Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/19

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Beginner B&W Question - Indoor Available Light
From: Michael Levy <yvel@adelphia.net>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 19:21:30 -0400

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

Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Beginner B&W Question - Indoor Available Light)