Beginner First try with B&W and old Zenit 122

paulmaguire

paulmaguire

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Hi all,
I got given an old Zenit 122 camera and purchased some B&W film.
These are from my first ever roll of fil that I shot the other day.

They seem very grainy. Is this me or possibly the camera?
Al advice greatly appreciated.
reduced.JPGR1-00885-0017 reduced.JPGR1-00885-0001 reduced.JPG
 
Well, it's not the camera. That can't contribute to grain (assuming the shutter and aperture are working reasonably well). You can test the shutter and aperture without a film - just listen for different sounds as you work through a few speed settings and look at the lens at a few aperture settings with a slow shutter speed.

That's the easy bit! A few other things can cause (or worsen the grain):
Type of film
Expiry date and storage
Developer type and process
Adequate exposure (under-exposed images look like your tyre picture)

I also think (but have never proved) that low contrast subjects come out more grainy than nice high contrast subjects. Your padlock picture looks pretty reasonable to me.

So, bung us a bit more information, and we might have some ideas. Failing that, try another roll with more exposure.
 
I'd agree with all of the above, I would also look at the ISO/ASA of the film the higher the value the grainer the negative will be, also with the 2nd shoot if this is an enlargement of a part of the negative it will show up more grain in the final print.
 
Thank you all for your replies.

The film is Ilford HP5 PLUS 400. Nowhere near its expiry.
I got them developed at snappy snaps, am not sure if that's good or bad!!

I will try slightly over exposing with the next roll.
 
400 ASA HP5 is quite grainy film (it allows you take exposure readings in darker conditions) you wouldn't want to increase the grain in prints, but if you did you could use the developer at a higher temperature than 20 degree C, an outdate developer, which you had no control of using snappy snaps.

Therefore as the temperature over the last few days as been high I would put it down to snappy snaps.
 
paulmaguire said:
Thank you all for your replies.

The film is Ilford HP5 PLUS 400. Nowhere near its expiry.
I got them developed at snappy snaps, am not sure if that's good or bad!!

I will try slightly over exposing with the next roll.
Click to expand...
paulmaguire said:
Which film would you guys recommend for daytime shots on the beach, kids etc?
Click to expand...

I personally do not find HP5+ to be particularly grainy. Well exposed and developed it is really quite fine grained. It is my go to film, but I have also used FP4+. Both are very good, but I prefer the faster speed of HP5+.

You can afford to be really generous with exposure - the negative film has a lot of latitude. I did a test when I started using film again, and +4 stops was pretty usable.

Regarding Snappy Snaps, I have never used them, so don't know how they perform. It might be interesting to go and ask them some questions: do they develop on site, or send it away; what developer do they use?

If they aren't really sure about the answers, that's probably your answer!

There are several specialist film processors around who will be very happy to tell you what their process is. There is doubtless a thread on the subject somewhere on the site.
 
Thanks all. I really appreciate the feedback and info. I will try over exposing and see how the next batch come out.
I did find a few developers online and will give one a go.

Black & White Film Developing | 35mm, 120, sheet film - Digital and film-based photographic printing & products

Black and white film processing for film, with options for scans, prints and WeTransfer. Individually assed for density and contrast. 1-2 days
www.the-darkroom.co.uk www.the-darkroom.co.uk

FilmProcessing.co.uk | Online Store

Process your films with filmprocessing.co.uk! Just select your service and you're well on your way. Getting your films processed and photos printed couldn't be easier!
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