Ilford Film Reciprocity Table for RSS 6x9 Camera

Took a while to put this together but I don't like to bring a calculator with me. Instead I make a chart I can refer to using my camera's f stop and which Ilford film.

In case anyone else would benefit from this I am passing on an image of that table.

This works for the RSS 6x9 (Reality So Subtle) which has f137. The factors of the films are listed under each film, then the calculations using that factor are below that. Meter at f16, find your film column, get your exposure time.

So you're factoring in an f/stop conversion and a reciprocity correction. I'd find the two more useful separated, since I have a number of pinhole cameras with different hole sizes and projection distances. On the other hand, I use the Ilford exponent system (virtually identical to Gainer factors), so I don't need a chart as long as I have my phone (with scientific calculator app).

Donald Qualls said:

So you're factoring in an f/stop conversion and a reciprocity correction. I'd find the two more useful separated, since I have a number of pinhole cameras with different hole sizes and projection distances. On the other hand, I use the Ilford exponent system (virtually identical to Gainer factors), so I don't need a chart as long as I have my phone (with scientific calculator app).

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I'm thinking seriously about writing an app, a Web App that will allow someone to enter in f number and choice of films, I plan to research all of them over again. (I had all this before, but penciled it on paper, and only had one copy and the man who bought my last pinhole camera years ago begged me for it so I gave it to him.) So the web app would export to you a file that has this chart in it and you can then print it out or just view it on your phone. I'm a huge fan of printing out and having it to look at without using any other electrical devices. This way you can still photograph with a simple light meter, no batteries. And as for me this works best due to my desire to bring this camera on trail with me for long journeys and take one shot a day minimum, to document my journey. Out there I may not have batteries after 7 days without a resupply/town day. I might even select the only films I want to shoot (Bergger Pan400 is top on list and maybe it might be the only one actually after I re-try HP5 and compare against it) print it out and laminate it and tape it to the back of this camera.

Perry Way said:

I might even select the only films I want to shoot (Bergger Pan400 is top on list and maybe it might be the only one actually after I re-try HP5 and compare against it) print it out and laminate it and tape it to the back of this camera.

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That's a very sensible way to handle primitive location photography. As noted, I'd probably just print at table of "1 => 1, 2 => 2.5" etc. for a single film, and take only a single film for that kind of expedition. ISO 400 negative film is easily the best choice (but Fomapan isn't the best one, don't know where Bergger gets their stock).

Donald Qualls said:

That's a very sensible way to handle primitive location photography. As noted, I'd probably just print at table of "1 => 1, 2 => 2.5" etc. for a single film, and take only a single film for that kind of expedition. ISO 400 negative film is easily the best choice (but Fomapan isn't the best one, don't know where Bergger gets their stock).

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Yeah single film will be nice. At the moment I'm being very open minded about Ilford HP5 vs. Bergger Pancro400. In the past I used a lot of HP5 for pinhole photography. It was great for getting some shots without introducing too much wind movement in leaves and things and has a respectable reciprocity. But I also shot Bergger BFP 200 and fell in love with that film and it also has a nice reciprocity in fact better. The problem was I only had like 2 boxes of it and I could not find any stock to resupply with so I kept buying boxes of HP5. Now Bergger is in full swing again with Panchro400 though it's unavailable in USA (backordered). I plan on singling out one film to rely on for my 3100 mile hike in 2024. 2023 to perfect my goal of one shot a day minimum on the trail. Hiking over 20 miles a day I will need the least complicated method so it only takes like 5 minutes to compose a shot, take it, and move on down the trail.

So the 120 is on backorder but I found 35mm Bergger Pancro400 a few weeks ago in the UK and placed an order. So, I'll be evaluating it against HP5 on 35mm first when it arrives, then when the 120 is available I'll compare on my 6x9 pinhole. At the moment I'm rooting for Bergger. It's probably the most beautiful film in the world. Or so say a lot of people.

Perry Way said:

At the moment I'm rooting for Bergger. It's probably the most beautiful film in the world. Or so say a lot of people.

