[Leica] Re: Chromogenic b/w films with Leica

[drodgers@nextlink.com]

Bego;

Thanks for your reply regarding XP-2. You are right to say that grain is
not a bad thing. In fact, it can be desirable.

I'm trying to understand how best to use chromogenic b/w films. Having film
developed at a lab is certainly more convenient. It's true that I give up
control.
But I shoot under such a variety of conditions that I very rarely deviate
from standard development in 35mm. The biggest issue for me lately has been
time.
I haven't had the time to do my own b/w processing. I'll get behind a dozen
or so rolls. Developing then becomes a chore. When film stacks up it takes
away my desire to photograph. With XP-2 I can just drop it off and pick it
up.

Chromogenic films certainly have a  different look. But Delta 3200 looks
different from Delta 100, too. And one isn't neccessarily better than the
other.

I'm not convinced that film makes that much difference. (At the same time I
admit that  I've spent my share of time trying to prove to myself that it
does). It's the final photograph that counts. In the end most people don't
look at a print on display and ask what type of film I used. The average
viewer isn't that technical. They see b/w or color, and that's as far as it
goes.

Case in point; I was looking through Osterloh's book on Leica M recently. I
contains a b/w photograph of two young girls behind a rain covered window.
The photograph was taken on chromogenic film, but I had no idea until I
looked at the caption.

I've come to accept, too, the fact that my photography is changing. For
every one print I make I'll probably scan a dozen and send them to friends.
And that ratio is growing. As much as I hat to admit it, that seems to be
the trend.

David