Re: [Leica] If you had only one B&W film/developer combo, which would it be?

["J. Gilbert Plantinga" <gilplant@hvc.rr.com>]

on 1/3/02 12:40 PM, Jeffery L.Smith at jsmith45@bellsouth.net wrote:

> If someone were to ask me for my recommendation for ONE GOOD SLOW SLIDE
> FILM, I would probably blurt out "Velvia", and if I were asked for ONE
> GOOD FAST C-41 COLOR FILM, I would probably blurt out "Fuji Superia
> 800".
> 
> I am going to focus this year's PAW on B&W images whenever possible. I
> have been away from developing my own B&W film for 20 years, and many of
> the films I used to prefer are no longer around. Also, there are about
> 3x as many B&W films available now compared to then. XTOL is also "new"
> to me.
> 
> I would like to find one good predictable film and developer. If I were
> to ask you for a recommendation for a B&W film and developer combination
> with an E.I. Of 400 to 800 (+/- 200), what would you blurt out?

Whatever I try, I keep coming back to HP5+ in XTOL 1:3. I shoot it at 400,
800, and 200. It doesn't eat fixer like the tab-grained films, highlights
don't blow out if I decrease agitation at the end of the development, and I
LIKE it's particular grain. Others don't, so try the agfa 400, or tri-x.
Today's Tri-x is not the same film I learned on in the '60s. I think it's
really just a question of getting one film and shooting it exclusively for a
year, sort or like the David Allen Harvey 1 body - 1 lens concept.

Gilbert

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