Newbie asking questions

[salan]

Hi All,
I have been a member of this site for many years. But I fell off the wagon and went to the dark side(*sigh*). anyway A good friend of mine who is a member here, has sparked my interest in using actual film again.
I am looking at doing B&W in film(you just can't beat it!).
I am mainly going to be doing MF (with a little 35mm).
To start with I intend to dust off the developing stuff and develop the film then scan it (only for now until I get back into things!).
I am interested in really slow films with extra fine grain (Bring back 6 iso thats what I say lol).
So my question iscan anyone reccomend somewhere (pref in the UK) to buy my film from?
I used to use Ilford (they are just down the road) and loved pan F
But I was always blown by agfapan APX25.
So a few films have been reccomended but I am finding it difficult to find sources in the Uk.
It is it just easier to buy from croatia etc direct?
What about postage (been stung by tax and postage costing me three times the price of the product in the past!).
all suggestions welcome.
Thank
Alan

 

[stillsilver]

Pan F in Perceptol. You won't go wrong. Welcome back from the 'other' side.

Mike

 

[Ian Grant]

Pan F in Perceptol. You won't go wrong. Welcome back from the 'other' side.

Mike

A superb combination if you always work with a tripod, particualrly with the Perceptol at 1+2.

APX25 in Rodinal was my own preferred choice, but the film's long gone and some key chemistry's no longer made so Mirko/Adox can't re-introduce it.

However Adox CHS/EFKE 25 is another option, I process mine in Pyrocat HD.

Ian

 

[paul_c5x4]

Ag Photographic and Silverprint are your two main sources. The first will ship smaller items at a lower cost and is quite happy to talk for hours on the phone. Silverprint is great if your order tops £100 and can supply hard to find stuff like raw chemicals.

If you seek grainless images then PanF in a pyro is probably about as good as you'll get in MF. The next step is to move up a size or three

 

[salan]

Great and thanks for the replies.
Pan F it is for now then.
Yes I would love a LF camera, but the cost is just too much (for now).
I have got rid of a lot of cameras but some will be in the box with me when I go.
Alan

 

[hpulley]

PanF+ for sure.

I went digital for a year too but it just doesn't look right to me. Got some good pictures but highlights, shadows, colors... overall the feeling just isn't there.

 

[Diapositivo]

My strategy at the moment is to buy film in largish quantities (20 or more at a time) by mail. Great choice, convenient if you don't live near a well-supplied shop, and you even save something.

Fabrizio

 

[mcgrattan]

I'm a big fan of Pan F+, in various developers including Ilfosol 3 and Paterson Aculux-3. Particularly shot with an orange filter in good light. I also find a get comparable levels of grain and very nice tones from Fuji Acros and sometimes the extra stop of speed is useful.

I buy film from Ag-Photographic, Silverprint, 7Dayshop and Mathers of Lancashire, depending on what I'm buying and in which quantities.

 

[hpulley]

Delta 100 is one of my favorite films for sure, I shoot much more than PanF+ which is more for special situations. Even in 35mm Delta 100 looks great enlarged. Great sharpness and acutance, small grain, lasts really well, usable at full speed years past expiry.

 

[wblynch]

I am interested in really slow films with extra fine grain (Bring back 6 iso thats what I say lol).

Oh sure... you say that now.

But soon enough you'll be sneaking about late at night with Tri-X or HP5+ set to 1600 and dunking it into Rodinal for that golf-ball sized grain !

 

[srmcnamara]

Pan-F+ is probably my favorite film "lookwise." I'm not smart enough to explain why, I just know it's a devil to print and when I do it right it looks nice. I wish it came in 4x5.

 

[Blighty]

I get my film from 7Dayshop.com but I can heartily recommend RK photographic for your paper. They mistakenly sent (and charged) me a box of 50 16x20 Ilford MGIV RC (instead of 16x12). Anyway, rather than send it back, they said I could keep the 16x20 and pay only for 16x12! They were the cheapest by quite a margin and also very quick. Welcome back BTW.

 

[semeuse]

Adox CMS20 in HC110 is rated at EI6. So there you go. Though I think it's only available in 35mm. And it should be available at Ag Photographic.

 

[yeknom02]

I'm testing a bunch of low-to-medium speed films (in 35mm) at the moment, and I love the look of Efke KB25. (some samples in Rodinal here)

I've heard great things about Kodak Plus-X, so it may be worth it to at least try a roll or two. Otherwise, I'm glad PanF+ is getting a lot of good recommendations on this thread. I'm testing it and FP4+ next.

 

[salan]

I am interested in very slow films of 'times gone past'
Does anyone know of the slowest film made these days?
I have used delta and whilst its a great film, its 'not the look I am after'
Hard to put my finger on but (for now) I am trying to reproduce old pictures and experience the 'fun' of past photographers if that makes sense?
Alan

 

[salan]

I'm testing it and FP4+ next.

That was my stock film before.
Love it.
Thanks for the suggestions keep them comming!
I will prob try films in 35mm first before 120 ( cost!).
Now how to justify a lf camera to the wife!
Alan

 

[hpulley]

120 is cheaper by the roll though not by the shot. I actually prefer the fact that it takes fewer shots to finish a 120 roll. And those big negatives are great, since you effectively enlarge the grain less MF appears quite a bit smoother when printed.

That was my stock film before.
Love it.
Thanks for the suggestions keep them comming!
I will prob try films in 35mm first before 120 ( cost!).
Now how to justify a lf camera to the wife!
Alan

 

[stillsilver]

Alan, tell your wife the LF camera just followed you home.

Or, do as some of us do and have so many cameras that it takes a while for the wives to realize there is a new camera.

Mike

 

[stillsilver]

p.s. watch out for the frying pan.

Mike

 

[salan]

LOL well I have tried that about so many cameras in the past. the problem is another 35mm she would not prob notice, but a damn great big things on legs...
Then again she married a damn great big thing on legs! lol