What's your favorite b&w film?

[John Allen]

135 and 120. Will mostly be used in-studio under controlled lighting, so I will be shooting either 50 or 100 ASA. I'm looking at Kodak Tmax 100, Ilford Pan F Plus 50, or Fuji Acros 100. Anyone have a preference among these three or another suggestion? Or should I just shoot ASA 100 color film and convert in PP?

 

[Brian Moore]

I know there are lots of people out there with preferences for this film or that and they can describe in detail all the subtle differences that define this emulsion or that. I've never got to that point. (The closest I've come is to be able to see that HP5 in Rodinal can produce boulder-like grain.) This failing is despite always using the same developer over the course of thousands of frames of film. Maybe I need to pay closer attention to the subtleties in my images. I shoot Foma a lot (mostly in its repackaged-for-Freestyle form, Arista EDU). I love it. I also have shot quite a lot of the Fuji Acros 100. I love it too. I dare say I would love Ilford Pan F and Tmax equally if I shot enough with them to have an opinion. Probably this response is no help to you John.

 

[John Allen]

... Probably this response is no help to you John.

I laughed when I read that last sentence. That statement was partly right and partly wrong. It helped in a way even though it didn't help in choosing a specific film. What I take from your comment is that I can't really go wrong with any of them. It is also true that I'm not marrying a particular film or developer combo. If I don't like the results I get, I'm always free to try another.

 

[Rense Haveman]

Ilford Delta 100.... At least for 120 roll film.....

 

[Pete Askew]

For the conditions you describe, John then I would opt for Delta 100 as well, and develop it in ID11.

 

[Rense Haveman]

I like Ilford for street shooting too....

 

[Ian Grant]

Delta 100 in 120 & 5x4 (when using a tripod). 120 Pan F if it's excellent weather I prefer to use my TLRs hand held, i n poor weather I'll use Delta 400.

When I'm shooting LF hand-held with a Super Graphic then HP5, at 400 EI I can shoot at 1/100 or 1/200 @ f22

I wouldn't shoot colour film and convert you'll struggle to get the richness of B&W film, the same goes for most Digital to B&W conversions.

Ian

 

[Aaron J. Heiner]

Ilford Pan Plus 50 for its contrast, T-Max P3200 for its grain, and my all time favorite Neopan 1600 for the combination of the two. However, that's just me. For studio I would likely pick the Ilford.

 

[Brian Moore]

What I take from your comment is that I can't really go wrong with any of them.

Lol. That's pretty much what my point was John.

 

[Russ Butner]

Neopan 400
Delta 100

 

[Derick Miller]

What characteristics are you looking for? Ultra fine grain? Very visible grain (I want it to look like Real Film TM)?

For that so 70s look, pushed TriX is da bomb.

 

[Pete Askew]

Welcome to RPF, Derick.

 

[Shaun Haselden]

For street shooting my favourite was always Ilford FP4+ due to it's fab sharpness and contrast. I would process in ID-11 at 1+3 which would aid the sharpness even more. How I miss the 'old' days.

Oh yes, FP4+ also has a huge exposure latitude as well making it easy to 'recover' difficult negatives.