film

[Kendra_J_K_]

i just recently started working with a film camera (the NIkon N50)
and so far i have only used HPilford 400 iso film....and it was really good (but all my last pictures came out really grainy>_< any ideas why))

and i really wnat to get into some color...and was wondering what kind of film you guys recommend...for color or for black and white...

thanks!

 

[shiato storm]

asa or iso 400 film can be grainy if processed beyond its tolerances, there's fair bit on Ilford's website that gives processing guidlines such as developer to use, temperatures etc.
for good quality black and white try HP5 or FP4 plus films, they're more tolerant to over/under exposures and quite good fine grain films.

 

[CT]

All film is is a cellulose strip with a light sensitive coating (emulsion) on one side. That coating is made up of silver halide crystals. Fast film has bigger crystals which catch more light - slow film has smaller crystals which give a fine grain result but have a much lower ISO rating. It's really that simple.

400 is considered fast in film terms. When you look at the grain in your shots, you're actually looking at the grain structure of the individual film, magnified at the enlarging/printing stage.

I used to like to use Ilford PanF which was only 50 ISO, but developed in Acutol gained a half stop speed increase so it could be rated in the camera at 75 ISO. It gives beautiful fine grain prints, but obviously it's use is limited in low light.

 

[Ally]

I use ilford for my college work and I really like it. I get good quality prints but they never seem to grainy (Blown up from 35mm negitive to 10x8). I found that the developer has to be at 20 Degrees no + or - bang on 20, the other chemicals can be + or - a degree and that gives me nice prints. I#ve seen people distroy there film by putting the developer at 22 and the stop bath at 18 I don't know why we've only ever been told 20 for developer and 20 on the others but they can be + or - HTH

I used to like to use Ilford PanF

One of my lectures was talking about panF I might buy a roll and try it

 

[Arkady]

It's because the chemistry is designed to work at 20C - if you do a Google on the subject of sensitometry in regard to film processing, you'll see why. It used to be a big part of the degree courses, but I think most courses now recognise that you'll all just switch to digital as soon as you graduate, so why waste 3 weeks teaching something that's effectively redundant?