Shopping around for a new b/w film stock, what are you using and why?

BrandonJ said:

I am an all around shooter and right now I am shooting the last of my Neopan 400 (now out of production) and need to stock up on new film. I have been trying the Ilford 3200 because it has an awesome push/pull range that I love but I am looking to see if anyone else has another favorites.

What I look for:
Currently available
Something that I can push/pull (+/-2 stops or more)
120 format
great tonal range
Can be developed in R09 (Rodinal formula)


I would love to hear your reviews (pros / cons) of any of the b/w on the market.

Thanks,
BrandonJ

Click to expand...

I'm assuming you want a 400 film.

I would try any of the 400 speed films from Ilford or Kodak. They can all do what you need, and it is just a matter of opinion which one will work best for you.

In 120 format, I use Tri-X and T-Max for the most part, though I also like HP5. I use HP5 for biting high tones, often pushed. I use Tri-X for a soft look, often pulled. And I use T-Max for extreme sharpness and low light shooting with minimum grain. For some reason, I never was that excited about the look of my Delta 400 negs when I shot it. I find T-Max far superior for a 400 speed t-grained film.

I use Rodinal most often with the T-Max 400 as opposed to with the other two. It accentuates the sharpness and speed of the film, without getting grainy.

I also recommend Tri-X and T-Max.

Jeff

You might want to try a roll or two of the Fomapan 400. I just used a roll of the Arista Edu 400 version in 120 and the tonality was great. Looks more old school than a Tmax or Delta, yet not as contrasty as HP5+ or Tri-X.

I don't think the Fomapan will push well though. A lot of people recommend shooting it at EI 250 or 320 but I really liked it at 400.