I recently made prints from Kodak b&w+ select 400 film C41 process which everybody knows gives you a slight colour cast. Since I am only experimenting I don't mind this. Now that I want to reprint one particular photo in pure b&w I ask the question; is there a big enough difference in the contrast and tonal range of say, "real" B&w film prints(eg Kodak TMax 400 pro) and what I will see with C41 film print done on B&W paper? Please excuse the ignorance, just starting to explore B&W now! Thanks.

-- Latham Portous (latport@hotmail.com), April 18, 2002

Answers

Kodak C-41 B&W films, like Portra, when printed as traditional B&W are beautiful--rich tones, very small grain. You will see a huge difference between those prints and the C-41 machine prints with their color cast. Wedding photographers often use these C-41 films; Kodak designed the Portra line (color and B&W) to handle the tones of skin very well (Portra=portrait).

In your traditional print, you will find less grain than T-Max 400 (which is small-grained anyway), and the tones and contrast should be as good or better.

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 19, 2002.

One other note--and someone please correct me if I'm wrong--but isn't it true that the Kodak C-41 B&W films do not push very well?

If you need to shoot at higher speeds, and rate your film accordingly, won't the "real" B&W films provide much better tones and less harsh contrast?

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 19, 2002.

Preston. Thanks. I always thought that C41 was inferior to the traditional B&W films in terms of grain and contrast, and an amateurs choice for non-serious photographers, since that is the case I may still use this film and then select which prints I really like to make in true B&W. Thanks for sharing that info, I've learnt so much from this site!

-- Latham (latport@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002.

Latham Sorry for the late response, I don't get on here very often, but I do own a lab and maybe this will help. Kodak Select 400 was designed to be printed on RA4 color paper. If printed properly it should have no color cast. Other C-41 B&W films will print on RA-4 with a color cast which can be reduced, but I've never been able to eliminate it. C-41 films should not be pushed unless absolutly necessary to save the shoot. Most C-41 films have a two stop latitude so pushing to 800 (1 stop) generally does very little except enhance grain. All the B&W C-41 films print very well on conventional B&W paper.

-- Jim Hobson (csp1@nac.net), April 27, 2002.