Type 55 P/N and ISO speeds

[paul_viapiano]

Hi all...

 

OK, I've read all about the ISO speeds you should use depending upon whether

you're looking for a good print or a good negative, but I was wondering if you

shoot at ISO 50 for a good print, wouldn't that yield a thin negative that

might be good for scanning...kind of a "best of all worlds" scenario?

 

And if you shot at ISO 25 for your neg, the print would be on the light side,

right?

 

I've never worked with this film so I'm just running through some things in my

head...

 

Thanks!

[sumo_kun]

I just shoot at ISO 50 for the negative. It turns out fine and I have no complaints! The negative is apparently about 25-40 and the print 80-160.

[andrew_oneill]

Why don't you try it and see what happens? People will tell you this and that but inevitably, you will have to do it yourself. Let us know what happened.

[bob_gentile]

FWIW, I shoot positives at ISO 50 and negs at 25. If you want to keep the prints,

you'll have to coat them with the stuff that comes in the box. Negs are differentyou

have to wash them in sodium sulfite. Afterwards, I rinse with Kodak Photo-Flo. The negs

are delicate, and Polaroid also recommends using a hardenerI use Kodak Rapid Fix

with the 2-part hardener.</p>

 

<p>In the field, I just bring the film packs and a trash bag for all the gunky peel-apart

stuff. I only use the positives for composition and exposure, so I don't bother coating

them. Once I get a good print, I'll expose a neg at ISO 25 and remove the film pack from

the 545 holder without developing. Once I get home, I put it back into the holder and

develop it. At home, things are cleaner, I have better control of the temperature, and I

can use trays for the chemistry.

[leicaglow]

Yes, you are about right. On ocassion I shoot it at a lower ISO to get a better negative, and it seems to be dependent on temperature. You can also try adjusting your process time. If I just want a B&W print, I usually shoot Type 54 which gives tremendous tonal range, and doesn't need the sloppy coating. It also seems to have a more accurate ISO rating.

[avid]

Paul, I shoot it rated at 25 ISO to get a good negative. But the positive becomes useless. No point shooting for the positive if you can get multiple prints/scans from a nice negative.