Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I can't recommend a super high speed B&W film from experience as all my available darkness work I tend to use at most 400 speed films pushed one stop. Most of my B&W work I do with 100 to 400 speed films, occasionally I drop down to 25-50 for a bit finer grain. When it comes to B&W processing, commercial photofinishing is generally pretty consistent on standard negative development and fairly lame on anything special, and commercial, standard prints are usually a waste of time. You'll get much better results processing your negatives yourself and using your film scanner to print them. Processing B&W film is a piece of cake and takes about an hour (excluding drying time). You don't need much equipment to do it and the basic chemistry is pretty easy to deal with: - - Changing bag (to load the processing tank) - - Processing tank - - Thermometer - - running water - - developer - - stop bath (optional) - - fixer - - fixer clearing agent (optional) - - wetting agent (photo-flo) - - clothespins and string (film drying is hung in your bath/shower stall) - - measuring beaker - - storage jars for the chemistry - - timer or watch That's about it. Choosing what film and developer combination to use is a matter of what you want to get out of it. Super high speed film, super fine grain, whatever. It's the way to take control of your photography and really have fun with it. Godfrey