I wanted to choose a black and white film, so that when I have it developed into an enlarged poster size format it will not be brown and white instead of black and white. Also, does the development (paper and where) make a difference? Thanks for any input, Jill

-- Jill Delgado (jillproctor@hotmail.com), November 12, 2000

Answers

Please scroll down the list to "Black and white films?" (Adrian Smith)and look at the answers. Thanks.

Wolfram

-- Wolfram Kollig (kollig@ipfdd.de), November 13, 2000.

Any old black and white fine-grained film will do. What you do need is a warm image tone paper or a paper that you can tone brown or sepia. That's what makes the final image brown, not the quality of the image on the negative. Ragards, ;^D)

-- Doremus Scudder (ScudderLandreth@compuserve.com), November 15, 2000.

I think Jill is looking for the opposite--she wants neutral prints, "not brown and white." Are you using a chromogenic film processed in C-41 color chemistry by a conventional minilab on color paper? Brown tones are a common problem with this approach, but you can tell the lab you want the blacks to be black and the greys to be grey, and they should be able to adjust, if they know what they are doing.

Alternately, try a more conventional black and white film like Kodak T-Max 100 or Ilford FP-4 or Kodak Plus-X, take it to a professional lab, and have them print it on conventional black and white paper.

It is ultimately the paper (and some aspects of processing like the developer and toner used) that determines the tone of the image, not the film, but chromogenic films are designed for printing on color paper.

-- David Goldfarb (dgoldfarb@barnard.edu), November 15, 2000.

I concur with my fellow Goldfarb (no relation, there are just lots of Goldfarbs into photography!) and I think that conventional b/w films are probably the way to go. And yes, the printing is where any tones (gray vs. brown, etc.) are controlled. But for poster size prints, the main issue that there's simply no getting around is that you really need to start with a good negative.

The real question for Jill is what kind of camera she's using. If it's a medium-format camera, good old Tri-X 400 developed in nearly any developer will enlarge to poster size without too much grain. However, if she wants to blow up a 35mm negative to that size, slower films like Kodak Plus-X or T-Max 100, Ilford FP4 or Delta 100, or Agfa APX 100 are necessary.

Among these, my own bias is towards the "old tech" emulsions, especially if her subjects are portraits. Not to denigrate T-Max or Delta, they are indeed sharper and finer-grained, but I find their look is just less flattering overall. And FYI, my own informal testing (with Minox negatives in D-76) has found that APX 100 is the finest-grained and sharpest of the classic 100-speed films... at least in MY darkroom.

As to where to get it developed and printed, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. A pro lab that does conventional b/w and poster size prints on a regular basis is your best choice... but it'll cost ya.

-- Michael Goldfarb (mgoldfar@mobius-inc.com), November 15, 2000.

The max 100 pull to 25 D76, 1:1 @ 18 degree. celcius agitation 15 sec after 45 sec

I pring 20" * 30" prints from such 35 mms On LPL color enlarger with Rodenstock's Rodagin 50 mm 2.8 lens

Thanks

-- middle (middlegray@hotmail.com), November 24, 2000.

The max 100 pull to 25 D76, 1:1 @ 18 degree. celcius agitation 15 sec after 45 sec for 6.5 mins

I pring 20" * 30" prints from such 35 mms On LPL color enlarger with Rodenstock's Rodagin 50 mm 2.8 lens

Thanks

-- middle (middlegray@hotmail.com), November 24, 2000.