Topic: Sticking to one film type during projects?

[johnha]

Hi All,

Although possibly not in the full spirit of Filmwasters I'm considering sticking to one film type for various projects I have in mind. Both for image consistency and to simplify which film I'll be buying/carrying/shooting etc. I'm considering primarily FP4+ or HP5+ (35mm & 120) as I know these quite well, and of these HP5+ appeals more for it's higher speed (I haven't tried pushing FP4+ yet). I usually buy 36 exp rolls of 35mm, I don't know if you can still get bulk rolls/cassettes, but I'd prefer to use 24/36 exp rolls.

Firstly, has anybody tried sticking to just one film for these reasons, if so did it work or did it cause problems?

Secondly, my film choices above are quite arbitrary - should I be considering more options?

John.

[LT]

stick with what you like, if it makes you happy. If you dont like your results, look for something new.

I only use HP5+ these days for the very reasons you suggest.

over and above, make sure you have fun with it.

[Terry]

I would suggest that if you're sticking with one emulsion you might try loading your own.  Might save a bit of money that way, as you can pick up a bulk loader fairly cheaply these days.

[Francois]

It depends if you care about grain uniformity over the series.
What I like about HP5+ is that you can easily push it and even pull it in order to get the speed you need.
Pushing a low ISO film is never as good as pulling a high ISO film.
From memory, FP4 is 100ISO. The most you'd need to push it is up to 200 before you come into HP5 territory. On the other hand, you can always process HP5 in dilute Xtol and bring it down to 100.

If your project is all outdoor work, I'd go for FP4. If it's going to be night or indoor shots, I'd just go for HP5 and pull it if need be.

[mcduff]

Historically I used to shoot just FP4+ but then I went through a period when I got back into film again a few years ago of shooting everything I could get my hands on. I think this was partly a function of knowing some more obscure films were being discontinued.  I am trying to use a smaller range of films now -- if I could just shoot FP4+ and Portra 160nc I would be a happy camper. I am really trying to stay more focused on what films I am playing with. At this point I will only be shooting different stuff: a) on a rare occasion to mix things up, b) if I get stuff really cheap, and c) if I absolutely need something that the film cannot provide (such as shooting delta 3200 for a nite shoot).

I am also realizing that if I am worried about films being discontinued, instead of rushing around buying films who have already had the kiss of death (such as what I did with Efke 25) I should instead focus on the films I like that are still being manufactured.

Disclaimer: I posted my first shot of techpan this week in the weekend thread. This is not contrary to the above but is in line with it. I am selling off some techpan on ebay (for high prices I will not insult you all with  ) and mainly wanted to make sure it is OK 

[02Pilot]

Try as I might to narrow things down, I end up shooting a bunch of different stuff. Starting to develop my own B&W last fall just made things worse. I'm finally settling into a few standard emulsions, and I will certainly try to stick to those for projects or anything that requires the best possible results and consistency, but there's always something to complicate the day-to-day choices: something on sale, an urge to retry something that seems to have unrealized potential, and now determining how one thing or another works in Caffenol, all add to the confusion.

Right now, my intended standard B&W emulsion is Tri-X in both 35mm and 120, and for color Portra 160 in 35mm and Ektar in 120. But I've got about 20 rolls each of Fuji 200 and Kodak Gold 200, plus various and sundry rolls of other things, so I don't expect to settle into a routine any time soon.

But to the original question, I think there's much to be said for picking a single film and really learning how to get the most out of it. I'm just not very good at it.

[mcduff]

Veering OT: I implied this but to outright state it: Due to shopping online for most people the variety of available films that you can get & ARE AWARE of is much higher than in the "good old days" when film was the only game in town. Unless you lived in a major centre and had really knowledgable friends, you did not know about or have access to a lot of stocks. In canada in the 80's I did not hear about (or certainly see) films that were not kodak/ilford/agfa/fuji and you would be lucky to have those four at the local camera store. So  I have to fight the diversity of choice more than back then!

Back OT. My goal is to have my freezer stock be mainly fp4+ in bulk & 120.

[hookstrapped]

With color, it's nice to have a similar look with different speeds, like Portra, which I used 160 for daylight and 400 (shot at 800 and developed normal) for night.

With black and white, you can get a similar look with different film & developer combinations.  I like the grain of Acros 100 with Rodinal and found it matched well with the grain of Tri-X pushed 1.5 stops with Tmax or Xtol developer.  So, if you don't mind some nice grain, see what you get with a 400 film in a regular, e.g., D-76, developer, then if you need slower film for daylight, try Rodinal with Acros 100 or FP4 and the grain should match well.  And if you need to push your 400 film, Xtol does a nice job without increasing the graininess.

[johnha]

Thanks for the replies & suggestions. I'm happy to experiment, but would prefer to keep projects consistent if possible, my preference for Ilford is down to past experience & availability (in the UK). The only developer I've used is Ilfosol-S (chosen for a convenience reason I can't now remember) and the only 'pushing' I've done is for Delta 3200 at EI3200. I hadn't considered pulling HP5+ though (not really having an issue with having to reduce its ISO).

I've found some bulk film prices and I'm not sure if the saving are significant - I reckon on nineteen 36exp cassettes from 30m + cassettes - until I start developing film myself again.

[KevinAllan]

John, there's another thread about a discount code for Harman Express. They have Pan F, FP4, HP5, XP2, and the Kentmere films in bulk. With 20% off for the next couple of days and free postage, this gives a clearer cost benefit for bulk loading. Having said that, I didn't buy any as I have too much film already and bought some darkroom paper instead.

[Late Developer]

I've been quite capricious when it comes to film stock in recent years.  The one stable thread through the variety I've used has been Ilford XP2 Super - which I really like.  However, I'm about to build a website and take a bit of care to put my better stuff on it.  That means, for me, using one film stock per project / gallery (unless there's a very good reason not to).

As Kevin mentioned, Harman Express is offering a very generous discount of 20% off their wares and I've just inverted in a couple of bricks of 120 Delta 400.

I don't imagine it matters which film you choose, so long as you are comfortable with it and it gives you what you want.  However, if you look at galleries of professional work, most (though not all) tend to have a consistent look to them which suggests, if not confirms, that they use the same film throughout.  The only problem I can envisage is if you aren't consistent in the way you shoot it and end up with negs of widely varying density.

[hookstrapped]

The same film will give you the same look if you shoot it consistently in the same conditions.  However, like I described above, if you're going to shoot in different conditions, e.g., daylight and low light, using the same film might not be feasible and even if it is using different film/developer combinations might better achieve a consistent look.

Another approach is to use a relatively fast film (if you have some low light situations) and use neutral density filters with the same film in brighter light.

[johnha]

Thanks for the suggestions. This thread has prompted an audit of my film stocks (35mm only so far - 120 is too scary). I've got enough of each of FP4+, HP5+ & Kentmere 100 to start with these. I'll be trying to use one stock for each project and see how that goes. I need to shoot some of what I've got before being able to justify re-stocking (I suppose).

[johnha]

Thanks for the suggestions. This thread has prompted an audit of my film stocks (35mm only so far - 120 is too scary). I've got enough of each of FP4+, HP5+ & Kentmere 100 to start with these. I'll be trying to use one stock for each project and see how that goes. I need to shoot some of what I've got before being able to justify re-stocking (I suppose).

Update - The Harmen Express offer proved too enticing to resist and I've stocked up with equal quantities of FP4+ & HP5+ in both 120 & 35mm formats. Shooting FP4+ today in the sun has reinforced the need to use slower film (Ilford's tables for HP5+ seem to show only Perceptol is suitable for EI 250) on some occasions.