Black & White film - I'm confused
Discussion
As I have some black and white filters, which I got with my camera, I thought rather than letting them just collect dust I would start experimenting.
Unfortunately it seems I am way out of my depth and I haven't even bough the film yet! I've read on here the Ilford film is good, but looking at the selection I don't know what one to get
Link to a site which sells a wide selection.
Could someone point me in the right direction please.
Unfortunately it seems I am way out of my depth and I haven't even bough the film yet! I've read on here the Ilford film is good, but looking at the selection I don't know what one to get
Link to a site which sells a wide selection.
Could someone point me in the right direction please.
AH!
Well - first of all what do you want to photograph, and under what conditions?
Then - what sort of image is your objective? Grainy or not grainy for example, high contrast or not?
Then there'll be a group along any moment with sandals and pipes who'll debate about the relative merits of this that and the other......
For what it's worth Ilford Delta 100 or 400 is pretty good all round. HP5 is fabulous stuff. XP2(?) is the stuff that can be developed in the same chemicals as colour films. Fujipan 1600 is something for a grainy finish and low light.
Well - first of all what do you want to photograph, and under what conditions?
Then - what sort of image is your objective? Grainy or not grainy for example, high contrast or not?
Then there'll be a group along any moment with sandals and pipes who'll debate about the relative merits of this that and the other......
For what it's worth Ilford Delta 100 or 400 is pretty good all round. HP5 is fabulous stuff. XP2(?) is the stuff that can be developed in the same chemicals as colour films. Fujipan 1600 is something for a grainy finish and low light.
beano500 said:
Well - first of all what do you want to photograph, and under what conditions?
It's mainly going to be old buildings and some landscapes I think.
beano said:
Then - what sort of image is your objective? Grainy or not grainy for example, high contrast or not?
Don't really know to be honest, not sure what I'm after so I just want to experiment a bit.
beano said:
For what it's worth Ilford Delta 100 or 400 is pretty good all round. HP5 is fabulous stuff. XP2(?) is the stuff that can be developed in the same chemicals as colour films. Fujipan 1600 is something for a grainy finish and low light.
Just to make sure - I can take B+W film into a normal developers can't I? I assume I'll have to tell them it's B+W? What film can I use if I want to take some pics using the Sepia filter?
for fine (no) grain. 
.Adam. said:...and if you're going to go that route, I've got a pile of kit sitting doing nothing with no room to store it, just add chemicals and water!!!!
Also, it's dead easy to develop B&W film yourself, only takes about 30 mins. Chemicals aren't very expensive either.
Back to your question. B&W is a different (and simpler) process to colour negative C41 and colour reversal E-6 processing. Except for some two bath developers (Stoeckler et al) it's just develop, stop, fix! Too simple!!!
The exception is for a few (chromogenic) films which only record in B&W but are technically the same as colour negative film and can be processed in the same bath. This means that you can run them through machines processing colour films. Hence they can be done anywhere. (Varying results because they would then get printed on colour paper and can end up anything from near black all the way through sepia and white!) If you're looking at MX2's site, that's the XP2 400 they have advertised. It's good, easy to work with, has a wide tolerance, and you can "play" at different ISO's which give you differing levels of contrast.
Otherwise you need to go for a dedicated B&W processing service (or use Ilford's mailer system) when you get developing.
For landscapes and buildings I agree with the earlier suggestion of Pan F - then get orange and red filters out (good for making blue sky a bit more dramatic. (You could even go the whole hog and try infra red film, once you've done some other experimenting!)
But also get something fast and dirty so that you can capture some moody and grainy stuff. Nightlife under Delta 3200 for example....
Oh - inspiring ideas.....
If you don't want to develop film yourself then go for the XP2 or Kodak's equivalent T400CN (the Fuji version is just a rebadged XP2). Its a fine grain film and you can get the prints in 1 hour from the high street. Mind you, I'm not that impressed by the quality that most high street places print them so you might be a bit disappointed with this route !
If you don't mind getting your fingers wet then developing and printing B&W yourself is fun. Fun in a sitting-in-a-darkened-room-all-by-yourself-counting-elephants kind of way that is
If you don't mind getting your fingers wet then developing and printing B&W yourself is fun. Fun in a sitting-in-a-darkened-room-all-by-yourself-counting-elephants kind of way that is
Counting elephants? Now I'm confused...
Agreed - anything with the word "Ilford" on the box is pretty good stuff. And don't feel you need to stick to the rules (ie, fine/no grain for landscapes and big grain for action/atmosphere) - play about a bit and you'll soon find what you like.
Agreed - anything with the word "Ilford" on the box is pretty good stuff. And don't feel you need to stick to the rules (ie, fine/no grain for landscapes and big grain for action/atmosphere) - play about a bit and you'll soon find what you like.
beano500 said:
Otherwise you need to go for a dedicated B&W processing service (or use Ilford's mailer system) when you get developing.
I can't find any info for the Ilford mailer system on their website, have you got any details of it?
Developing at home does sound like a good idea, but I'm a bit skint at the moment so I'll have to put that off.
FunkyNige said:Ah - good point. And I've just thrown mine away in favour of using Lab 120.
I can't find any info for the Ilford mailer system on their website, have you got any details of it?
Just searched and there's something about it here under "Ilford Premium Direct"
FunkyNige said:Whereabouts are you? I am serious when I say I have a load of kit, in storage. I've just parted with my film bodies in readiness for a digital replacement and the likelihood of me ever using this kit is lower than a low thing on a low day. I'm not looking for dosh necessarily - just that if it's useful to someone....
Developing at home does sound like a good idea, but I'm a bit skint at the moment so I'll have to put that off.
...also got a small selection of 35mm films if anyone's interested?
Have you considered enrolling on a course at night school? You will learn to develop and print properly and when you get the hang of that, tone too if you're lucky. There is a real craft to black and white printing. Sadly it is fast becoming a dying art.
Good luck with your experimentation and discovery.
Good luck with your experimentation and discovery.
EmmaP said:
Have you considered enrolling on a course at night school?
Definetly. I'm currently on a night course studying for a computing :yawn: HNC in Norwich and walk past the photography displays twice a week on my way to the computing rooms. I always have a quick gander at the shots on display, though Norwich College only do photography courses in the daytime, which would be impossible for me.
The school I work at runs a photography A2 (what used to be A-Level) course in photography so I'll ask around and see if there's somehwere else local.
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