Efke PL100 versus Ilford Hp5+ versus JandC Classic 200

I am reviving a 2x3 Speed Graphic and would love to try out some sheet

film (I like the nostalgia of the ground glass) and it looks like

there are primarly only 3 choices for 2x3 film. The choices are

Ilford HP5+, Efke PL100 and JandC Classic 200. I would like to

develop them in Xtol , which is my staple, but I'm open to suggestions

for better combinations. Does anyone have any experience with any of

these 3 films in sheet form (size of the sheet doesn't make that much

difference)?

Hi Jay.

 

You can add FP4+ to your list, and have it cut by Photowarehouse. I've never used the Efke film, but understand that the emulsion is very soft and fragile, requiring very gentle handling to avoid scratches. J&C Classic Pan 200 is a very nice film, but offers few advantages over HP5+, other than price. HP5+ developed in Xtol can produce excellent negatives. The Efke film will be the finest grained of the three, while the slowest, with the other two being about equal in grain, and the HP5+ giving 1-2 stops more speed than the J&C 200. Enjoy your Graphic!

Jay-

 

 

I"ve shot 150 sheets -5x7 Efke 100,developed in Rodinal,D-76,

DK-50, and Dektol.

 

Very nice film,imo- never had a problem with it- FP4 is my regular 120 film-love it

Jay:

 

I've been processing Efke film lately and I've not noticed problems with soft emulsions. I'm told by others that this was a problem in the past but has since been fixed.

 

Efke is slow but the grain is awsome. I've had good results with it in Clayton F76+ and Sprint chemistry at 20C. Check The Massive Development chart for details.

 

Enjoy your Graphic!

Hi Jay

 

I just today developed some Efke PL100 4X5 in PMK 1:2:100 in Unicolor Tube for 8min.( presoak film for 2min. in water).It is a great combination. You have to watch how you handle wet prints as they do scratch when wet.I use alkaline fixer.HP 5+ is also good with PMK I treid it only in 120 thou.

 

Good luck

Greg

HP5 at 320 in Xtol 1:3 around 16 to 18 minutes is wonderful in any format - roll or sheet.

Jim,

 

I'd love to know what you're doing with Efke (ADOX!) to get it out so well. Mine curls unnaturally - it's really really bent and it is very very soft. I use Hypam and Fotospeed hardener to manage the soft emulsion. I seem to get lots of light leaks in the roll stuff too.

 

I'm just trialling my Efke 25 at the moment so I don't know what's a better combination yet. HP5+ in HC110b works fine for me. I like HC110b for this. I've used Bergger 200 which may be similar to J&C Classic 200. It's alright, and fills the gap between Efke (ADOX!) 25, FP4+ 125, Bergger 200, HP5+ 400. I wish I never bothered with that box of TMax.

Tom:

 

I process Efke 35mm and 120mm film in a Jobo CPA-2 using Jobo tanks and plastic reels. After the final wash, I rinse with dilute Photoflo then immediately remove the film by taking the reel apart. I grab the leading edge of the film and quickly squeege it using my fingers, then apply a film clip to that edge. I use a wooden clothespin as a weight on the bottom edge and dry in a Mistrial film drier for at least an 1 hour at ambient temperature. (It seems that if I don't allow at least an hour, the film isn't completely dry - but this may be due to my set-up, however Tri-X, T-Max, Ilford, and Fuji all seem to dry in 15-30 minutes.)

 

The film comes out still a bit curly, but not as bad as other methods I've tried. There are people who say you may scratch the emulsion when squeeging. I've not seen that so far; maybe I've been lucky. Some of the 35 mm negatives (not as many as I'd like due to poor skill behind the camera) have been printed at 11X14. I think scratches would show up there.

 

As far as sheet film goes, I have some 4X5 Efke but haven't had the time to shoot it yet. When I do, I plan to process it in Jobo tanks using their sheet film system. I'll try hanging the negs in the Jobo without the squeegee step & see how long they take to dry.

 

Hope this helps.

Tom:

 

Further to your recent post, I haven't tried any developers other than F76+ yet. First of all, I like the results and second, I don't think I run through all the possiblities of this film/developer combination. I'm getting old, so I like to take things one step at a time.

 

Also, just so you don't think I'm a total Efke freak - I really like HP-5 for its tonal range. I think it's better than Efke in that regard.

 

Regards,

Jim