What's the best 120 film in your opinion?

[GregY]

I have used Pyrocat-HD almost exclusively for semistand and EMA development.

This summer, I spent a bunch of time exploring Double-X and - after hundreds of exposures - I have determined that at least 35mm Double X really doesn't like highly dilute developers like Pyrocat (conventional or standing development) or PMK. I find the grain to be objectionable no matter what I do. Interestingly, Double-X seems to do really well with D-76 1:1.

With 120 it's less of an issue but I am likely to seek other options for this film.

TMY interests me because I'd love a faster, low grain film at my disposal. Does the TMY take Pyrocat stain well? I could never get TMX on board with stain for some reason.

I always liked my PMK negatives, but disliked the longer print exposure time. I'm happy with the results from both TMX & TMY....i look more for the tonality than the stain, and I've gotten near LF results from MF & one added benefit ......the combination of TMX with older lenses ....you get acceptable sharpness...with the old lens character. Both the images i post were taken with my Voigtlander Perkeo ll w a Color Skopar (1953)

 

[Sirius Glass]

Kodak Tri-X shot at box speed and Rollei IR 400 shot at box speed. Both developed in XTOL, replenished XTOL or Pyrocat-HD.

 

[mshchem]

So many great choices today.

 

[baachitraka]

the ones that I can afford...

 

[loccdor]

For all around versatility in medium format, I'd have to go with Kodak Tri-X 400 as well, if I could only pick one film. Before it was cancelled, I would have gone with Fuji Neopan 400 instead.

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

Kodak Tri-X shot at box speed and Rollei IR 400 shot at box speed. Both developed in XTOL, replenished XTOL or Pyrocat-HD.

Now that I think about it, I have never used Tri-x on 120. Used Tri-X extensively on 35mm but never in 120. As far as I can remember I either used Plus-X or other medium/slow speed film since medium format was about shooting slowly and planned (compared to 35mm with motor and automatic exposure), so film speed was not a priority. Later, where I started to use medium format more frequently, used TMAX 100/400 or Ilford film, but never Tri-X.

I may get some Tri-X rolls and use, of course, D-76, and see how I like it.

 

[GregY]

the ones that I can afford...

If you can 'afford' 3 cameras, a roll of fillm shouldn't be that much of a stretch.....

 

[retina_restoration]

The "best" 120 film is the one that is the best match for the photographs you want to make. A general question like this is as meaningful as asking "what's the best ice cream flavor?"

 

[SodaAnt]

"what's the best ice cream flavor?"

Chocolate, of course..

 

[Chuck1]

Sorry vanilla is more versatile

 

[SodaAnt]

Sorry vanilla is more versatile

Vanilla is boring. There's a reason "vanilla" is used as a synonym for ordinary and boring...

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

Black cherry here Can't imagine eating an apple pie with anything but vanilla ice cream though.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

But vanilla accepts anything you put on it: strawberries, pineapple, blueberries ... even chocolate syrup. And you can make your own chocolate syrup - any sort of chocolate you want, make it with espresso for mocha. And as Marcelo points out, there are lots of things you can put under vanilla ice cream. Yeah, I agree vanilla is kinda blah on it's own.

So, I like boring ice cream. Also like boring film - no grain, lots of latitude, doesn't curl up into a 1/4" tube, comes in a yellow box, moderate speed. In my book, it's not the film that makes the image, and though sometimes specialty films are a good choice, the key word is sometimes. And like vanilla ice cream, TMax films are only spectacular if you put something spectacular on them. The film shouldn't announce itself, just do its job.

 

[baachitraka]

If you can 'afford' 3 cameras, a roll of fillm shouldn't be that much of a stretch.....

3? and that number grew to 15 + accessories.

HP5+ is not bad.

Foma 200 is good albeit some bad QC recently and not sure whether that got fixed.

Delta 3200 is outstanding.

 

[JerseyDoug]

People arguing for other ice cream flavors probably haven't tasted a really good vanilla. In my experience most of them have a nasty medicinal taste. My favorite local ice cream shop has it figured out, and they aren't sharing their recipe

 

[GregY]

People arguing for other ice cream flavors probably haven't tasted a really good vanilla. In my experience most of them have a nasty medicinal taste. My favorite local ice cream shop has it figured out, and they aren't sharing their recipe

My favourite ice cream dealers are still Kodak & Ilford, the others arbitrarily close early, run out of stock....& sometimes plain go out of business. First class vanilla, is really all you need....it's all about the image. The other stuff is just stuff......

 

[Sirius Glass]

Kodak Tri-X shot at box speed and Rollei IR 400 shot at box speed. Both developed in XTOL, replenished XTOL or Pyrocat-HD.

Also Kodak Portra 400 also shot at box speed. Anyone notice any patterns?

 

[abruzzi]

People arguing for other ice cream flavors probably haven't tasted a really good vanilla. In my experience most of them have a nasty medicinal taste. My favorite local ice cream shop has it figured out, and they aren't sharing their recipe

the best ice cream is the one without any flavors--just the taste of lightly sweetend cream. (most ice cream is just overloaded with too much flavor.)

 

[GregY]

But vanilla accepts anything you put on it: strawberries, pineapple, blueberries ... even chocolate syrup. And you can make your own chocolate syrup - any sort of chocolate you want, make it with espresso for mocha. And as Marcelo points out, there are lots of things you can put under vanilla ice cream. Yeah, I agree vanilla is kinda blah on it's own.

So, I like boring ice cream. Also like boring film - no grain, lots of latitude, doesn't curl up into a 1/4" tube, comes in a yellow box, moderate speed. In my book, it's not the film that makes the image, and though sometimes specialty films are a good choice, the key word is sometimes. And like vanilla ice cream, TMax films are only spectacular if you put something spectacular on them. The film shouldn't announce itself, just do its job.

Nicely said!

 

[MattKing]

Clearly, if you want the best ice cream, you need to find some Kodak ice cream!

 

[Eric Rose]

Agfa APX 100

 

[GregY]

Agfa APX 100

Can something that no longer exists still be the best?..... count me in for Agfapan 25.

 

[SodaAnt]

In that case, Kodachrome.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

From reading just this last page in the thread, seems pretty plain that the best 120 film is Häagen-Dazs.

Can something that no longer exists still be the best?.....

Excellent question. In 120, I have one APX 100, on Agfapan 25, and a couple of Efke 50 and Efke 100 still hanging around. If I shoot them and they turn out to be the best but cannot be replicated as the best because no longer existing... what now?

 

[MattKing]

Can something that no longer exists still be the best?

Only if there is no distinction between "is" and "was".
Or if one is allowed to answer the question by specifying something that the questioner cannot normally buy.