Have to hand print thin BW400CN negatives the lab messed up.

[doug elick]

I recently agreed to shoot a small local concert for a person I know,

mainly for the experience, using 135 BW400CN rated at 800. Though the

negatives can be thin, I've had good luck with this film/lab

combination so far.

 

This time, when I received my photos back, to my horror, all the heads

were cut off; whoever ran the machine got the registration wrong and

printed across frames. To make matters worse, they cut the film the

same way, so about 1/4 of all the frames are cut in half.

 

I'm not on a deadline, but I want to get the prints done ASAP, so I

plan on printing the worthy/salvagable frames myself. However, I've

heard this film (with the orange mask) can be difficult to work with

in a traditional darkroom.

 

Given the workflow I've been following lately is 6x6 Tri-X pushed or

pulled, printed on Ilford RC single grade paper and developed in Kodak

chems what are your suggestions?

 

I've been thinking about going Multi-Contrast, would doing so now give

me more flexibility over single grade when dealing with this orange

masked film? I'm out of chems and paper over grade 3, so if anyone has

suggestions, I might try products other than my standards.

 

Suggestions are appreciated,

 

Doug

[neal_wydra1]

Dear Doug,

 

BW400CN is really not meant to be printed using traditional paper. Panalure is one option if you have or can get some. Printing on Portra B&W RA-4 paper would be the easiest using room temperature chemicals. After that, RA-4 color paper.

 

All things considered, it would seem that the easiest way to save the cut frames would be scanning.

[jshaw.photo]

I've actually done this before but never with a pushed negative. I used a variable contrast Kodak fiber paper and put an Ilford 4 or 5 contrast filter into my beseler 23CII enlarger. Kodak chems. It wasn't much trouble actually. Good Luck.

[mb81]

When I shoot BW400CN I just print on a higher contrast filter. Usually with this film, using a #3 or #3 1/2 would equal about a #2 normally. I wouldnt bother too much with the color paper, it can be a pain. Or, like stated above, use photoshop and print digitally, this would make the most sense due to the fact that frames are cut in half.