medium format and film b&w film

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I recently picked up a yashica mat 124 G in mint condition. from now on this will probably be the camera I use most for b&w. Of late I have been using delta 100 souped in xtol 1:1. This has been a really good combo for my 35mm camera. Today I shot and developed a roll of 120 format d100. The grain was so fine I couldn't hardly focus, So I'm guessing that I could use one of the traditional emulsions and probably get better tonal range. Any of you medium format shooters have any suggestions.

-- orman hall (mhallrn@greenapple.com), April 30, 2000

Answers

Try Plus-X and develop in D-76 1+1, and Agfa APX 100 developed in Rodinal 1+50. For the super fine grain use Agfa APX 25 and develop in Rodinal 1+50. The skin tones with the Agfa films are super!

With medium format you can also use fast films like Tri-X and get very fine grain and great grey tones.

-- Patric (jenspatric@mail.bip.net), April 30, 2000.


Ilford FP4+ is excellent, and if you really want to be traditional, Verichrome pan is a really nice film available only in 120 (I use PMK with both)

-- John Lehman (ffjal@uaf.edu), April 30, 2000.

I like HP5+ EI200 developed in PMK 70F 8'0". Your enlarger may prefer a different density range negative, 'though. TriX Pan is still a nice film but is granier, I think, than HP5+.

I prefer the faster films because I almost always shoot handheld and shutter speed is a big consideration.

-- Don Karon (dkaron@socal.rr.com), April 30, 2000.


Why not stick with the modern emulsion and use Delta 400? This gives you two more f-stops (if you want them), and the film gives a nice tonal range, plus the grain should be visible in your focuser (although maybe not in a print smaller than 16X16, depending on development).

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), May 02, 2000.

Hi Thomas, I really like the delta films in 35mm format. But I will have to admit I prefer the tonal range of the traditional ilford films. I think I will stick with delta for portraiture (tonal range is less important to me here) and experiment with hp4 & hp5 for landscape photos.

Thanks all.

-- orman hall (mhallrn@greenapple.com), May 03, 2000.



My favorite emulsion of all time: Verichrome Pan.

If you haven't tried it, do so. It used to be that if a film size existed, Kodak made Verichrome Pan in that size, even if they offered nothing else. Now it's only in 120.

-- Charlie Strack (charlie_strack@sti.com), May 03, 2000.


The lens on the 124G isn't that great until f/8 so results from using 400 film at f/8 is actually better than using 100 film at f/4.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), May 11, 2000.

Agfa 100 ,very good

-- Stephen Mitchell (mitmad@telus.net), June 08, 2000.

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