Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/04/30

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 3200 suggestion/Neopan 1600
From: "Gareth Jolly" <garethjolly@bigpond.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 18:41:32 +1000

ARTHURWG@aol.com wrote:

>I shot a lot of NP1600 last year but found that the highlights were
generally
>blown out, the shadows blocked up and not enough shades of grey. How do you
>process it?

I shoot a lot of it.  It is an excellent film.

Try rating it at 1200 and developing for 12 minutes at 20 degrees C in Xtol
1:3.  The trick is that you need a minimum of 100 ml of Xtol concentrate per
film.  So you will need 400 ml of Xtol 1:3 per film.  That can be a bit
awkward because it restricts you to developing one roll in a small tank;  3
in a larger tank.

Like most fast films, it lacks some shadow definition - its better than
Delta 3200 though.  Zone I pretty much doesn't register.  Its very important
to meter carefully for the shadows.  Don't let your exposure meter get
fooled by the lights.  I generally meter once in an environment - placing
the shadows on Zone III (i.e meter the shadows then close down 2 stops) -
then shoot at that exposure for the rest of the time.

I'm doing a lot of jazz photography with Neopan 1600 at the moment.

Regards
Gareth Jolly