I'm only new in the game but I do like really grainy images. I want to know how to produce my own. Can anyone help me on what type of film to use that is darkroom safe.

-- Megan Almeida (thirdman@ozemail.com.au), October 09, 2000

Answers

Tri-X developed in Rodinal is a great alternative if you want grain!

-- Patric (jenspatric@mail.bip.net), October 09, 2000.

Megan, T-Max 3200 @ 3200 has good/lots of grain. Also Fuji Neopan 1600 @ 1600 & as Patric mentioned, especially if developed in Rodinal.

Kodak Infrared is also very grainy.

Ilford 3200 is probably also grain, as is the Ilford infrared film.

Kodak used to have a highspeed surveillance film that was also very grain, but I don't think they make it any more.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), October 09, 2000.

Tri-X in Dektol is another good combination. Kodak recording film hasn't been made for about 10 years, altho most photo books don't seem to have been revised to reflect this. Ilford SX-200 infrared film is not very grainy (it's inherant speed is much lower than Kodak's).

-- John Lehman (al7jj@yahoo.com), October 10, 2000.

The grainest film I have shot is Kodak Recording film. Really artsy stuff other than for surveilence... I think it was ASA 2000 or 4000. Cheers, Scott

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), October 10, 2000.

Try Ilford Universal 400, and shot with a wide-angle lens, like 28mm. When you go to make the print, just enlarge the center part of the image, and it will look normal.

I make my favorite grainy images with an Olympus Pen-F camera, which makes a "half-frame" negative. Enlarging the image to 8x10 produces a beautiful grainy picture, sharp in focus yet soft from grain.

Another avenue is to use a Minox. I think there is one model for about $300. Or you can buy a used model. If you go this route, there are many support groups, and there is information on how to make a well-developed roll of negatives, in case you want to develop the film yourself.

-- Brian C. Miller (brian.c.miller@gte.net), October 11, 2000.

Long before I blew $300 on a Minox camera...a camera that will provide a smaller neg that when enlarged will give you grain...all be it ugly soft grain, I would try Agfa APX 400 shot at ISO 250 and developed in Agfa Rodinal at 1+100 for 20 minutes at 68 degrees. The negs you will get with this (inexpensive) combination will give you the sharpest large grain shots I've seen from negs that are very easy to print.

-- Jim Vanson (primary_colors@hotmail.com), October 11, 2000.