• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Liking 4x5 Shanghai a lot

moltogordo

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
185
Location
prince georg
Format
35mm
Bought a box a month a go. Loaded up a couple of 4x5 holders and went to a local cutbank where some texture stuff was readily available. Not a great picture (it's actually lousy) but that's not the point. This is a lovely film in 4x5 and I will not hesitate to use it. The emulsion is tough, too, because I was a bit rough with the negs - out of practice.

Negatives were sharp and clear - this is just a fast lightbox photograph of the negative itself. Taken with a Linhof Color Kardan, 180mm f5.6 Nikkor-W, Shanghai. I used HC110 at 1:63 for 10 minutes.

Thanks for looking in.

 

JW PHOTO

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
May 15, 2006
Messages
1,148
Location
Lake, Michig
Format
Medium Format
Oh no! Not another Shanghai fanboy thread...............

You should buy only film from "A" manufacture or "B" manufacture or they will go out of business. Besides, Shanghai film is inferior anyway. That's what I always seem to hear from some folks when I talk Shanghai GP3 film or when I shot the old Chinese 4X5 ERA film. I say, why not buy from "A", "B" and Shanghai and try to keep them all going. I haven't used any of the Shanghai 4X5, but do like the GP3 120 film. Myself, I buy Ilford, Shanghai and Ultrafine Xtreme film from the Warehouse. I'm more than happy with those films. I'd buy some of the Rollei/Agfa stuff, but it's just a little more than I want to "pay to play". I think I'll buy a couple of boxes of Shanghai 4X5 to soup in some WD2H+ as it looks like it should be a very good match. Let us know how it works out for you. John W
 

Fixcinater

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
2,500
Location
San Diego, CA
Format
Medium Format
What have you been rating it at?

I could see using this as I shoot some more 4x5 this summer.
 
OP
OP

moltogordo

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
185
Location
prince georg
Format
35mm
JW PHOTO said:
You should buy only film from "A" manufacture or "B" manufacture or they will go out of business.
Click to expand...

Oh, I do, John, like you. I buy lots from Kodak (HC110, Xtol, Fixer, Tri-X, T-Max 100 and 400), Ilford (HP5, Delta 3200, FP4, Rapid fix) and Agfa (Rodinal), Foma (400 and 200 especially.) Probably $2000+ a year. So I don't feel the least bit guilty about slumming and buying 2 boxes of Shanghai 4x5 per annum, and a few rolls of their 120. Less than $100 per year.

I don't find it inferior at all, either. I like it, it seems especially in 4x5 Seems to be the closest replacement to Plus-X I can find. In 120 it's fine, but I prefer FP4. Don't care for FP4 in 4x5 - it's never responded tonally the way I want in this format.

I have a "go-to" standard in all formats, that's HP5 in HC110 at 1:63. Used that combo for over 40 years and it gets about 50% of my B&W attention. But I do use other films and developers when I want their characteristics, and that will include Shanghai because of it's similarity to Plus X.

Looks like you made a similar decision.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

gone

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jun 14, 2009
Messages
5,504
Location
gone
Format
Medium Format
Buy whatever you want, it's your money. As we said in the old South (which is long gone), unless someone is putting a roof over your head, food on your table, or keeping you warm at night, what you do is nobody's business but your own. I have shot a lot of the Shanghai film in 120 and it is surely not an inferior film. It's a great film at a great price. But, there are QC issues sometimes, on some batches. I personally have never run into them, and every roll looked real good. Works a treat in Rodinal, D76 and Mic-X.
 

alentine

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Messages
206
Format
Multi Format
Last edited:

alentine

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Messages
206
Format
Multi Format
Thanks Alan.
No 120 rolls, and 4x5 sheet film is 29USD.
Arista/Foma/Bergger are at 25 to 31.25 USD now, if you buy 50sheets boxes.
Hope to find Shanghai just a little sup 20USD like the previous prices of Arista. Think it's fair price if they wish to sell much.
Thanks again.
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
7,014
Format
35mm
They're pricing premium prices for a cut-rate film these days.

I used to buy bricks of the stuff but for the price they want now I'll stick with Kodak.
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,814
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
 

Richard Man

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 24, 2005
Messages
1,322
Format
Multi Format
I have 5-6 boxes in the freezer. I should let them go...
 

John Wiegerink

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
4,028
Location
Lake Station, MI
Format
Multi Format
Cholentpot said:
They're pricing premium prices for a cut-rate film these days.

I used to buy bricks of the stuff but for the price they want now I'll stick with Kodak.
Click to expand...
Yup, my feelings also. I really can't see them selling huge volumes of their film stock at the prices I see it going for online. Of course I suspect the company itself isn't setting the prices we're seeing. Also wonder what is going on or going to happen with this trade war BS. How is that going to influence our final cost? Or maybe it already has? JohnW
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
7,014
Format
35mm

All the reviews used to read 'An excellent film FOR IT'S PRICE' no-one was buying it because it would outshine other films. It's an OK film that was awesome because it was affordable.

I don't think the Kommandant In Chief is looking to tradewar on baubles and trinkets. More like the bones of modern society are going to be affected. Metals, minerals and other stuffs.
 

John Wiegerink

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
4,028
Location
Lake Station, MI
Format
Multi Format
I agree with you on the "so called" trade war too, but remember that in this Global Economy everything has an effect on everything else. Film, after all is made with silver and silver is a metal. Last I new anyway. JohnW
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
7,014
Format
35mm
John Wiegerink said:
I agree with you on the "so called" trade war too, but remember that in this Global Economy everything has an effect on everything else. Film, after all is made with silver and silver is a metal. Last I new anyway. JohnW
Click to expand...

Price of GP3 was up before Don started playing poker with Mao-peeps.

I want my 10.99 bricks back.
 

John Wiegerink

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
4,028
Location
Lake Station, MI
Format
Multi Format
Cholentpot said:
Price of GP3 was up before Don started playing poker with Mao-peeps.

I want my 10.99 bricks back.
Click to expand...
Yes, but the price hike was more likely due to re-introducing the film after a long absents due to a whole new plant, machinery and better QC. I assumed that the price would stabilize at a much lower price after the rush to buy a "once like and lost" film. Now I've come to the conclusion that maybe I should never assume anything. Of course here I go assuming again, but I assume this trade war tiff can't have a positive effect on any goods coming from China or Timbuktu for that matter. Time will tell I guess. JohnW
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
7,014
Format
35mm

Timbuktu? I must have made the wrong toin at Joisy!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register