Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/10/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Can experienced folks post their favorite film type by purpose? > >This is a part of the imaging equation I've always been, uh, >blurry about. > >In particular, I'm curious about the speed/grain trade-off. Some folks accuse me of being old fashioned or sloppy, but I use very standard film/developer combos because I'm comfortable with how they work. Tri-X in D-76 is standard B&W, I also like Plus-X in Acufine rated ISO 250-320 (seems to have a nice long toe in the gamma curve with nice skin tone modulation). I also like to shoot with Ilford XP2. B&W is my favorite photography, although I shoot with color neg a lot and then convert the images to B&W with a flatbed scanner or a film scanner if the image is more interesting that way. Color film -- well, on the rare occasions I shoot slide film, usually Ektachrome 200 or Kodachrome 100, depending upon the subject. The more outrageous color of things like Velvia don't really appeal to me. Negative films ... I use whatever I can get at a reasonable price in an ISO 200 emulsion usually, and occasionally punch things up with an ISO 400. Color rendition is so much a part of the printing process or scanning and manipulation digitally that color neg film is less critical so I worry about it less. I'm not given to making lots of HUGE prints, I prefer a certain intimacy with my piccies, so a book of 5x7s works well for me. Thus the grain/speed issues are not critical for most stuff. The occasional and exceptional image I want in 16x20 or greater, well, it depends upon the image as to what I find acceptable in grain. Godfrey