JW PHOTO
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I still think Ilford should offer it in sheets, at least 4x5. Given how many LF shooters work in a hybrid work flow and it's advantages for scanning I think a lot of those folks would really appreciate it. (And I'd probably start laying in a stock in both 120 and 4x5 along with C41 chems for the Jobo!) I agree with Simon, Stone, find a way to wet print - but still, this film does have advantages for scanning in addition to its wet print virtues.
Dear Roger,
We did actually make XP1 in sheet film.......not a great success sadly.
Dear AGX, Whilst we do look at opportunities around ULF our quality systems would not allow a sheet film size cut from an inapropriate base substrate. Sorry.
Kind Regards
Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited.
XP2 Super is a fine film and as Roger says masses of latitude.
It has no orange mask so as it can be printed traditionally in a darkroom.
Stone....when are you goping to start printing and make your life complete !
Simon. ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited.
Yesbut, hybrid work flows and film scanning were not nearly as common and routine in the days of XP1, no? I think it might be a different case today.
We did actually make XP1 in sheet film.......not a great success sadly.
Whilst we do look at opportunities around ULF our quality systems would not allow a sheet film size cut from an inapropriate base substrate. Sorry.
In September/October
I'm going back to school for an Associates Degree in photography and they will teach me printing
When are you coming out with a NEW direct positive paper so I can print my XP2 x-processed B&W transparencies on traditional paper? Hmmmmm???
Roger, in addition to answering your question above, I'll say that all of the schools that I looked at told me the same thing, they taught traditional B&W wet work, as well as alternative techniques like collodion and tintype and even carbon printing, but they all said the same thing about color "about 2-3 years ago we decided that teaching color wet printing was just not worth it to our students, the fact is any job they might get even for their own businesses would be better served by scanning" the professor even said scanning is better than printing for color because of the difficulty in printing color properly and they completely removed the color labs and equipment because they feel there's no benefit, and all teach scanning techniques for color. They don't even teach how to develop color film, they now have a send out service.
So the cost involved in paying for C-41 that would end up being B&W anyway seems to offset the hassle of dust in a scan. I would never buy XP2 in sheet film, it would cost too much, with little benefit gained, I may use it for transparencies, but really no one is projecting in terms of for financial gain, it's all about the print, I use E-6 for the colors over C-41, but C-41 that's B&W anyway seems futile at the prices it would cost in sheet film AND the cost of having it lab processed....
I'm not saying it's a bad film, it's amazing, but I think that Simon(ilford) understand it's more of a niche product and not enough volume would be sold in sheet.
PS I never ever use ICE to remove dust, it does something to then sharpness and sort of fuzzes the grain, it's subtle but a side by side you can see, so I don't when see the benefit of ICE being worth it for C-41 scanning.
Roger, in addition to answering your question above, I'll say that all of the schools that I looked at told me the same thing, they taught traditional B&W wet work, as well as alternative techniques like collodion and tintype and even carbon printing, but they all said the same thing about color "about 2-3 years ago we decided that teaching color wet printing was just not worth it to our students, the fact is any job they might get even for their own businesses would be better served by scanning" the professor even said scanning is better than printing for color because of the difficulty in printing color properly and they completely removed the color labs and equipment because they feel there's no benefit, and all teach scanning techniques for color. They don't even teach how to develop color film, they now have a send out service.
So the cost involved in paying for C-41 that would end up being B&W anyway seems to offset the hassle of dust in a scan. I would never buy XP2 in sheet film, it would cost too much, with little benefit gained, I may use it for transparencies, but really no one is projecting in terms of for financial gain, it's all about the print, I use E-6 for the colors over C-41, but C-41 that's B&W anyway seems futile at the prices it would cost in sheet film AND the cost of having it lab processed....
I'm not saying it's a bad film, it's amazing, but I think that Simon(ilford) understand it's more of a niche product and not enough volume would be sold in sheet.
PS I never ever use ICE to remove dust, it does something to then sharpness and sort of fuzzes the grain, it's subtle but a side by side you can see, so I don't when see the benefit of ICE being worth it for C-41 scanning.
They had one and it was excellent would do kchrome 25 (cibachrome) easier than normal mono!
It will never come back in your life time.
Noel
I meant the B&W positive paper they recently temporarily discontinued because the emulsion maker stopped making their emulsion and they said they might be working on their own emulsion to replace it, it was very popular. I'm just saying for them to bring that back and I can print the transparencies with that (I think someone told me that was what I should use for B&W transparencies).
While it was popular, it also was a quirky material to work with. I have used the fibre-based, not RC, direct positive paper, for direct exposures in my 4x5 Crown Graphic. It is very contrasty, with a dip in sensitivity in the red wavelengths that can make skin rendition and other reddish subjects appear unnatural. But the fact that it is unique and does the job straight from the camera in conventional chemistry makes it exceedingly useful for LF and pinhole cameras. So I hope along with many others that this isn't quite the end yet.
Yahbut...Stone is talking about using it in the darkroom to make direct positive prints form black and white slides. For that purpose the spectral response becomes irrelevant. The contrast might or might not be an issue - I'm not sure how contrast as a primary imaging material translates to what we need for prints, but it can probably be modified at least somewhat in either direction by development, flashing, bleaching, or some combination.
As I said - an intriguing idea. And with E6 seemingly at death's door, with no commercial film faster than EI 200 and only 100 for the remaining big brand, I find black and white slides increasingly interesting. I haven't tried doing them yet, but I expect to.
I've used the old Ilford XP1 and it never floated my boat. I never cared for chromogenic BW films, but here's Andrew Sanderson's take on it. I respect him immensely though. I wonder if XP2 is an improvement over XP1? I respect him immensely though.
http://www.thewebdarkroom.com/?p=524
In my experience XP2is a wonderful fine-art B&Wfilm and far better than otherC41 B&WfilmsNevertheless it likes very high contrast scenes and disappoints in flat lighting.I have several framed images hanging,which couldn't have been made with regular B&W films
Hmmm! I am little puzzled as to why they(your images hanging) couldn't have been made with conventional B&W film? Just curious! JW
Can XP2 be compared with standard B&W films developed in pyro? I could imagine that C41 film can have similar effect as pyro stain (I did not developed films in pyro yet).
Sure partially. Pyros kinda go half and half if you get my drift.
I meant the B&W positive paper they recently temporarily discontinued because the emulsion maker stopped making their emulsion and they said they might be working on their own emulsion to replace it, it was very popular.
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