Good B&W Film To Learn With

<p>I am finally going to start developing my own B&W film. Have some D-76 to start with and am looking for a good B&W film for my 4x5. The Arista EDU over at Freestyle is dirt cheap, but I am not sure I would like it after looking at the sample images on the web. Think it's rebadged Foma. For 35mm and MF I shoot FP4 and Tri-X and see no reason to try anything else. Absolutely love them. But the Tri-X for 4x5 film is the 320 version and I have heard it's a less forgiving film than the 400 variety for outdoor work. I like FP4, but have found it a bit boring the last time I tried it and had a lab develop it. Any suggestions for a film that's forgiving yet has a look similar to 400 Tri-X? I can't stand T-Max if that helps.</p>

<p>I'm not sure what images you have been looking at, but trying the AristaEDU in MF made me go out and buy 3 cans of Foma100 for my 35mm. I have been nothing but impressed with this stuff.</p>

<p>If you want to know what a film is like, use flickr. I just did a search using foma100 and I sway many great photos using it.</p>

 

<p>The Foma Arista EDU Ultra is darn good film i just loaded a 120 roll into a tank to develop as soon as the chems are at temp. No it is Not Tri-X but then again it is not Lucky 400 ether.</p>

<p>I don't think it matters what film you start with just keep using it until you understand it's characteristics then when you decide to try a different one you have a bases on which to compare.....

<p>Ilford HP5+ is nice, and pushes and pull well.</p>

<p>It's hard to screw up good old Tri-x.</p>

<p>Although the TXP 320 is often referred to as portrait film for controlled lighting, many users do like it outdoors. If you want an ISO 400, though, I'd go with Ilford HP5+.</p>

<p>Thanks for the suggestions. I was once a shooter of HP5 in 35mm but when I changed to Tri-X I saw a big difference. The blacks were blacker and overall the tones were closer to what I was looking for. Maybe the 4x5 HP5 would be different. I guess there's only one way to do this. Buy some of the 320 Tri-X and some of the Arista (lord knows it's cheap enough) and see how it goes. The FP4 is a very good film, especially in 35mm and 120, but for some reason I just didn't love it in 4x5. I was scanning my smaller negs and editing them in PS, but I sold my only printer just tonight and will be enlarger printing from now on, so I need a film that is close to what I like from the start. Apparently if I overexpose a bit on the 320 Tri-X and switch to Rodinal I can get a comparable look to the 400 Tri-X.</p>

<p>The Arista 200 is perfect.. and a 1 stop push is fine... Let me look I have examples of it in HC-110 and Rodinal in 35mm and 120. I wish they made it in 220...</p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3396985345_ae21ebd037_o.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="807" /></p>

<p>Here is on of the 200 in Rodinal.</p>

 

<p>Give Fuji Neopan 400 a try. Nice film in D-76.</p>

<p>Neopan 400 is a great film I just wish Fuji gave more imformation on it and we could get the developers it was designed to be used with in the U.S. or at least the Closest cousins... we had to play with it when it first hit the shores... I have 5 rolls of it and the beautiful Acros 100. I find HC-110 dilution H is good with the 400 and XTOL shines with the 100</p>

<p>"I was once a shooter of HP5 in 35mm but when I changed to Tri-X I saw a big difference. The blacks were blacker and overall the tones were closer to what I was looking for."</p>

<p>Sounds like you had exposure and development issues. Ilford HP5+ will produce a full tonal range. Try exposing it at EI 200 if you're usind D76, and make sure that you use enough developer if you use higher dilutions, such as 1:3. I used to develp 1:2 for 12 min for normal development @ 68 deg F. I now use XTOL and see a slight speed increase.</p>

<p>I use Rodinal and Xtol for processing...<br>

have 50 sheets of Arista100 EDU Ultra in 4x5"... I hate it :(</p>

<p>I would strongly recommend the extremely inexensive Shanghai GP3 (for 120) or Shanghai 4x5 (use that as a search term) from eBay, Chinese film, its the cheapest film I've found, and in fact, it is one of my favourites up with FP4 and thers, it's really quite beautiful (and the 120 is extremely flat compared to some other that come out pretty curled like Fuji Pro 400H)</p>