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  #21  
Old 16th June 2020, 12:07 AM
soulstar soulstar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
Thanks soulstar. I'd have expected a serious loss of detail in the lower zones at 500 but just because it is not a film you often read about in terms of 500 in box speed it doesn't mean that it doesn't work and in Microphen its speed may be boosted to nearer 250 only

If you can share any prints from shots taken at 500 I'd find it useful

Thanks

Mike
It does lose shadow detail compared to say hp5 at 400. I used it as my shutter speed on the rz is limited to 1/400th and i haven't picked up a ND filter which i really should do. hp5 would be more suited but i like the deep contrast at 500. less playing around with negative lol

i have yet to print these negs as yet only scanned. Now that things in the uk are slowly getting back to normal i hope to pick up a enlarger or head to my local darkroom soon. i will print and post on here.
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  #22  
Old 16th June 2020, 01:35 AM
soulstar soulstar is offline
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Originally Posted by Lostlabours View Post
I've used I think 2 rolls of FP4 in the last 30+ years and those were bought under strange circumstances I needed to have my photograph taken for a magaine article so asked a friennd (apro) he came to stay a day before with no camera so I lent him one. Over halfway to the location I realised he had no film, so back to the nearsest small town and 2 rolls 35mm FP4.

Best was the location was a mile walk from the car, almost there he realised he'd left the film in my car !!!!! I was less than impressed.

However FP4 is probably one of the best films available, I'd used it and FP3 before that before switching to Agfa AP100 then APX100, and Tax100, slightly finer grain.

My issue is using prints from 35mm, 120, 5x4 and 10x8 alongside each other in exhibitions. I dropped 35mm in the end except for separate projects so I might go back to 35mm FP$, I have some boxes of 5x4.

When choosing a film the developer is just as important in the combination. I only use Pyrocat HD now and that is superb with HP5 and friends say just as good with FP4. But ultimately qualitynis down to tight technique, and that's another story.

Ian
a great story that will never get old telling lol.

i have never tried pyrocat hd. i will put it on my to try list in the future. I want to understand ID11 before i try anything new.
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  #23  
Old 16th June 2020, 11:03 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Originally Posted by soulstar View Post
i hope to pick up a enlarger or head to my local darkroom soon. i will print and post on here.
Thanks soulstar, I had given a local darkroom much thought as there isn't one here for miles around and I have my own darkroom but thinking about the situation the good news is that in many ways a local darkroom is one place where if the users know what they are doing then adhering to social distancing is relatively easy with say a slot time booking system. Let's hope you local darkroom opens up soon

Mike
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  #24  
Old 16th June 2020, 02:22 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Fp4

FP4+ and the earlier FP4 or when I started out in the very early 60's, FP3, has always been my bread and butter B&W film for 35mm and 120. It is a fail-safe option that will give you the results that you need. I have never been a fan of fast films except the one and only Kodak High Speed Infra red.

It may not have the very fine grain of Delta 100 of Pan F or the speed of HP5 but is works and works very well.

Unlike some I stick with ID11 for the developer but reduce the rated box speed to 100 and shorten the development time by 20 seconds to give a softer negative which is easy to print (I'm basically lazy).

Using it with large format you would use a tripod anyway (presumably) so the film speed does not really matter. I would say go for it with whatever format you use it will work very well.

Last edited by John King; 16th June 2020 at 02:25 PM.
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  #25  
Old 16th June 2020, 07:38 PM
Svend Svend is offline
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Norm, I should also mention that FP4 stands up very well to printing large, even from small negs. I have a few prints from 135 negs at 16x20 and cropped 20x20 that look great at a reasonable viewing distance...you really have to get up close to see the grain and resolution loss. A good lens and good technique is a given, of course.

I agree with John, if you want to keep it simple and don't need a faster film for handheld shooting, you can't go wrong with FP4
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  #26  
Old 17th June 2020, 05:50 PM
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PanFrank PanFrank is offline
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If it should be only one, then I think that it should be a fast film and HP5+ would be my choice. Only problem in summer may be the shutter speed when it's really sunny. No problem in the UK though, where "summer" means warm rain. ;-) A ND filter could help then.
Frank
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