![]() ![]() The levels were adjusted in Photoshop to give a full tonal range on the histogram but no other manipulation. Vuescan was set to auto-expose and give 2 passes for each frame, which I’ve found significantly reduces noise. ![]() The films were scanned using the same scanner and software (Epson V750 and Vuescan). Ilford HP5+ was given 6 minutes at 20C in Rodinal diluted 1+25, 1 minute stop bath, 5 minutes fix. The C41 film was given 18 minutes at 20C in Rodinal diluted 1+25, 1 minute stop bath, 5 minutes fix. I used the same development time for the C41 film as the Massive Dev Chart recommends for Ilford XP2 (a C41 b&w negative film), so if you want to use a different developer go ahead! I had some out-of-date 35mm C41 colour print film (Kodak GC-400, a cheap, consumer-level ISO400 film, no longer available) and wondered what would happen if I processed it in my normal black & white developer, Rodinal (actually ADOX Adonal, which is identical to the original AGFA formula), so I fired off a roll of the colour film followed by a roll of black & white film at the same ISO400 setting, which I processed in the same chemistry for comparison. Not only is it identical to processing black & white film but the fine grain and wide exposure latitude of C41 colour film is preserved in a black & white negative.ģ5mm colour print film can still be obtained in most city high streets, at least in the UK, and provides an available and low-cost alternative to regular b&w negatives for those willing to process and digitise their film. If that film is one of the two I mentioned, and you've overexposed by a stop or so, the results will probably be better.I have had promising results developing colour print film in standard black & white chemicals. I think you'll find that if you drop off any quality 400 speed film and ask for black and white prints, the results will be very similar. The reason that prolabs give you 'true' black and white images with C41 film is because the employees generally know enough to print these images as a greyscale without being told to do so. The only way to NOT get any colour cast at all is for the lab to print it as a greyscale, in which case you may as well have shot colour film anyway. As I recall the Kodak is green, and the Ilford is magenta. They also take better to automated digital editing, such as blemish removal.Īll the C41 films have a colour cast in the midtones, even if it's minute. Granted the colour films cost a bit more, but they give you the option of also having a colour print, should you change your mind later. I literally can't remember a single image I've shot with C41 BW film that I couldn't have done just as well with Portra or 400H converted to greyscale. Based on my own experiences with it, I really think it works best with medium format rather than 35mm. It simply does not have the kind of grain which most people like to get with real ISO 400 pr above black and white film. Even if you want a sepia-like tone, it's best to greyscale it and then add the sepia.Īll in all, I think it only ends up looking good when used under circumstances which ensure a creamy, grainless photograph, otherwise, it's downright ugly. If you scan it, you have to greyscale it afterwards unless you want to keep the colour. This was fine originally, because when developed, it was assumed that it would be printed on black and white paper in the darkroom, just like any other B&W film. Honestly, I'm not sure it does anything different than just using C41 colour film and converting the scan to monochrome.Īs you have found, the film is not really black & white. I've never been as happy with C41 B&W films as I have with real B&W, but I've used it for the same reasons you have. ![]() So I would like to know what the forums experience with C41 B&W film. I have had 2 labs shut down or quit completely developing B&W film in the last year alone. Also finding a good lab to develop B&W film is getting harder and harder. Let's face it with the explosion of Digital photography finding Kodak Tmax (my old standby b&w film) and Tri-x are getting harder to find and the cost keeps going up. The reason I am thinking of useing C41 B&W is because of the cost of both the film and the developing is much cheaper. The film was run through my local 1 hour lab and it came back with a bit of an orange tint to it, almost looked like Sepia. I was some what happy with the results, but mostly I was very unhappy. I bought some C41 process Black and White Film from my local CVS the other day and tried it out. I am new here on the forum and I am finding myself shooting more and more black and white pictures with my old trusty film cameras a Nikon N6006 and Nikon N90s. ![]()
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