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Haven't ever tried it. If it's dull out, Acros II may require less exposure time than either of those 400 films; it doesn't need correction up to, IIRC, one minute. That's a lot of exposure even at EI 100.

Perry Way said:

Yeah single film will be nice. At the moment I'm being very open minded about Ilford HP5 vs. Bergger Pancro400. In the past I used a lot of HP5 for pinhole photography. It was great for getting some shots without introducing too much wind movement in leaves and things and has a respectable reciprocity. But I also shot Bergger BFP 200 and fell in love with that film and it also has a nice reciprocity in fact better. The problem was I only had like 2 boxes of it and I could not find any stock to resupply with so I kept buying boxes of HP5. Now Bergger is in full swing again with Panchro400 though it's unavailable in USA (backordered). I plan on singling out one film to rely on for my 3100 mile hike in 2024. 2023 to perfect my goal of one shot a day minimum on the trail. Hiking over 20 miles a day I will need the least complicated method so it only takes like 5 minutes to compose a shot, take it, and move on down the trail.

So the 120 is on backorder but I found 35mm Bergger Pancro400 a few weeks ago in the UK and placed an order. So, I'll be evaluating it against HP5 on 35mm first when it arrives, then when the 120 is available I'll compare on my 6x9 pinhole. At the moment I'm rooting for Bergger. It's probably the most beautiful film in the world. Or so say a lot of people.

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So, there are mixed messages coming from Bergger about Pancro 400 availability. I was told in November that fresh inventory was being send to distributors in the USA in December, but there is ZERO inventory in the States right now. When asked (repeatedly) about availability of the sheet film sizes (which are NOT available on Bergger's own web site), they simply do not respond. This is a shame, since I have used the sheet film sizes and found it to be exceptional (though its NOT really a 400 speed film)
Beware if you buy 120 rolls of Pancro 400 from distributors other than Bergger direct: I have seen expired rolls of Pancro 400 sold in multiple places, and I can guarantee you, this film does not fare well once it reaches its expiration date: lots of severe mottling on the negatives.

Donald Qualls said:

Haven't ever tried it. If it's dull out, Acros II may require less exposure time than either of those 400 films; it doesn't need correction up to, IIRC, one minute. That's a lot of exposure even at EI 100.

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As for pinhole work, I found Acros in the past to be lifeless, sorta like Fomapan (which also scratches way too easily). I have this memory of Acros negatives looking very transparent and greenish. I might be wrong with that memory. I recall that Acros worked but I had to treat it differently enlarging it than any other film and I just didn't like the lifeless aspect (best way I can describe it, no emotional value just empty photo).

HP5 was very sharp, nice gradations. Not lifeless, but also not grainy and it takes enlarging I found and other techniques to emphasize grain with HP5.

Bergger was noticably grainier (Rodinal development) but sharp, and even nicer gradation than HP5 and a certain luster to how the grain sizes affected each other. It's got a two emulsion system that provides more latitude than other films as well.

As for Bergger, they have no reciprocity index listed, but instead suggest for shots longer than 1 second to increase one stop and if longer than 1 minute to increase two stops. That's their formula. I tried it in the past, it works exactly as stated, and when you compare anywhere on the exposure chart and do a comparison of 1 stop versus the reciprocity X^Y math, and Bergger is way better than any Ilford film. By a long shot actually.

For instance an exposure time of 38 seconds at f137 calculates to 1:20 adding a single stop. HP5 reciprocity turns 38 seconds into 3:53. I'll take 1:20 over 3:53 any day.

Perry Way said:

lifeless aspect (best way I can describe it, no emotional value just empty photo).

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This isn't pinhole related, but I've never understood people talking about different films having "life" or lacking it. It's the image that has or lacks life, IMO, and a good or bad image can inhabit nearly any film.

Donald Qualls said:

This isn't pinhole related, but I've never understood people talking about different films having "life" or lacking it. It's the image that has or lacks life, IMO, and a good or bad image can inhabit nearly any film.

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Maybe this is one of those times it's easier to see for yourself than me tell you in words. The negative itself has a lot of dimension. Looks almost 3D. And the gradation is so smooth, there's details in shadows and light areas, it almost begs you to print it.