selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

Here is my second test of this film using HC110 (dilution D) as the developer - 5:20 at 73.5 F. This time I used a 20 mm f/2.8 lens @ f/8 with exposures based on ISO 25/32/40. The film grain remains very fine.

Once the contrast has been brought down with reduced development it behaved almost normally and the effective film speed was close to box speed.

The tonal rendition is still as peculiar as have seen in the past with other Rollei/Agfa films. The rendition of the highlights and shadows seemed to have too much contrast at the expense of the mid-tones. It almost looks like infrared film, which it is not. It required some effort to get a more normal rendition.

Extreme dynamic range

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Shadow detail

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alfeng Loc: Out where the West commences ...

FWIW. To "control the contrast" I have found that the image produced when shooting with any panchromatic film CAN be enhanced and/or controlled by using color filters ...

Have you tried shooting with a GREEN filter to balance any foiliage?

An ORANGE filter is sometimes a suitable alternative when shooting something architectural like a BRICK building (or, equivalently colored object).

.....A yellow filter? Meh. Why bother?!?

.....A blue filter? What was I thinking? Wasted money.

.....A red filter? That's apparently wasted money, too, if you aren't doing IR ...
.....OR maybe-or-maybe-not, a good thing if you are shooting with an orthochromatic film.

Typically, I would subsequently PRINT for the grey scale that I wanted in either the foiliage or other object in the image.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

I routinely use a Yellow #8 filter when shooting B&W film and don't give it much of a thought. This generally darkens a blue sky and open shade just a little bit. Here I used the #8 filter and forgot to mention it.

Occasionally I will switch to an orange filter and rarely a red to darken the blue of the sky even more.

What I sometimes forget to do is to remove the color filter for indoor shooting where it has no particular benefit.

I am aware of the effect of the other two colors (green and blue) but seldom think about them.

One of the problems with B&W film is that some of them are not fully panchromatic. I suspect that this is the case for very slow film like RPX 25 and Pan F+.

CMS 20 even makes it clear that it is an Ortho-panchromatic film. It is also difficult develop to a normal contrast. I have come up with a way to do that using HC110 compensating development but the effective ISO of 8 is less than convenient.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

It is refreshing to read of the trials and tribulations of using film and processing and printing yourself. More power to ya! I wish OI had to ability and perspicacity to attempt it. It's been probably 25 years since I last inhaled hypo fumes! Keep up the art!

passumpsicjim

Back when I was shooting a lot of B&W and doing my own processing and printing, I generally avoided H110 unless I wanted high contrast. My slow, high-def film of choice was Ilford Pan-F in 35mm or 120, ISO 32, developed in one of the many fine-grain developers from either Ilford or Kodak available at the time, which was about 20 yrs ago. As I'm totally digital now, I am clueless as to what developers are still available, but there must be something out there that produces finer grain and lower contrast than H110.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

The way to control contrast with HC110 and Rodinal is to reduce development with higher dilution rather than shorter times. Rather than 5 minutes at 68F in Rodinal @ 1+25 I have found that 5 minutes at 75F in HC110 @ 1+39 or 1+47 is better.

Very fine grain films don't really need fine grain developers but they do tend to develop too much in the highlights. I have found that I might need to use very high dilutions, reduced agitation and sometimes stand development.