philip__b_temple

WHILE EVERYONE HAS BEEN CHASING THE WILL-O-THE-WISP OF FINE GRAIN FILMS, THEY

SHOULD HAVE NOTED THAT THE "GRAINY OLD FILMS" LIKE TRI-X400 AND HP400 HAVE

BEEN GETTING PRETTY FINE GRAINED THEMSELVES, WHILE KEEPING MANY OF THEIR OTHER

BELOVED CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS EXPOSURE LATTITUDE. NEWER DEVELOPERS SUCH AS

XTOL EMPHASIZE AND EXTEND THEIR MERITS.

I HAVE THE FEELINGS FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES THAT LOOKING FOR A "BETTER" FILM IS

REALLY AN EXPERESSION OF A DESIRE FOR GREATER PHOTOGRAPHIC INSPIRATION AND

TECHNICAL ABILITY. IF YOU NEED BLACKER BLACKS SHOOT THEM AT ISO 200 OR 100,

WITH ONLY SLIGHTLY DIMINISHED DEVELOPMENT TIMES. LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL

PHOTOS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER PREVIOUS TO ME TO SEE WHAT THESE FINE FILMS WILL

DO.

philip b temple

THE TWO VERY SAFE ANSWERS ARE 1] TRI-X 400 OR 2] T-MAX 100. DON'T START

JUMPING AROUND IN THE FILMS YOU USE. GET TO KNOW ONE OR TWO VERY WELL.

TRI-X400 IS A VERY VERSATILE FILM. IT HAS BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME AND IT HAS

GOTTEN BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER WITH RESPECT TO GRAIN SIZE AND MANY

OTHER FACTORS OVER THAT LONG PERIOD. YOU CAN RATE IT FROM ISO 100 TO ISO

1600 VERY EASILY AS LONG AS YOU KNOW HOW AND WITH WHAT YOU ARE DEVELOPING IT

IN. D-76 AND XTOL ARE VERY GOOD STANDARD DEVELOPERS? STICK WITH ONE OF

THEM AS WELL AS THE FILM YOU USE FOR 100 ROLLS OF FILM OR SO AND YOU'LL BE THEN

SOMEWHAT ACQUAINTED.

B & H USED TO MAIL OUT DARKROOM CHEMISTRY BUT DOES NO LONGER. A MONTH OR

SO AGO I WROTE THEM ASKING IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER CHANGING THIS POLICY. THEY

REPLIED SAYING THAT SOME INCIDENT [ SPILL?] HAD DRIVEN THEM TO THIS, AND THEY

REGRETTED MY DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT THEIR POLICY WILL BE UNCHANGED.

ADORAMA HAS A GOOD SELECTION, GOOD PRICES, AND HAS FOR ME EXCELLENT SHORT

DELIVERY TIMES EVEN FOR THEIR REGULAR SURFACE DELIVERIES.