Black & White film
Mar 13, 2016 10:44:24 #
I am thinking about pulling out my old 35 mm film camera..what is a great film on todays market and where could I ever get it processed..?
Mar 13, 2016 11:14:27 #
Captain Jim wrote:
I am thinking about pulling out my old 35 mm film camera..what is a great film on todays market and where could I ever get it processed..?
If your looking to use your film camera and simply have someone else do your film processing, then you should just shoot color print film. That is the easiest means of getting something pleasing. Anything decent in Black and White is a process of developing and printing yourself, regardless of what anyone else may tell you. Color print film is designed for the automated process, B&W is not and the results will be mediocre at best. I did tons of B&W and Color in my day and understand both.
Mar 13, 2016 11:23:07 #
Blasthoff wrote:
If your looking to use your film camera and simply have someone else do your film processing, then you should just shoot color print film. That is the easiest means of getting something pleasing. Anything decent in Black and White is a process of developing and printing yourself, regardless of what anyone else tells you. Color print film is designed for the automated process, B&W is not and the results will be mediocre at best.
I pretty much agree with that. If you want good results in black and white and not do it yourself, you'll want a true custom printer which might be pricey, and I don't know how many of those are left. B&W film is very easy to develop, you could learn that quickly. But printing B&W has a learning curve and takes some time to master.
As to type of film, I was always a Kodak guy - TMax 100 for slow film, but I liked good old Tri-X better than TMax 400. And then for those who like grain and low light shooting, TMax 3200.
Mar 13, 2016 11:37:12 #
Captain Jim wrote:
I am thinking about pulling out my old 35 mm film camera..what is a great film on todays market and where could I ever get it processed..?
As others have said, the most economical would be developing your own.
I have a local lab that will scan in three "file sizes" for jpeg as well as TIFF on either a disc or thumbdrive. Since I drop mine off, I provide the thumbdrive and save $2. Check with professional photographers (or "art photographers") in your area to see what they use.
On film choice: I prefer Ilford Delta 100 for both 120 and 35mm.
Mar 13, 2016 11:55:36 #
I have a film scanner to digitize some of my old B&W negs, but the quality of prints will never equal darkroom prints. I especially found that negs which were underexposed or overexposed that I could pull good prints in the darkroom wouldn't make decent scans. I can't see shooting B&W film just to scan it.
Mar 13, 2016 11:59:36 #
JohnSwanda wrote:
I have a film scanner to digitize some of my old B&W negs, but the quality of prints will never equal darkroom prints. I especially found that negs which were underexposed or overexposed that I could pull good prints in the darkroom wouldn't make decent scans. I can't see shooting B&W film just to scan it.
Although I agree with your assessment regarding darkroom prints vs scanning, there is a quite a difference in the quality range of scans based on the scanner used. Of course, I am assuming (perhaps wrongly) that you are not using a commercial grade scanner for your personal scanning.
;-)
Mar 13, 2016 12:04:22 #
JohnSwanda wrote:
I pretty much agree with that. If you want good re... (show quote)
A couple of points. "If", you did find someone to do custom prints, the cost would greatly exceed the novelty of doing it. Second, while a "generic" method of developing a B&W film is "easy", getting a film, developer, development process including time and temperatures and matching them to a print paper and development to achieve a quality anywhere close to the automated color print process is NOT EASY. I can not express that strongly enough to a first timer. Unless one is committed to taking on the TIME, COMMITMENT and considerable EXPENSE to properly take up the study of B&W film processing/printing, they will find more success and pleasure shooting color film. That is simply a "hard lesson" type of fact.
Mar 13, 2016 12:21:14 #
LoneRangeFinder wrote:
Although I agree with your assessment regarding darkroom prints vs scanning, there is a quite a difference in the quality range of scans based on the scanner used. Of course, I am assuming (perhaps wrongly) that you are not using a commercial grade scanner for your personal scanning.
;-)
;-)
I have a Plustek scanner, which is kind of medium quality. getting really high end scans done is not going to be cheap.
Mar 13, 2016 12:36:07 #
As above shoot color and have the film deveopment lab include a CD. The you can import the CD pics to any PP program of your choice and then print them any way you like. Probably cost you 2-3 grand to set up a B&W darkroom, not including building the room. Therefore much better to do color
Mar 13, 2016 12:47:03 #
Captain Jim wrote:
I am thinking about pulling out my old 35 mm film camera..what is a great film on todays market and where could I ever get it processed..?
There are several options for B&W processing.
You can do it yourself (very easy and inexpensive) or send it to any lab on this list.
As was mentioned, B&W is getting more expensive to process than color so with color film being pretty cheap (Kodak UltraMax 400 at $2.29 a roll) you might as well shoot color if cost is your thing and sending out is your plan.
Here is a list of labs:
http://istillshootfilm.org/post/111177747637/where-to-get-film-developed-online
Mar 13, 2016 13:16:38 #
Captain Jim wrote:
I am thinking about pulling out my old 35 mm film camera..what is a great film on todays market and where could I ever get it processed..?
I disagree with many of the answers to this question. Unless you are Ansel Adams or Joel Meyerowitz, you can get very good results from many labs. The ones that still do film tend to be the best ones.
Google it! "Black and white film developing". I got a lot of good hits, including this one, a guaranteed winner: http://www.ilfordlab-us.com/page/57/Black-and-White-Prints-from-Film.htm
Best of luck. >>> ALAN
Mar 13, 2016 13:18:49 #
JohnSwanda wrote:
I pretty much agree with that. If you want good re... (show quote)
I always found winding the film onto the Nikkor developing reel to be life's great physical challenge. BTW, Ilford films are excellent. >>>AL
Mar 13, 2016 13:28:47 #
boberic wrote:
As above shoot color and have the film deveopment lab include a CD. The you can import the CD pics to any PP program of your choice and then print them any way you like. Probably cost you 2-3 grand to set up a B&W darkroom, not including building the room. Therefore much better to do color
Mar 13, 2016 16:03:08 #
aellman wrote:
I disagree with many of the answers to this question. Unless you are Ansel Adams or Joel Meyerowitz, you can get very good results from many labs. The ones that still do film tend to be the best ones.
Google it! "Black and white film developing". I got a lot of good hits, including this one, a guaranteed winner: http://www.ilfordlab-us.com/page/57/Black-and-White-Prints-from-Film.htm
Best of luck. >>> ALAN
Google it! "Black and white film developing". I got a lot of good hits, including this one, a guaranteed winner: http://www.ilfordlab-us.com/page/57/Black-and-White-Prints-from-Film.htm
Best of luck. >>> ALAN
Quote:
Hmmm, Really? I never met a negative that couldn't benefit from at least a little dodge and/or burn, print contrast adjustment and at least some slight crop adjustment. Up front, we'll do without any of these."Unless you are Ansel Adams or Joel Meyerowitz"?
I'm glad you would be happy without "adjustments", but let's take a look at the price of "mediocrity". Price of film, $5. Develop and "medium" 18 MB scans on CD, $16 (higher res scans $10 additional), set of small prints $12 (5x7's $17 or $10 proof sheet) $5.95 shipping. Let's see, just to develop and receive a small set of prints comes out to almost 36@$39, 24@$36 or $1.09/$1.50 each for 4x6 prints. You might find that acceptable, I don't.
Mar 13, 2016 16:23:33 #
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