I am doing some photography indoors (actually in a homeless crises centre) and i need as "fine a grain" as possible on a 8X10 print (magazine work). The problem is no flash, and 400 ISO is too slow, not enough light for handheld work. Should I A) push 400 film to 800 and increase development time B) pull 3200 to 800 and decrease development time.........there is no 800 ISO film I can get unfortunately.

Ta ben....

-- ben (benjaminlangley@yahoo.com.au), May 08, 2001

Answers

Ilford makes a good 1600-speed b&w film, or at least they did last year. Shooting it at 800 to 1600 should give what you need. There may be some chromogenic films, too.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols@iopener.net), May 08, 2001.

Ben, I use Neopan 1600 a lot. Rating it at an EI of 1000 and then developing it by averaging the times Fuji gives for the film rated at 1600 and 800.

Plenty fine grain for 8x10. I usually do mine up to at least 11x14.

chris

Although you didn't ask, I would recommend using a 50mm or even wide angle lens for that kind of work.

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), May 08, 2001.

If you read the fine print from Kodak, T-Max P3200 is actually 1000 ISO. I've exposed it at 1000 and developed in PMK pyro for 20 minutes at 68 degrees and got good results. But I was able to tolerate perhaps more grain than you might for reproduction.

I just mentioned it because some people think it's iso 3200

-- john stockdale (jjss@bigpond.net.au), May 08, 2001.

"fine grain as possible" (magazine work). If you have the assignment, did you get it because of your experience, your style or just because you were there? Shoot it as you will, push all you want & turn out images that are full of life & information and to hell with concerns about grain.Just make sure you give the highest quality possible. You are giving them photographs to tell a story, not be critiqued by a bunch of wannabee photo buffs.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), May 08, 2001.