Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have tried several of the colorless "color" -- eg c41 process -0- B&W films, because I no longer have access to a darkroom and I lime them, even for available dark photgraphy., They are all rated at 400 and that,.s what i shoot them at. In Rolleis, Contaxes Contessas, and sometime later this week, in a Leica. They work just fine in an auto-everything P&S too... I started with TCN -- a T-max type grain structure. If exposure is RIGHT ON and if the processing lab knows what it is doing you get a B&W print. Otherwise you get some really great prints that sometimes look like they are sepia or selenium toned (bluer, anyway) Best thing is that Mr. 1-hour does them cheap. I get 4x6s Kodak also has a thing called "B&W" which also is C-41 and also is printed by the minilab on color paper, and seems to come out a little whiter and a little blacker. I have also used Ilford XP (2??5???) forget the number but Ilford's c-41 B&W film anyway; and that may be the best of all in terms of true B&W from a color neg/color paper setup. If you plan on doing your own enlarging a Leicaphile pal (who also is a professional photographer) says that the Ilford film makes th best enlargements on B&W paper andis easy to work with. As for proof sheets? Well my lab charges $5 for a proof sheet -- my DRUGSTORE will give me an index print with tiny thumbnails for $1 if I shoot 35 mm or aps. Usually my 35 goes to the minilab which prints out 4x6s -- pay $7 for a 24 exposure roll. A quick way to check if I like the new lens or that Leica coming in from eBay! Mike Levy