Just 1 Film Speed

Total newbie to photography. If you had to select just 1 B & W

film, what would be the best all-around speed? 100, 200, 400 etc?

Delta400 is my alround film.

Kodak Tri-X 400. Learn to develop the film yourself (not hard) and you can use it at anything from 100 to 25600 EI. The most flexible film I've ever seen.

I'm a believer in only shooting one film almost all the time. That way I never had to worry if I have the wrong film for the occasion loaded. I even develop it the same and deal with contrast differences in post processing. It just eliminates one more variable thus allowing me to concentrate more on the quality of what I am shooting.

 

And my chosen speed is 400. I used to shoot Delta 400 in both 35mm and MF. But I've switched to Neopan 400 for 35mm. The next time I stock up on 120, it will also be Neopan 400.

 

You can do well with any film in the 100-400 range. Just buy a lot of the same film and keep shooting it. Quantity and consistency will be more important than film speed or brand.

If we only take speed into account, 400 is the best all around film speed. But I don't like the lack of contrast compared to slower films, and they show very visible grain in 35mm format, which might be pleasing for some subjects, while distracting for others. I used to use ASA 400 films quite often, but now that I have found Ilford FP4+ (ASA 125), I think I like this film more than anything I have used before, and if I had to choose only one film to use, it would be FP4+. You can over expose in bright sunny conditions and get excellent results, and if you need some extra speed (I mean shutter speed), slight underexposure on an overcast day won't hurt much if developped accordingly. I find FP4+ with its ASA 125 speed to be very versatile and a very good all around film.

With my Nikon system, it is 400, and I generally use Fuji Superia. But using my Leica, with a top shutter speed of 1/1000 sec., 400 is too fast outdoors in the summer - I can't use the lenses wide open. So I'm trying Efke 50...

It would be Kodak Tri-X @400.

For me with black and white, I tend to stick with one speed per format.

 

35mm I'm using ISO 400 (Fuji Neopan)

6x6 ISO 100 (Fuji Neopan Acros)

4x5 ISO 50 (Ilford Pan F or FP4+ Pulled)

 

When it comes to using colour... I'm all over the place.

Stu :)

For me it's 400. I shoot Neopan now but Tri-X and Iflord Delta are good too. Don't think it matters too much really. But for you it depends on what subjects you shoot and under what lighting conditions.

400 - Fuji Neopan 400 or Tri-X. I like TriX a little better, but "burn film" with Neopan for cost reasons. With a fast lens, I can shoot this film in a reasonably lit room without flash.

 

2nd film is, surprise, Ilford FP4+. For me, at least, this film just rocks! #1 for "look" if not for its ISO 125 speed.

 

Scott

If I had to select just 1 B & W film, it would be Ilford Pan 50. Second place is Tri-x 400.

 

Have a good one !

I do mostly landscapes and am not afraid of lugging my tripod places, and as a result I

mostly shoot FP4+ at 125 or Neopan Acros at 100. If I did more people I'd start at 400,

though.

Lots of good suggestions there <I>IF</i> you are doing your own processing & printing.<P>If you are not it's another ball game -- you should use a C41/chromogenic like XP2 Super. Those films are processed in any one hour photo machine -- always (one hopes) the same way.<P>Once processed, you use those negs for your B&W prints.

May I come in with a question to Nicola Speri: how do you process Tri-X in a way to go beyond 6400 ASA?

Getting a little extreme for sure, but experiment. I have not done 400TX at anything higher than 6400 personally, but have seen 25000 done. How? I use HC110 with very little agitation, and soup for an hour. Biggest push for me is so far FP4 at 6400, so 5+ stops, and that took more than an hour.

Delta400 in FX-39 is a good place to begin.

Probably Tri-X in both 35mm and 120. It's very accomodating of exposure extremes and responsive to various developers. Good for everything from "fine art" use for large prints to low light candid photography.

 

For a beginner Tri-X and HP5+ are excellent choices. My cousin's daughter is taking her first photo class and the teacher has standardized on HP5+ for all students.

 

OTOH, if I were to give up low light candid photography and just concentrate on more fine art stuff, especially in medium format, I might have to consider sticking with Efke R100.