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Author Topic: Any experience with B&W chromogenics?  (Read 12886 times)

David R. Gurtcheff

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Any experience with B&W chromogenics?
« on: January 31, 2006, 12:42:55 pm »

I have a desire to shoot B&W with some of my old classic 35mm SLRs that I have collected over the years. I had a full blown color/B&W darkroom (including that German mastepiece of mechanical engineering-a Leitz Focomat V35), but I gave it up several years ago. I am 69 and my wife and I sold our old home and moved to a small 2 BR, 2 bath condo, with no excess space. With that background, I was thinking of shooting the chromogenic B&W films that I could have locally processed in C-41, and then scan and print digitally. Do these films show the sharp edged grain patterns that I had come to love from conventional B&W? I plan on making 16"x24" prints. Some of my old B&W negs scanned and printed that size, have a texture I can't get from digital capture files converted to B&W. My alternative is buying a changing bag, delevoper, fixer, and shooting conventional B&W, but space is a premium in our new home, and after putting up with 47 years of my smelling like Hypo, this would not thrill my wife. (Neither would negatives hanging in the bathroom!)
Any feedback from users of this B&W film?
Thanks
Dave
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mikeseb

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Any experience with B&W chromogenics?
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2006, 01:30:32 pm »

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I was thinking of shooting the chromogenic B&W films that I could have locally processed in C-41, and then scan and print digitally. Any feedback from users of this B&W film?

I've shot in 120 size with both Ilford XP-2 and Kodak BW400CN, both of which are ISO 400 chromogenic films. An example of an image made with this film (I think it was the Ilford here) is at

http://www.mikesebastianphoto.com/gallery/1047417/1/48645746

I don't use them much, only because I like conventional B&W film and am well set up to do the processing myself. But they are very nice films. They scan beautifully and have great tones and sharpness. "Grain" is miniscule.

In your situation, they would be a terrific alternative to conventional B&W films--which in my opinion must be self-processed for best results.

Give them a try and let us know here in this lonely Wet Darkroom forum what you think.
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michael sebast

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Any experience with B&W chromogenics?
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2006, 03:12:55 pm »

I think you would have a lot of fun with XP2 Super in 35mm. I always felt like it excelled at tonality and gradation. It may not give you that ultimate edge sharpness/texture/graininess that you seem to like. But there's no harm in trying it. The 4x6 prints you get back with processing are handy for reference, although they'll be on color paper and may take on odd tints. I've never scanned it myself, but I've never seen anyone in any form say anything other than that it scans beautifully. You might find you get better shadow detail shooting it at 320 or 250.

best of luck
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David R. Gurtcheff

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Any experience with B&W chromogenics?
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2006, 04:36:58 pm »

Quote
I think you would have a lot of fun with XP2 Super in 35mm. I always felt like it excelled at tonality and gradation. It may not give you that ultimate edge sharpness/texture/graininess that you seem to like. But there's no harm in trying it. The 4x6 prints you get back with processing are handy for reference, although they'll be on color paper and may take on odd tints. I've never scanned it myself, but I've never seen anyone in any form say anything other than that it scans beautifully. You might find you get better shadow detail shooting it at 320 or 250.

best of luck
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=57197\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Thank you both: I will pick up several rolls tomorrow. I live in a summer resort town, which this time of year is rather empty of people. The Local Camera Shop may not have the Ilford product, but I'm sure he will have one of the Kodak varieties. I also agree with the statement that conventional B&W film needs user processing to tweak contrast, shadow detail, etc.
Dave
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quattro98

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Any experience with B&W chromogenics?
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2006, 12:21:32 pm »

One nice feature of the chromogenic films for your planned workflow is that they will work with ICE on your scanner to avoid dust/specks.
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Quattro98

Rob C

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Any experience with B&W chromogenics?
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2006, 03:02:09 pm »

Quote
I have a desire to shoot B&W with some of my old classic 35mm SLRs that I have collected over the years. I had a full blown color/B&W darkroom (including that German mastepiece of mechanical engineering-a Leitz Focomat V35), but I gave it up several years ago. I am 69 and my wife and I sold our old home and moved to a small 2 BR, 2 bath condo, with no excess space. With that background, I was thinking of shooting the chromogenic B&W films that I could have locally processed in C-41, and then scan and print digitally. Do these films show the sharp edged grain patterns that I had come to love from conventional B&W? I plan on making 16"x24" prints. Some of my old B&W negs scanned and printed that size, have a texture I can't get from digital capture files converted to B&W. My alternative is buying a changing bag, delevoper, fixer, and shooting conventional B&W, but space is a premium in our new home, and after putting up with 47 years of my smelling like Hypo, this would not thrill my wife. (Neither would negatives hanging in the bathroom!)
Any feedback from users of this B&W film?
Thanks
Dave
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=57184\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Hi Dave

I know just where you're coming from, as I've lived that wish myself. I loved b/w photography using TXP 120 but FP3/4 with the occassional HP5 on 35mm. I did try the Ilford chromo film but the problem for me was getting a lab to process it. I had two darkrooms of my own earlier in my career, but like you, darkrooms are now out of the question, but mainly because I now live on an island in the Med and there is a hell of a water shortage which makes washing prints properly very irresponsible. Anyway, the lab which I used for the chromo tests is the same one which does excellent E6 for me, but the problem is convincing them that the film should go through negative COLOUR processing - I'm certain that the test films I sent them were developed (badly) in another, sub-contracted lab, or by a very junior member of staff. Either way, I didn't feel like re-doing the exercise.

But you have made me think again. I have married myself to a D200 but still retain an F3 which I bought out of frustration with trying to load an F4s - it was a nightmare, time after time. I have scanned a lot of my old b/w films and there is something very nice about them on digital paper (I use humble Epson heavyweight matte.) The ease of use of the D200, particularly its matrix metering which I find incredibly accurate, may make using the F3 again less than perfect (I don't think much of IT'S metering system) but as the Ilford chromo films seem to be very very wide in latitude, perhaps that's not such a problem. Try 320 or 400 for best results - at least, the way I worked that was what the test films  showed me.

Anyway, enjoy the photography, it is very good for us older guys to have something like that to do...

Ciao - Rob C
« Last Edit: October 07, 2006, 04:31:38 pm by Rob C »
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