Neopan 400 OR 1600. Which to choose?

Mike Kennedy · Jul 10, 2006

Is it better to push Neopan 400 to 800/1600 or are better results gained from pulling 1600 to 800/400.
Most of my photography is done early in the morning or after sunset. 80% using available light. Many of my cameras will max out at 1/500 or 1/1000 of a sec.
Looking for opinions before I place my order.

Thank You,
Mike

john_s · Jul 10, 2006

Neopan1600 pulls itself to about 640. According to Fujifilm's pdf docs from their web site the Neopan1600 is 2/3 of one stop faster than Neopan400, based on their curves. So if you accept that Neopan400 is a true 400 film, Neopan1600 is 640.

timeUnit · Jul 10, 2006

NP1600 looks great at 800. Contrast will be a little low at 400, I guess. NP400 looks OK at 800, but not so great at 1600.

donbga · Jul 10, 2006

john_s said:
Neopan1600 pulls itself to about 640. According to Fujifilm's pdf docs from their web site the Neopan1600 is 2/3 of one stop faster than Neopan400, based on their curves. So if you accept that Neopan400 is a true 400 film, Neopan1600 is 640.

I agree with John, I rate Neopan 1600 at 640. I can make 11x14s from a 35 mm neg that is *very* fined grained. I don't use it as a low light film, rather a general purpose daylight film.

clogz · Jul 10, 2006

Hello Don,
What developer/time do you use for Neopan?

Hans

Mike Kennedy · Jul 10, 2006

Thanks all.

I would also like to know your time,temp. ratio Don

Mike

donbga · Jul 10, 2006

Mike Kennedy said:
I would also like to know your time,temp. ratio Don

Mike

As I recall, I used standard PMK at 77F for about 8 to 10 minutes. This produced a some what flat neg. that printed easily on VC paper about grade 3.5 or so using a dichro head on my Saunders 4x5 enlarger. I think you could easily make 16x20 prints without huge amounts of grain with this combination based on the results of my 11x14 prints.

clogz · Jul 10, 2006

Thanks Don for the info.

Hans

kunihiko · Jul 10, 2006

I totaly agree with timeUnit. I prefer NP1600 for EI800/1600, but sometime I push NP400 to 800 when I only have NP400 in hand. At EI800, NP1600 has better shadow, NP400 is bit sharper and finer grained IMO.
NP400 can be pushed to 1600 or even 3200, but I mean it just can be done. In 120 format, we don't have NP1600, so I push NP400 to 1600 in Microphen 1:2. It works fine, but in 35mm, I don't see any reason not to shoot NP1600.

Roger Hicks · Jul 11, 2006

A slower film in a speed increasing developer will invariably be finer grained (and usually cheaper) than a faster film in a fine-grain developer, and often, the true ISO speeds are within 1/3 stop of each other.

Which you prefer tonally is another matter and can only be determined by personal test.

Cheers,

Roger

Mike Kennedy · Jul 11, 2006

Neopan update.

Just informed by my local pro. camera shop that Neopan 1600 is no longer available in 100 ft. bulk rolls.

Any suggestions for a faster B&W film?

Mike

Mick Fagan · Jul 11, 2006

I recently purchased some NP1600 from Megaperls in Japan.

Dead Link Removed

I know they still have it in stock.

For what it's worth I use NP1600 @ 800 in D76 1+1 and find it is very very nice.

Slightly more contrasty than NP400, slightly more grain than NP400.

12 x 16" prints are easily done.

Mick.

Mike Kennedy · Jul 11, 2006

Thanks Mick. I just sent them an email.
How much was the shipping charge to your abode?

Mike

Jordan · Jul 11, 2006

Mike -- I got some Neopan 1600 by mail from Megaperls last year. Shipping to Canada was fast; faster than shipments from the USA, actually. No customs, no tax. Ask Dirk for "small packet mail".

Mike Kennedy · Jul 11, 2006

Wicked Jordan. How much was the postage to T.O?

Mike

Mick Fagan · Jul 12, 2006

Mike, I purchased three 30 metre rolls of film and had them sent the cheapest way, about 2½ weeks.

Total cost including freight was AUD $172 which equates to $3.20 for each 36 frame roll, with three ½ rolls in each can for film testing.

If I had to purchase 1600 NP roll by roll locally, the cost is about $12.45.

It's a no brainer, when Fuji stop selling their B&W film in 30m rolls, I'll stop using it.

Mick.

Mike Kennedy · Jul 12, 2006

I'm with you Mick. There's no bloody way I would go back to buying individual rolls of B&W unless it was for a very special occasion.

Mike

timeUnit · Jul 12, 2006

Alas, will we ever see NP1600 in 120 format?

I fear not.

Nicole · Jul 12, 2006

Mike, most of my work is in low light, hand held in 35mm and 120mm. Neopan is such a beautiful film and I use it carefully. I love shooting both Neopan 400 at 400 and 1600 at 1600 dev'd in Xtol full strength or 1+1.

Mike Kennedy · Jul 12, 2006

Thanks Nicole. I think my local photo supply shop carries Xtol.
The availability of different film/paper developers is quite limited in my small town.

Mike

P C Headland · Jul 13, 2006

Neopan 400 also looks very nice in Diafine, shot at about ISO600.

Neopan 400 OR 1600. Which to choose?

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