How to Use Super-Fast Films

This article was in the April 1958 issue of Modern Photography magazine.

 

 

Super-Fast Films 1 sm 2

Modern tests Ansco's new Super Hypan film.

 

 

Hypan 1 sm 2

View camera results with 35mm?

 

 

View Camera Results 1 sm 2

Lloyd Varden discusses measuring picture quality.

 

 

WA 1 sm 2

What can you learn from The Bridge on the River Kwai?

 

 

Bridge 1 sm 2

Here is this month's Color Clinic column.

 

 

Color Clinic 1 sm 2

Let's move over to Popular Photography magazine. Are subminiature cameras a threat to 35mm?

 

 

Subminiatures 1 sm 2

Here is this month's 35-mm Today column.

 

 

35mm Today 1 sm 2

Here are this month's camera equipment ads.

 

 

Ansco 1 sm 2

Here are this month's dealer ads.

 

 

American 1 sm 2

This is an editorial discussing the death of Edward Weston.

 

 

Editorial 1 sm 2

I notice in many articles, they suggest using twice the specified ASA value.

 

This is from before ASA changed the values, by approximately doubling them, so it seems that ASA followed what people were doing, anyway.

Another awesome look back. Really liked the film articles. Thanks.

Thanks for these posts, Marc. The high-speed film article is still very useful, although the ASA numbers have doubled as pointed out above. The rage about the then-used ASA indexes was going at full steam, as may be read in Schwalberg's column.

 

The subminiature article will be interesting for enthusiasts of smaller formats: there are several types there that I had never heard of.

 

Several friends in the ads, among them Retina IIIc and Konica III.

Enjoyed these Marc, I often do though I don't generally comment but Tri-X at ASA 200 or even 160? Yikes!!

 

Rick H,

A thoughtful editorial on Edward Weston, and the lack of enduring appreciation of a photographer's work. Thanks, Marc.

Thanks.

 

(I never quite knew and still don't know about Varden ?)

With some developers (such as Kodak HC-110 Dilution B) I've rated Tri-X as low as 125. My negatives were perfectly exposed and developed at that speed. My cameras and meters tested OK.

glen_h - I believe the ASA ratings were changed in 1960.

 

Mike - Glad you are liking them.

 

Julio - Once my webpage is up we will be able to follow the changes in ASA ratings.

 

Rick Helmke - I have rated Tri-X as low as 250.

 

Rick Drawbridge - I too found the editorial engaging. It was a heartfelt remembrance of an artist. It seems to me that the attitudes changed in the 1960's and 1970's.

 

JDM - I have almost all of Varden's columns posted on my webpage. It will be interesting to read them month by month.

 

Tom - I am going to be shooting and testing more B&W films now that Fuji Acros is going away. I have never tried Tri-X that low. I do love its tonality.

@ Tom- various articles over the years on finding one's own favorite exposure index for Tri-X (and other films too). As advanced as film technology is today and the precision with which ISO ratings are determined, the box speed is still just a starting point. The work I've seen posted here over the time I've been a member confirms this. I look forward to seeing your work as you post test results.

After doing some serious testing 30+ years ago, I pretty much stuck with Tri-X at ASA 200 for 35, 120 and 4x5 in HC 110 B for 5 minutes at 68 F for roll film and a custom HC 110 dilution for 4x5 in a JOBO tank. My testing with prints and a densitometer showed that I got better shadow detail with ASA 200 than 400, and the shorter developing time lessened grain. I would occasionally use Tri X at 400 in 35 when I needed the speed, and lengthen the developing time by a minute.