Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Peter, I've always used Neopan 1600 at 1250iso. I used to develop it myself with DDX but since I don't have a darkroom set up here I'm using a local lab. They have a Jobo and use D76. Seems to be grainer this way but I'm working with what I can. My online service Pictage can develop it for me if I mail it to them, but I'm not brave enough for that. They use A&I in CA. I have Pictage scan it professional for me though which gives me around a 5-6mb file which I FTP back to my hard drives. 11x14's look good, 8x10's are really nice which is the largest most wedding folks get anyway. The tonal range is "fixed" in Nikon Capture with custom curves for Neopan 1600. Sometimes the scans are lacking in contrast. Yeah, overexposing 1600 is horrible. Carrying 1600 is always fun through TSA "wow! they make film this fast?" Chris ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Klein" < Subject: [Leica] Neopan 1600 (was Leica M8 does a wedding) > Chris: At what "ISO" are you shooting the Neopan 1600.? Do you know what > developer your lab uses? The grain is quite reasonable, and you've got a > nice tonal range, too. > > "Panda," a highly-regarded B&W lab in Seattle, recommends shooting Neopan > 1600 at about 800 when possible. I think they use the old standby D-76 > 1:1. Better tonal range, they say. That leads to the question of whether > shooting Neopan 1600 at 800 is any better than shooting Tri-X at 800. > > I've only used Neopan 1600 at 1600 for very dark situations. My take is > that it works beautifully at 1600 *if* developed properly. But don't ever > overexpose it, and be prepared for high contrast. I've never used it for > general purposes, "pulled" down to 800 or thereabouts. I probably will > soon, as I've got a couple of rolls I need to shoot soon. > > A couple of examples. Here's Neopan at 1600, when there was a real "need > for speed:" > http://users.2alpha.com/~pklein/musicians/02David.htm > http://users.2alpha.com/~pklein/musicians/03RachelDavid.htm > > Why you gotta be *very* careful about exposure at 1600. The overhead > lighting fooled me: > http://users.2alpha.com/~pklein/musicians/18ClarTrioWeb2.jpg > > Anybody else who uses Neopan 1600, feel free to chime in. (Hello, Daniel > of the Fading Nordic Light!) :-) > > --Peter