And thanks to brands like ilford and kodak you can enjoy an extensive range of black and white films fujifilm. When scanning, this effect appears as a myriad of small black dots throughout the film. How do you decide what film to use, and how do you choose from the huge variety of. They are at the moment probably my favourite slow black and white films. From kodaks tmax to ilford to rollei, fuji, every analogue film producer. Comparing hp5 with trix to find my goto blackandwhite. While this is perfect for experienced film photographers who love having a choice, we appreciate that it can be a bit confusing for people new to film photography. When it comes to bw, apart from trix, i stick with ilford. Nowadays im a pretty darn happy ilford fanboy as well.
Comparing and contrasting ilford films 7 6 share tweet. Kodak, for example, makes two 400 speed films tmax 400 and trix. It is ideal for action, available light and general purpose photography. Ilford hp5 plus black and white film profile casual. The advantages for any chromogenic film are they have very wide range of tonal values that is far superior to digital capture, and unlike conventional black and white film, they can be easily scanned. The advantage of ilford xp2 super compared to kodak cn is it has grain similar to conventional black and white films. Exhibiting notably wide exposure latitude, this film responds well to use in mixed and difficult lighting and provides medium contrast for greater overall control. The results from the m9 look filmic due to the kodak ccd sensor. Jan 31, 2020 comparing black and white film stocks. At adorama, we sell a variety of black and white films for different levels of contrast, iso, and sharpness.
If you are looking for a black and white film that produces a nice tonal range from dark shadows to high lights and one that you can use at several speed settings this is the one. Ilford delta 400 film profile a vintage look with modern. The current rights to the historic adox name were obtained in 2003 by fotoimpex of berlin, germany, a company founded in 1992 to import photographic films and papers from former east europe. With winter edging its way into the northern hemisphere, the long summery days are turning shorter and greyer as we anticipate the upcoming snow. A black and white film is a type of photographic film that is made to be developed into images without color. To me, kodak never did black and white film really that well besides p3200 tmax. Nov 08, 2017 but for traditional black and white film i really like fuji acros 100 and kodak trix. Eastman kodak doublex 5222 a cinematic black and white film. The films mentioned are ilford hp5, ilford delta 400, kodak tmax 400. I have a feeling that trix will be the last traditional blackandwhite film made by a major manufacturer anywhere. The sizes and other characteristics of the crystals determine the sensitivity, contrast, and resolution of the film.
May 03, 2018 we compare available 120 black and white and color film stocks from kodak, ilford, fujifilm, and cinestill. Choosing the right black and white film for your shoot depends on the genre or aesthetic that you are trying to achieve. Nov 18, 2016 to some oldschool photo geeks, hp5 plus is nothing more than a pale, british imitation of the renowned american blackandwhite film, kodak trix. Consumed with intense fear that i wasnt shooting the best iso 100 black and white film, i immediately went home, jumped on amazon and bought a roll each of fuji acros 100, ilford delta 100 professional and kodak tmax 100 with the intent of doing an indepth comparison. Im a longtime film shooter and spent many an hour in the darkroom processing black and white film of all sizes and emulsionsamong my happier times. Kodak black and white vs kodak black and white plus c41 bw films, is there a difference. Whether youre a novice to shooting black and white or a pro, you might not understand the differences between film stocks. Black and white film stock comparisons comparing kodak trix, ilford hp5, and kodak tmax in a variety of lighting situations. Film is more fun is a place where i share about whatever busted up old camera im currently shooting and tinkering with, or my meanderings in film photography. We compare available 120 black and white and color film stocks from kodak, ilford, fujifilm, and cinestill. In reloads, a true value can still be found, and kodak plusx, trix, tmax 100 and tmax 400 are among the brightest stars lighting the analog sky. Digital leica m9 i think when film can offer me something extra or different to digital then i get excited. The slowest film ilford produces might also be the sharpest black and white film you can get your hands on.
Schleussner gmbh of frankfurt am main, the worlds first photographic materials manufacturer. I will post one of my pictures from my yashica a at iso 400. In the 1950s it launched its revolutionary thin layer sharp black and white kb 14 and 17 films, referred to by us distributors as the german wonder film. Kodak trix 400 is known for its classic grain structure, great contrast with deep blacks and pure whites, while ilford hp5. Ive used this in a 1929 kodak pocket folding camera, and a 1958 yashica yashicamat tlr. When you want to shoot black and white film, youre greeted by a strange and exciting array of films catering to all sorts of needs.
Im pleased kodak and ilford are still producing their fine black and white films, lets all keep shooting them so they will continue. Dec 04, 2018 the last film on our list of the top 10 black and white negative 35mm film stocks comes from kodak alaris kodaks trix 400. Coloring darkroom prints with tea, coffee, and wine. Kodak had a panf equivalent a number of years ago in panatomicx.
Certain films and developers are meant to work together as designed by their manufacturers and if you stick to the formula, you can expect specific, consistent results. However, one of the first questions youll have to answer is. Analogue photography has been on the rise, and kodaks reintroduction of. I did not observe this phenomenon on kodak tmax 100 films though. This item ilford 1574577 hp5 plus, black and white print film, 35 mm, iso 400, 36 exposures pack of 3 kodak ultramax 400 color print film 36 exp. While many shooters know and love hp5 plus, a film made popular by its generous latitude and similarity to kodaks neariconstatus trix, theres another 400 speed blackandwhite ilford offering that often gets overlooked. Aug 07, 2005 in terms of fine grain, the best 100 speed bw film is ilford delta 100 in my opinion. It is designed to give optimum results under most lighting conditions and when processed in a wide range of developers. To simply put, iso refers to the sensitivity of the. I also really like ilford xp2 400 when i am looking for the convenience of c41 film. Id like to think of ilford hp5 to be the black and quite equivalent of kodak portra 400yet another film that i tend to have a. However, foma seems to be improving its emulsion from time to time, so it is quite possible that the situation has changed. In my last blog post i discussed kodak black and white film, specifically kodak doublex. Assignment challenges versus the benefits of a tangible archive.
