black and white portrait film

[matt_m__toronto_]

Just wondering what you guys like in 120 or 220 as far as b+w portrait

film. I'll be shooting outdoors with no flash and will probably throw

on a red filter.

 

I'm thinking ilford 125 or tmax 100 which is supposedly a softer look.

 

Any suggestions. I'll be shooting in late afternoon. I like my

blacks black and my whites white.

 

Thanks

[don_feinberg2]

For portraits, I'd stick with the more "traditional" emulsions, as opposed to Ilford Delta or Tmax. I'd use Pan F (50) or the Ilford 125. Personally, I'd consider the developer and process as carefully as I'd choose the film.

 

As well, for portraits on any modern pan film, you might want to think about using a green or a yellow green filter, especially for a portrait of a woman. This will take some experimentation on your part.

 

Now, if you need to actually cut down on the sharpness, you can always do so in the darkroom, but you can't produce length of scale if it isn't in the neg.

 

If you really like your blacks black, and your whites white, it sounds like kinda harsh portraiture?!

 

I do like Bergger 200, which is a lot like old Super XX. However, it is, to my knowledge, only available in sheets (4x5, 5x7, etc.)

[mr._kenny]

i use an orange 40. looks great with most skin types. red 25 gets a little chalky on light complexions -- no details-- and too dim on dark ones, plus you lose 3 stops. i use a green 11 if it's a portrait in foliage, 1 stop lost.

i like verichrome pan, which is rated 125. another good film for portraits is kodak's tcn400, the chromogenic stuff. overexpose a whole stop, it looks great. your overall density of neg is higher, but they're still pretty easy to print. it's also sharper overexposed.

you can almost handhold it at that speed too.

[richard baznik]

My suggestions would be Agfa 100 (in Rodinol), or Fuji Neopan Acros 100 -- shot at 80 -- or Fuji Neopan 400 (both in HC 110). It might be too dark to use Pan F without a light boost.

 

And Dan raises a good point on the filtering: yellow or green would yield a much more flattering image.

[j king]

Ok, I just answered this on the other thread, not the one with all the answers, so ..

 

Bergger 200 is availiable in 120. I just got 5 rolls, none developed, yet, so no opinions, but it is available.

 

>I do like Bergger 200, which is a lot like old Super XX. However, it >is, to my knowledge, only available in sheets (4x5, 5x7, etc.)

 

>-- Don Feinberg, March 20, 2002; 06:18 P.M. Eastern

[david_goldfarb]

I like T-Max 100 in D-76 1:1, but use the film you know best. I've seen great portraits with TXP and XP-2 and even Tech Pan.

[david_goldfarb]

The B&W portraits in this folder are on TMX in D-76 (1:1):

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=174899

[bill_dewberry]

Verichrome Pan, smooth as a babys' behind.

[scott walton]

I agree with Don and Bill, stick with the older emulsions, better range of tones. Verichrome Pan is REALLY nice as is Forte Pan but I would stay away from the red filter. A green/yellow is more pleasing for skin tones!

[matt_m__toronto_]

Hi Guys,

 

Can't seem to find "verichrome pan" anywhere. I take it this is a kodak film, but none of the stores up here in Toronto are familiar by that name. Is it technically called something else?

 

Thanks.

[matt_m__toronto_]

ok...just checked out kodak.com. the vehrichrome pan film is going to be discontinued this year, so I'm guessing all the shops up here are sold out. They recommend Plus X 125px as a replacement option.

 

that's all

[chris_waller]

TMax 100 rated at 50 ASA and devved in Rodinal 1:50, 20 C for 7.5 minutes. Very fine grain, smooth tones.

[dick roadnight cotswolds]

Pan f.

 

If you do not use fine grain film to get the quality out of MF, you might just as well use 35mm

[mark_nowaczynski2]

HP-5 or Tri-X rated @ 200 and processed in PYRO. Outstanding one-shot JOBO processing available in Toronto @ Silver Film Processing, 9 Davies Ave., 5th floor (front counter is in Elevator Gallery).

[patric_dahl_n]

Bergger 200 = Efke 100... Efke R100 is available in 120 film. A great film. Efke R25 and R50 are films with finer grain and less sensitive to red, so they are great for portraits using lamps. No filtration needed for the yellow-red lamplight.

[bill_henick]

I like HP5+, and Ilford XP-2 super.

[tom_morris1]

Try Neopan. I pumped a roll of Neopan 400 through a borrowed Bronica 6x6 - really nice results. I need to try some of the 100 soon. Believe me - it's really nice stuff (esp. if you develop it in T-Max 1+4).