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Response to Examples of Tri-x, Pan F+, HP5+ ...

from Michael Goldfarb (mgoldfar@mobius-inc.com)
Honestly, all the modern b/w films are excellent materials capable of producing very nice results.

In my quest for the best 100-speed film for use in my Minox, I've tried Plus-X, Agfapan APX 100, T-Max 100, Delta 100 Pro, and FP4 Plus in the last couple of years. Sure, some have better grain, others have better gradation, others have better exposure latitude - each film has its own "personality". ALL have produced at least a few beautiful images. No clear winner (or loser) has emerged... T-Max has the best grain, but it runs contrasty and isn't so great for exposure latitude (since I'm using a meterless Minox and guestimating exposure, this is particularly significant to me). APX 100 has fabulous gradation and midtones, excellent exposure latitude, and gives especially lovely results on portraits - but the grain is a bit more visible... And so it goes!

Face it, you're just going to have to experiment and find the film/developer combo that YOU like best for YOUR equipment, YOUR techniques, and YOUR photographic purposes. Sorry, I can't offer you expert advice, other than this: I've (re)discovered that it mostly comes down to your vision and skill - what film or camera you use is of far less consequence than most folks like to think!

(posted 9294 days ago)

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