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Large format - film and developer choice
Jun 8, 2021 11:12:24   #
selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA
 
These images were taken with a Zone VI field camera.

Two important benefits of large format are the ability to minimize grain while producing extremely sharp and large images (first image) and the ability to use tilts and shifts (second image) to control perspective.

FP4 is a fine grained ISO 100 film which develops nicely in most developers. In this case I used HC110 which is a highly concentrated syrup from Kodak.

HP5 is a higher speed ISO 400 film that works well with most developers but not necessarily with Rodinal as you can see by viewing the image at 100%. But if you don't magnify it that much it works fine.

FP4 in HC110 1+63
FP4 in HC110 1+63...
(Download)

HP5 Rodinal 1+49
HP5 Rodinal 1+49...
(Download)

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Jun 8, 2021 11:52:55   #
kcooke Loc: Alabama
 
#2 is awesome and demonstrates the correction abilities very well. Thanks for sharing

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Jun 8, 2021 15:56:40   #
selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA
 
kcooke wrote:
#2 is awesome and demonstrates the correction abilities very well. Thanks for sharing

Thank you for your comment.

You can get tilt and shift lenses for smaller formats but the selection of lenses is limited. But with large format cameras you can use any of your best lenses.

A fundamental problem with shifting can be seen in this image. The verticals remain parallel but the upper portion of the image ends up looking distorted because the corner of the building nearest to the camera is much closer than the other two corners. The perspective may be technically "correct" but it makes the perspective look a bit awkward.

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Jun 8, 2021 16:04:16   #
kcooke Loc: Alabama
 
Understood

selmslie wrote:
Thank you for your comment.

You can get tilt and shift lenses for smaller formats but the selection of lenses is limited. But with large format cameras you can use any of your best lenses.

A fundamental problem with shifting can be seen in this image. The verticals remain parallel but the upper portion of the image ends up looking distorted because the corner of the building nearest to the camera is much closer than the other two corners. The perspective may be technically "correct" but it makes the perspective look a bit awkward.
Thank you for your comment. br br You can get til... (show quote)

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Jun 9, 2021 10:52:40   #
jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska
 
selmslie wrote:
These images were taken with a Zone VI field camera.

Two important benefits of large format are the ability to minimize grain while producing extremely sharp and large images (first image) and the ability to use tilts and shifts (second image) to control perspective.

FP4 is a fine grained ISO 100 film which develops nicely in most developers. In this case I used HC110 which is a highly concentrated syrup from Kodak.

HP5 is a higher speed ISO 400 film that works well with most developers but not necessarily with Rodinal as you can see by viewing the image at 100%. But if you don't magnify it that much it works fine.
These images were taken with a Zone VI field camer... (show quote)


At one time my favorite combo was APX25 and Rodinal 1:50. It made "beautiful" negs that were overly contrasty, difficult to print and, later, very difficult to scan. I ended up using TMX and T-Max developer most of the time. It gave very consistent results for me.

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Jun 9, 2021 14:35:49   #
selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA
 
jackm1943 wrote:
At one time my favorite combo was APX25 and Rodinal 1:50. It made "beautiful" negs that were overly contrasty, difficult to print and, later, very difficult to scan. I ended up using TMX and T-Max developer most of the time. It gave very consistent results for me.

I liked APX 25 as well but I developed it in Mcrodol-X or D76 1+5. The contrast seemed fine but that was when I was printing in the darkroom.

More recently I tested RPX 25 with several different developers. It's the modern version of APX 25. Both have a very clear base and both were somewhat curly which is more of a problem with scanner holders than it was with enlarger holders. Both films produce a virtually grain-free result. They are much easier to develop than Tech Pan or CMS 20.

I settled on Xtol 1+2 for 6 minutes because it would produce full ISO 25. RPX 25 has a peculiar response curve compared to a the conventional curve of FP4+. Developed for 9 minutes it is the standard I use to compare all film development.



RPX 25 provides box speed with normal agitation at 75°F. In all developers, RPX 25 produces a fairly straight line from EC-5 (0.0) to EC+0 (5.0). But above EC+0 the contrast drops abruptly although it remains straight. The film has more contrast from middle gray down to FB+fog and less contrast in the higher range where you would find skin tones and clouds.

Conventional films have a more gentle progressive loss of contrast in the shoulder range that is sometimes rounded.

To see how I tested the films, see A Practical Guide to Film Characteristic Curves.

PS: I tried RPX 25 in Rodinal 1+34 and ended up with 5 minutes and ISO 20. I got a response curve almost identical to the one plotted above.

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