One of the more important features of B&W is contrast, so starting with a flat negative on purpose is not a good idea because it needs extensive corrections in post after scanning.
Low contrast negatives have a relative narrow histogram (lacking blacks and whites) which needs to be corrected in post by stretching the histogram until it covers the complete range from black to white, to get your contrast back. Doing so leaves the range of gray values in the histogram with small gaps in it, which in effect deteriorates tonality. The more you must stretch the harsher tonality gets, and the grain is emphasized too. So, the best practice is to expose and develop your negatives for a full range of gray values which needs only minimal corrections in post.
There's a huge difference between low contrast negatives and the slightly lower contrast negatives many produce when they are only ever sacnning their negatives. Where I aim for negtaives that print around Grade 2 or 2.5 in teh darkroom my friens (and others like Howard Bond) are reducing contrast by approx anoth Grade so 3 to 3.5 if printing traditionally. This give slightly thinner negatives while gaining slightly better shadow details and better control of the high lights for scanning. It's more of a slight subtle change that makes a significant difference.
Ian
When people say they need slightly lower contrast negatives for I good scan I always wonder how the result would look. What are they doing with the scan? Or perhaps they like gray prints?
They are only making digital prints and they are of exceptional quality. There's no reason the prints themselves should be of a lower contrast, after all they are prints from negatives that would print well in a darkroom on Grade 3 to 3.5 paper. It's also no different to the controls used in the Zone System where reduced development and a very slightly increased exposure is used to control extremes of contrast.
Ian
Thank you for all these replies. I am amazed and abashed at the number of replies. I think my best approach will be to do a few rolls and then do scans, and adjust accordingly. I have a Nikon 5000 ED scanner, with a 4.8 density range, according to specs. Does that spec afffect any of the replies?
@Alan9940My Minolta Scan Elite 5400 II also has a 4.8 density range and I develop B&W 35mm film for the same time, regardless of scanning or printing in the wet darkroom. Therefore, no it doesn't change my reply.
So I posted a thread in one of the analog forums https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...-old-but-kept-frozen-plus-x-and-tri-x.176021/. My takeaway is that, before adjusting for the age of the film, I'm best off with either D-76 or Xtol to get got tonal range. When I last did serious B&W home processing, I don't think that Xtol even existed. For me, given the relatively low volumes, the overall cost, and the desire for simplicity, I will start out with Xtol 1:1 for one-shot use. The powder makes 5 L, so I'll need some 500-600 ml bottles for the stock solution, then do two batches in two days. I have a 2 reel Nikor tank, that takes about that amount of developer to fill up the tank. Plus some 500 ml or larger bottles for stop bath, fixer, etc. At least that's my starting point.As others have said here, I'm for building as much tonality (Information) into the neg as possible, for either printing or scanning. A full range neg will contain better adjacency contrast, or separation between values near each other, like between grade 6 and 6.5 or 7. If that separation isn't articulated in the neg, you won't "pull" or "expand" it with a print or a scan. Agreed, of course, that the scanner can accommodate the max density.
So I posted a thread in one of the analog forums https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...-old-but-kept-frozen-plus-x-and-tri-x.176021/. My takeaway is that, before adjusting for the age of the film, I'm best off with either D-76 or Xtol to get got tonal range. When I last did serious B&W home processing, I don't think that Xtol even existed. For me, given the relatively low volumes, the overall cost, and the desire for simplicity, I will start out with Xtol 1:1 for one-shot use. The powder makes 5 L, so I'll need some 500-600 ml bottles for the stock solution, then do two batches in two days. I have a 2 reel Nikor tank, that takes about that amount of developer to fill up the tank. Plus some 500 ml or larger bottles for stop bath, fixer, etc. At least that's my starting point.
Since I'm dealing with very old film, and I don't want to sacrifice any rolls, I really can't afford to "experiment."
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