B&W films

[ming76]

hi
Any one shooting in B&W films?
Pls recommend the films (Pros and Cons) for the films, and also what filter(s) I need to attach to the lens to made the picture better.
Welcome any inputs and Thanks in advance.

 

[popeye]

Pros: Since it's B/W, you don't have to worry about colour saturation

Cons: No colours

 

[Pegasus]

Previously when I'm using film, I did use filters for my b/w films. For ladies, I usually use yellow or green filters to smoothen the skin complexion tones. For guys, I usually use blue filter to show the contrast and increased tone eg muscular body. Nowadays, with my D100, I usually use Photoshop to put on the digital filters.

Try Kodak Tmax100. Nice contrast.

 

[Pegasus]

Originally posted by popeye
Pros: Since it's B/W, you don't have to worry about colour saturation

Cons: No colours

Bingo! Ya, you are rite!

But for b/w photos, we are playing with contrast and tone, no longer color ...

 

[ming76]

thanks...

so will you recommend to put any filter(s) when shooting in B&W?

How about Iford B&W films? Is it ok to use it?

 

[Gunjack]

Get a yellow-green XO filter for general portraits. Well worth it. You can try Ilford's HP5+ or Delta series and Kodak Tri-X, all which I have tried with good results. I personally don't like the grain of Kodak Tmax, but maybe that's just me as I only tried it once and didn't like it.

 

[clive]

for a starter taste:

kodak TCN400

when the exposure is off it will have some greenpurple colourshifts but when its on then it looks quite good. not pure b/w but a good start

and the grain is good

 

[Pegasus]

Originally posted by clive
for a starter taste:

kodak TCN400

when the exposure is off it will have some greenpurple colourshifts but when its on then it looks quite good. not pure b/w but a good start

and the grain is good

What do you mean by when the exposure is off? If there are color cast, it's due to the printer. Whether exposure dead on or off, there's bounce to be color cast because the processing is using C-41 and print using color printer.

Similar for processin Kodak Tmax100, If you truly want b/w print, go for the delicated shop that do b/w print the traditional way...

 

[Pegasus]

Originally posted by ming76
thanks...
so will you recommend to put any filter(s) when shooting in B&W?
How about Iford B&W films? Is it ok to use it?

A good way is to use a roll of film and start shooting with different filters and then developed and compare. Alternative, you can try Adobe Photoshop and put on the filter digitally and see the difference.

Usually you won't see the difference unless you take the photos (with and without filters) and compare it side by side.

As recommended, a yello-green XO filter is generally good for portraits shots. A blue or red filter is only used for special situations.

 

[GitS]

Ilford is my preferred choice....somehow, i find the chromogenic b/W fils (T400CN and XP2) lacking in contrast....
but note that T400CN is also designed to be printed the traditional way (i.e. via enlarger) and i've come across beuatiful work done on this film...virtually no grain and pushable too!

 

[Gunjack]

The exposure latitude for C41 B&W film is awesome, with Kodak T400CN slightly more contrasty than Ilford XP2, but i think XP2 looks better with portraits. Both are less contrasty than true B&W film and are very sharp isa 400 film with virtually no grain. If you go for the authentic B&W film grain, both do not have it. I have seen beautiful darkroom prints using ilford XP2, can be enlarged with no problems.

 

[Gunjack]

Forgot to add, for the C41 B&W film, even though they are rated as isa 400 film, I shoot them as isa 250 for more contrast.

 

[clive]

last time i shot sentosa and found that XP2 much more grainy than TCN400

 

[Gunjack]

Hi Clive,

From both my experience with Ilford XP2 and Kodak TCN400, both are extremely fine grain and sharp. The problem with grain could be that the picture was underexposed or the photolab print is a lousy one. I rate them at iso 250 for more contrast and finer grain. Where you develope and print C41 b&w film is very important, don't even think abt developing them at your neighbourhood photolabs. The colour cast you experience is because of the lousy photo labs. Printing on colour paper doesn't really help too, but you get quite decent quality with pro-labs. They look best printed on real b&w paper.

 

[clive]

keke..i never bother to much one anyway..as long as lens is sharp and pic is good then im happy

 

[plainsman]

Originally posted by Gunjack
Hi Clive,

From both my experience with Ilford XP2 and Kodak TCN400, both are extremely fine grain and sharp. The problem with grain could be that the picture was underexposed or the photolab print is a lousy one. I rate them at iso 250 for more contrast and finer grain. Where you develope and print C41 b&w film is very important, don't even think abt developing them at your neighbourhood photolabs. The colour cast you experience is because of the lousy photo labs. Printing on colour paper doesn't really help too, but you get quite decent quality with pro-labs. They look best printed on real b&w paper.

hi gunjack,

sorry to ask, if u rate them at iso250, do you have to tell the photolab that when you print it?

good day

 

[Gunjack]

Originally posted by plainsman
hi gunjack,

sorry to ask, if u rate them at iso250, do you have to tell the photolab that when you print it?

good day

Hi plainsman,

I just dev normally, no need to ask photolab to push or pull.

 

[plainsman]

thanks