Next-best alternative for low-reciprocity sheet film

LarsAC · Jun 7, 2018

Hello,

I do photography in somewhat dim conditions (lost factories etc,) from time to time on sheet film (4x5). HP5+ is getting in the way with its reciprocity behavior. My last session had an image metered for 1 minute which I exposed for 8 minutes (EI 200). With Acros @ EI100 I would have gotten close to 2 mins I guess, but that's not an option anymore.

Is T-MAX 400 my next-best alternative for a good sheet film with low reciprocity effect ?

Lars

Konical · Jun 7, 2018

Good Evening, Lars,
I think that T-Max 100 is preferable. It has good reciprocity characteristics, and it has the advantage of extremely fine grain. Since most night photography requires a tripod anyway, any difference in exposure length should be insignificant. I seem to recall a test reported some decades ago in a photo magazine which found that time exposures with T-Max 100 could actually end up being shorter than those with T-Max 400. My best results came with Technidol developer.

Konical

LarsAC · Jun 8, 2018

Thanks for your suggestion. Recently I made a photo where the measured exposure time was 1 min (EI 200), correcting for reciprocity on HP5+ led me to expose for 8 mins. T-MAX 400 would still remain below 2 mins, whereas for T-MAX 100 the measured time already be 2mins.

I generally like 400 ISO films on 4x5 as grain is not an issue.

Lars

mdarragh · Jun 8, 2018

Hello Lars,
You might find the attached table useful. It is from an article by Howard Bond in Phototechniques back in 2003. What I find most interesting is the better reciprocity in Delta 100 vs both the T Max films. These results were obviously with the older versions of the T Max films.

All the best
Mark

LarsAC · Jun 9, 2018

Thanks, good material. I wasn't aware that Delta 100 had also acceptable reciprocity characteristics.

Interestingly, the app I used to determine actual exposure time gave me 8mins for 1min measured exposure time, whereas your chart indicates 2:36. That's quite a difference. Will research further.

Lars

RalphLambrecht · Jun 9, 2018

LarsAC said:
Hello,

I do photography in somewhat dim conditions (lost factories etc,) from time to time on sheet film (4x5). HP5+ is getting in the way with its reciprocity behavior. My last session had an image metered for 1 minute which I exposed for 8 minutes (EI 200). With Acros @ EI100 I would have gotten close to 2 mins I guess, but that's not an option anymore.

Is T-MAX 400 my next-best alternative for a good sheet film with low reciprocity effect ?

Lars

hate to say it but, I think, there is no such thing as reciprocity failure in digital?

LarsAC · Jun 9, 2018

I thought, there are also issues with long-term exposures such as sensors warming up. Not sure, from which exposure times these start to get relevant, though.

Lars

RattyMouse · Jun 9, 2018

LarsAC said:
I thought, there are also issues with long-term exposures such as sensors warming up. Not sure, from which exposure times these start to get relevant, though.

Lars

Many digital cameras limit the exposure time due to excessive heat build up.

Next-best alternative for low-reciprocity sheet film

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