Film Range

[DJ]

Does anyone know the exposure range of the different films? I personally use Velvia 50 and at the moment, Ilford FP4+.

I usually work on the basis that the Velvia has about 4 stops of range from black to white, I almost certainly read this somewhere, it might have been in one of David Noton's essays, but as far as the llford goes, I have no idea. I'm assuming it would have a wider range than slide film.

Anyone got any idea?

[sandeha]

As I recall Jack Dykinga said somewhere that if his meter reads more than a 5 stop range, he packs up and goes home. He uses a lot of Velvia.

I think I've often heard of seven stops being the number quoted for traditional BW film (FP4 and the like), though someone somewhere might have said nine stops for Fuji Acros. But that's potential, as you should take development into account as well.

[Joanna Carter]

We have certainly taken a B&W shot on Ilford Delta 100 with ten and a bit stops of range; although we did develop it for only 2/3rds normal time. We got a superb neg that printed to perfection using split grade contrast printing.

[masch]

I seem to recall that I read somewhere, that modern BW wilms with careful development should be able to record around 9 stops.

If you start pulling, you can probably squeeze another stop or two oput of it, but it starts to get pointless, as you run out of range on your BW paper (or rather the tonal compression squeezes you at both ends of the scale).

4.5 sounds aout right for Velvia, Provia and Astia are probably a stop or so more, iirc.

Marc

[DJ]

Where do you buy your film? I usually get mine from Robert White, which I realise may not be the cheapest option. I'm very keen to try Delta100 as I prefer as little grain as possible, but RW don't stock it, it's special order with them.

Is there a reasonably priced retailer who keeps 5x4 Delta 100 in stock?

[Tim Myers]

Calumet have 25 sheets of Delta 100 for £18.99 inc vat: http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/137-203J.html

and 7DayShop.com have it for £13.99
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product ... ts_id=7493

[Ole Tjugen]

I've used both Ilford FP4+ and APX100 (sadly discontinued) in situations of extreme contrast.

FP4+ developed in D23 with Borax afterbath held up well in a 14-stop range without losing details anywhere. The negative was almost impossible to print though, I ended up using lith printing to retain the delicate highlight tones without losing the shadows to dad black. Even then it took some heavy dodging; exposure times on the print were from 12 seconds to 4 minutes!

I used APX100 to shoot a partial solar eclipse; four exposures of the sun on the same sheet. This ime I was aware that the brighness range was way beyond anything you might find in a table, so I tried the classic "Windisch' Extreme Compensating Pyrocatechin Developer". Guess what: It works. I got detail in the foreground shrubbery, and can also see sunspots in the least "eclipsed" sun!