OK, I am done with the idea of pushing one the ISO 100 films. Thanks for setting me straight on that idea.
Unless the subject demands something different, my preferred settings would be: shutter at 1/250 or 1/500 and aperture at f/6.7-9.5. Using an EI of 250 in my typical scenes, I am able to stay in that range the vast majority of the time, tho I do see a fair few at f/11 or 1/1000. But EI 250 give me a little room to use a yellow or orange filter.
I don't have a lot of data at EI 100, but what I do have shows I used shutter speeds of 1/60, 1/125 and aperture of 5.6 more often than I like. At those settings, I would think twice before putting on my orange filter which needs another stop.
I wouldn't reject that possibility. As I mentioned, Ilford's FP4+ is a film that works well at 200, a fact acknowledged by Ilford in its data sheet: "Best results are obtained at EI 125/22, but good image quality will also be obtained at meter settings from EI 50/18 to EI 200/24."
Ilford also gives development times for EI 24/200 on its data sheet, but nothing further, while they give times all the way to 3600 for HP5+. Ilford knows what their films can and cannot do.
There are many situations where FP4+ @ 200 will come out better than Tri-X @ 200. The reverse is also true.
Yes, while I am in the process of evaluating different films, I do record the aperture and shutter speed for every shot.How did you arrive at your data? Do you keep a record of shutter speed and aperture for every exposure you make? And why are you asking about pushing an ISO 100 film or pulling an ISO 400 film if you are shooting film at EI 250?
Several people have been having trouble with my question (myself included ;-) - so maybe I should rephrase my qiestion this way:
If I want to shoot some b&w film in bright contrasty conditions and if I want to keep contrast and grain on the low side, and if I want to meter at EI 160-200 -- then what combination of commonly available film and developer would you recommend?
Does that make any more sense?
OK, I am done with the idea of pushing one the ISO 100 films. Thanks for setting me straight on that idea.
And thanks to @MultiFormat Shooter, @otto.f, and @qqphot for the recommendations to try Kodak 5222.
Is there any advantage to paying $14(US) for CineStill Film BwXX from B&H, compared to $9 for Kodak 5222 Double-X from Photo Warehouse?
I will need to decide how I want to process it. I have been using Xtol/Eco-Pro (presently none on hand), and I have a bag of Kodak D-76, but since I am ordering the film it is a good time to get more developer. Apparently, Kodak recommends D-96 for this film? But is there enough difference between D76 and D96 to justify buying the D96, which may or may not be suitable for my other b&w negatives?
OK, I am done with the idea of pushing one the ISO 100 films. Thanks for setting me straight on that idea.
And thanks to @MultiFormat Shooter, @otto.f, and @qqphot for the recommendations to try Kodak 5222.
Is there any advantage to paying $14(US) for CineStill Film BwXX from B&H, compared to $9 for Kodak 5222 Double-X from Photo Warehouse?
I will need to decide how I want to process it. I have been using Xtol/Eco-Pro (presently none on hand), and I have a bag of Kodak D-76, but since I am ordering the film it is a good time to get more developer. Apparently, Kodak recommends D-96 for this film? But is there enough difference between D76 and D96 to justify buying the D96, which may or may not be suitable for my other b&w negatives?
Pushing and pulling are for desperation photographs when nothing else will work. I avoid them like I avoid my ex.
I could say it is a personal idiosyncrasy. I could say, it's because under my normal shooting conditions, an EI of 160-200 lets me use the shutter speeds and apertures which I preffer. In fact, I did say that in my opening post and again in post #24. So I don't know why you keep asking me why.Not really. Why do you want to meter at EI 160-200? You seem obsessed with one side of the exposure triangle to the exclusion of the others.
And what about moving cameras? At my age, my days of handholding at 1/30th sec are over. Even at 1/60th I have seen some motion blur in some of my shots. So I consider 1/125th to be my floor, and for a generous safety margin, I prefer 1/250th. Yes, I do have a tripod, and no, I'm not going to carry it around all the time.I too find the desire to limit the exposure choices somewhat unusual, except for very special uses - such as needing a particular motion stopping result with moving subjects.
I could say it is a personal idiosyncrasy. I could say, it's because under my normal shooting conditions, an EI of 160-200 lets me use the shutter speeds and apertures which I preffer. In fact, I did say that in my opening post and again in post #24. So I don't know why you keep asking me why.
Is wanting to find a film+developer combination that lets me use my preferred camera settings really such an out-of-the-ordinary thing idea that it is hard to understand, or deserves to be challenged?
And what about moving cameras? At my age, my days of handholding at 1/30th sec are over. Even at 1/60th I have seen some motion blur in some of my shots. So I consider 1/125th to be my floor, and for a generous safety margin, I prefer 1/250th. Yes, I do have a tripod, and no, I'm not going to carry it around all the time.
As for apertures, unless the scene requires something else, I prefer f/8 (or there abouts). My lenses perform well around f/8. And f/8 gives me enough depth-of-field to allow for slight focusing errors. Again, I don't believe my preference for shooting around f/8 is unusual, or something I should have to defend.
I do use f/5.6 or wider when the subject benefits from the reduced depth of field, but I want that to be my choice, and not something imposed on me by an EI of 80 or 100. Likewise, I don't want to be forced to use f/13 or f/16 by an EI of 250 or greater. Sure, I can always put on a filter (I carry yellow, orange, polarizer, and ND filters). But when my meter at 250 keeps coming up f/11 and f/13, I got the idea that maybe I should look for a film I can shoot at EI 160-200.
But after reading some of the replies I am getting on Photrio, I guess that must have been a pretty crazy idea. :-(
But after reading some of the replies I am getting on Photrio, I guess that must have been a pretty crazy idea. :-(
Do you have an opinion about Xtol compared to Microphen for FP4+ at EI 200?
I must be very desperate, in that case. Because I prefer to push HP5+ than to shoot Delta 3200. I'm also friends with my exes, so perhaps I am just not typical?
If I were wanting to shoot B&W at 200, I'd probably shoot Fomapan 200. However, second choice would be to pull HP5+
Well, if I wanted to take the easy way, I'd just shoot digital, but where is the fun in that? ;-)Not a crazy idea, but maybe not the best or easiest way to get where you want to be.
This is very interesting, and for me, somewhat confusing (but in a good way). Are you saying you are getting finer grain with 5222 than what you were getting with T-Max 400?The “proper” developer for 5222 is D-96 in automated processor at higher temperatures. It creates a slightly more attractive grain than any other development.
But I am sticking with D-76 1:1 at 68-degrees F in small tank with “Kodak” agitation. It’s a “path of least resistance” because I had trouble trying to get D-96 (sure Photographic Formulary and Cinestill options exist).
I got random eBay rolls when first trying it and liked it enough that I got a hundred foot roll from a Photrio seller.
I wanted finer grain than TMY2 which I was well familiar with. I always set the meter at 250 with TMY2 and the results are excellent. I just want a little less grain.
TMAX100 has the right grain for my wants, but it is not always fast as I would like. I do not push film because I always want excellent prints. I should, by my own logic meter it at 64. (But I often meter it at 100)
If I did push TMAX100 I would meter at 125.
With 5222 by my logic I would meter at 160, but I typically meter at 200.
I've had a look at some of your galleries on smugmug and I quite like your work, so crazy or not you seem to produce good and interesting photographs, and don't appear to be held back by technique.
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