The highlights and shadows of kodak xtol be developer by leslie lazenby kodakss xtol film developer is my goto film developer, i think everyone has one. Aug 31, 2018 because as you use them, youll begin to see that your preference for black and white film is as personal to you as is your favorite cereal brand. Mar 23, 2018 mention the name ilford to any film photographer and chances are high theyll be able to name at least one film in the brands lineup. I already use ilford papers and chemicals and i use fuji color slide film. Photographic chemicals from ilford and kodak ilford paper developer. What black and white film should you start out with. Kentmere film is only able in 35mm format and comes in two speeds, 100 and 400. I then bought a digital 35mm leica m9 rangefinder camera. Kodak black and white vs kodak black and white plus c41. Why i switched from kodak to ilford blackandwhite films. Though the perfect combination of weather and ilford film are in our midst. Undeveloped 35 mm, iso 12522, black and white negative film photographic film is a strip or sheet of transparent plastic film base coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion containing microscopically small lightsensitive silver halide crystals.
However, with that being said i do believe that trix 400 is a good film that will get the job done, but it does not impress me. They change the film which affects development time. Before i get into the pros and cons of this film, first, a little background about iso might be necessary. Attached are a couple of samples that i took with the yashicamat. Jan 16, 2017 what black and white film should you start out with.
In the 1970s dupont the new owners of the adox brand sold the. How to choose a black and white film developer by tim layton. Kodak black and white vs kodak black and white plus c41 bw. And thanks to brands like ilford and kodak you can enjoy an extensive range of black and. Tim layton fine art how to choose a black and white film. Dont know much about kodak bw films, their only bw film i use reguarly is trix, but thats a 400 speed film.
Even today, as film is supposedly dying, there are a huge number of black and white films available to us. In terms of fine grain, the best 100 speed bw film is ilford delta 100 in my opinion. Even though this is a 400 speed film, the grain is not very. It served as the primary film type until the 1950s and is now popular among photographers who are driven by a vintage aesthetic. Again, to my eyes, the ilford film had better tonality. Ilford rapid fixer is a nonhardening rapid fixer supplied as a liquid concentrate for fixing black and white film and paper in all manual and machine processing applications. A comparison of all the 120 film stocks on the market. Comparing the most popular black and white 400 iso films. Some of the more common ilford and kodak black and white shot at box speed can look like a black and white digital file, especially if youre using a camera with really good autoexposure. We are passionate about what we do with a long tradition of commitment to black and white film photography. Black and white also dubbed monochrome film is special in that, aside from its. Ilford fp4 vs kodak tmax 100 film i used mostly in 202014. On forums and blogs everywhere we scarcely see hp5 plus mentioned without a reference to trixs alleged superiority. Film, paper, chemistry started by thegreatgasmaskman, feb, 2020.
Mention the name ilford to any film photographer and chances are high theyll be able to name at least one film in the brands lineup. Because as you use them, youll begin to see that your preference for black and white film is as personal to you as is your favorite cereal brand. In my long film developing career i have tried many, but used consistently about 3, first microdolx, tmax and xtol. Black and white film processing and developing is much easier process compared to working with colored film, as the chemicals required to treat its negatives are more readily available. In the 1970s dupont the new owners of the adox brand sold the recipes and. Our black and white products enable the highest photographic quality, having been honed by 7 years of experience. Ilford id11 film developer is equivalent to kodak d76. Panatomicx had contrast that was difficult for me to get a handle on. Kodak trix 400 is known for its classic grain structure, great contrast with deep blacks and pure whites, while ilford hp5 plus 400 has less contrast with a subtle grain and very pleasant tones. Oct 09, 2017 kodak trix 400 is known for its classic grain structure, great contrast with deep blacks and pure whites, while ilford hp5 plus 400 has less contrast with a subtle grain and very pleasant tones. Im pleased kodak and ilford are still producing their fine black and white films. Choosing a black and white film developer is often a deeply personal decision, but not necessarily.
This is an amazing, diverse film stock that can be used in many different scenarios. Kodak trix 400, tmax 400 and ilford hp5 plus, delta 400 at ei 25600 written by emulsive last updated on april 14, 2020. But for traditional black and white film i really like fuji acros 100 and kodak trix. Both trix and hp5 have incredible exposure latitude, allowing them to retain their highlights up to 3 stops of overexposure. Adox was a german camera and film brand of fotowerke dr.
So if the usual gear shot opener is obsolete, what to do instead. The bigname film manufacturers such as kodak and ilford wont likely produce a film that wont perform well in d76 and i would go out on a limb and just. Ilford hp5 plus black and white negative film iso 400 120 roll film. The fun really begins though, when you start to mix and match for various. My lovehate relationship with ilford hp5 plus 400 iso black and. They do not display development times in other makers developers and i find information hard to find at their web site. That said, for this experiment, i used five different stocks, hc110 developer, and kodak fixer for the traditional black and white stocks and a unicolor kit for the ilford xp2 as its. I always heard ilford hp5 had less contrast than kodak trix 400, and that ilford 3200 was meant to be shot at 1600, but i had no data to back these statements up. Ilford 1574577 hp5 plus, black and white print film, 35 mm. Ive never had much use for black and white film in the 100125 iso range.
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