3 wood
5 iron
9 iron

You drive and putt with the 3 wood
closed 5 iron as a 4 iron "stinger" or high loft 6 and 9 iron can be used to chip as well as wedge and flop by opening it up more and more
try doing anything but putt with a putter

 

[Existing Light]

the kind of golf I play only requires a putter, and I have to give it back when I get done playing

 

[lxdude]

the kind of golf I play only requires a putter, and I have to give it back when I get done playing

 

[JBrunner]

HP4, HP5, V50. The dude abides.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Tmax 400, Tmax 400, and Tmax 400. It does everything I want it to do.

 

[removed-user-1]

My "knowledge" of golf is limited to a summer job I had in college at a mini-golf course. All the clubs were putters; people still had to choose one but the only variables were height and color. Funny story: the black clubs always went first, before the blue ones, even though they were physically identical.

If I was going to standardize my film, I would go with Ilford's traditional emulsions (PanF, FP4, and HP5).

 

[benjiboy]

I don't play golf, it's a good walk spoiled.

 

[Laurent]

Pan F+, HP5+ and Delta 3200

HP5 most of the time, rated at 250.
Delta3200 @ 1600 for low light situations (and a ND2 for sunshine ;-) )
PanF when I have my tripod and want fine grain.

 

[DanielStone]

too many choices !!!

1. EFKE 100, just my bread and butter film right now, does everything for 8x10 contact printing I want/wanted
2. Portra 160NC(just works well), also works nicely in 35mm-8x10
3. Polaroid 690(RIP) this current fuji stuff stinks. Too high contrast, and the colors are way too saturated IMO

-Dan

 

[colinRTM]

HP5+. That is all.

 

[flatulent1]

I'm not even going to pretend to understand golf, but I'll play along. Delta 400 is my heavy hitter, Delta 3200 for some slap shots, and PanF+ in MF is my putter.