B&W film recommendations

[garrett_cotham]

<p>So I'm heading to Paris with my wife and my 4x5 field camera and want to do some black and white nightscapes of the city. It's been awhile since I've shot film so I'm looking for any recommendations. Thanks a bunch!</p>

[janne_moren]

I came back from Paris a few weeks ago, with shots from my Yashica Mat, including a few taken at night. I use HP5 at iso800, developed in D76 1:1 dilution. It's roll-film of course, not 4x5 but it should work fine. If anything, you'd have even less of an issue with grain than I do with 6x6 format.

 

I'm still in the process of uploading stuff, but here's most night-time shots:

 

Notre Dame:

 

Street in Quartier Latin:

 

Hotel Observatoire Luxenbourg:

[robert_landrigan]

<p>I love HP5+ in 4x5, fast enough to make hand-holding possible if required, and remarkably versatile in development. TMAX 400, the new stuff, is mind-blowingly sharp - fantastically low grain but trickier to develop for me.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Do a little research for reciprocity data first. The fastest film in ordinary light may not be as effective as a slower film during long night exposures. For example, the orginal TMAX-100 was actually faster than Tri-X or original TMAX-400 after a certain number of seconds exposure. Not sure if this is true for the current values. I think Fuji Acros 100 also does well with long exposures.</p>

[sumo_kun]

<p>I think for night photography and B+W, Fuji Acros 100 should be your default choice. Its got great reciprocity properties and you will need a tripod anyway so the 100 speed is not really an issue.</p>

[robert lee]

<blockquote>

<p>... 4x5 field camera and want to do some black and white nightscapes of the city.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>One film: Fuji Acros.</p>

<p>Acros has the most benign reciprocity failure behavior of any available pictorial film. No compensation is necessary at all out to many minutes. Practically, this means that more of the scene's tonality dynamics can actually be recorded relative to an emulsion that requires aggressive compensation.</p>

[patrick_mont]

<p>I vote for Tri-X 320. It's a really great film. I have shot it at night with great success and I highly recommend it!! </p>