Black-and-White Tips and Techniques for Darkroom Enthusiasts
KODAK BLACK-AND-WHITE FILMS
| KODAK Film | Description | Film Speed | Color Sensitivity | Sizes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight | Tungsten | ||||
| Continuous-Tone Film | |||||
| Technical Pan (TP) | For applications that require high-definition records. Suitable for making high-quality enlargements at magnifications of 25X or even 50X; making continuous-tone originals or copy negatives; making black-and-white reverse-text and title slides; copying faded originals; and personal microfilming. Micro-fine or extremely fine grain (depending on developer), extremely high resolving power. Variable contrast, extended red sensitivity. | 25 | 25 to 125 | Pan, Extended Red | 135, 120, long rolls, sheet |
| EKTAPAN (EKP) | A convenient film to use for producing black-and- white and color negatives of the same subject. Fine grain, medium resolving power. Moderate degree of enlargement. Retouching surface on both sides. | 100 | 100 | Pan | sheet, 31/2-in., long rolls |
| T-MAX 100 Professional (TMX) | For detailed subjects when maximum image quality is needed. Extremely high sharpness, extremely fine grain, very high resolving power. Allows a very high degree of enlargement. Expanded exposure latitude. | 100 | 100 | Pan | 135, 120, sheet, READYLOAD Packet, long rolls |
| PLUS-X Pan (PX) | Good choice for all-around picture-taking with 35 mm cameras. Extremely fine grain, excellent sharpness, high resolving power. | 125 | 125 | Pan | 135, long rolls |
| PLUS-X Pan Professional (PXP; sheet PXE) | Excellent general-purpose film for 120 and 220 film sizes. For use under most lighting conditions except dim existing light. Retouching surface on the emulsion side for PXP; retouching surface on both sides for PXE. Extremely fine grain, excellent sharpness, high resolving power. | 125 | 125 | Pan | 120, 220, long rolls, sheet |
| VERICHROME Pan (VP) | Extremely fine grain, very high sharpness, excellent exposure latitude. | 125 | 125 | Pan | 120 |
| TRI-X Pan Professional (TXP) | Especially suited to low-flare interior tungsten or flash lighting. Retouching surface on both sides. Excellent gradation and brilliant highlights. Medium contrast, moderate degree of enlargement, wide exposure latitude. | 320 | 320 | Pan | 120, 220, sheet |
| TRI-X Pan (TX) | All-purpose panchromatic film for subjects requiring good depth of field and high shutter speeds, and for extending the flash distance range. Fine grain, high sharpness, medium contrast, moderate degree of enlargement, wide exposure latitude. | 400 | 400 | Pan | 135, 120, long rolls |
| T-MAX 400 Professional (TMY) | High-speed panchromatic film especially useful for dimly lighted subjects, fast shutter speeds, extended flash range, and good depth of field. Can also be exposed at speeds of EI 800 and EI 1600. Very high sharpness, extremely fine grain, high resolving power. High degree of enlargement. | 400 | 400 | Pan | 135, 120, sheet, long rolls |
| PROFESSIONAL T-MAX Black-and- White T400 CN | Multi-purpose film for processing in Process C-41 with color negative films. For printing on either black- and-white papers or color negative papers. Also for making short-term, intermediate-use prints on KODAK EKTAMAX RA Professional Paper. Wide exposure latitude. Pushable in Process C-41. Extremely fine grain and high sharpness. | 400 | 400 | Pan | 135, 120 |
| T-MAX P3200 Professional (TMZ) | Multispeed panchromatic negative film that combines very high to ultra-high film speeds with finer grain than that of other fast black-and-white films. Wide exposure latitude. Excellent sharpness and shadow detail, fine grain. | EI 800 to 25,000[1] | EI 800 to 25,000[1] | Pan | 135 |
| High-Contrast Film | |||||
| EKTAGRAPHIC HC Slide (HCS) | Orthochromatic film designed for copying line drawings and text for making reverse-text black-and- white title slides. Extremely high contrast; speed depends on developer used. | 12 | 8 to 25 | Ortho | 135 |
| Contrast Process Ortho | For copying black-and-white originals or black printed or written material on white, blue, green, or yellow paper. Records intermediate tones in lines of etchings, handwriting, and similar originals when developed to a moderately high contrast. Fine grain, very high contrast, very high resolving power. | 100[2] | 50 | Ortho | sheet |
| Special-Purpose Film | |||||
| PROFESSIONAL B/W Duplicating SO-132 | Orthochromatic, direct-positive film for one-step duplication of continuous-tone black-and-white negatives. Long tonal range for high-quality duplicates. | Very slow (see instructions) | Ortho | sheet | |
| Professional Copy | Copy film with increased highlight contrast for copying black-and-white continuous-tone originals. Fine grain, medium resolving power. | 25[2] | 12 | Ortho | sheet |
| Commercial | For copying continuous-tone black-and-white originals and similar applications when red and green sensitivity are unnecessary or unwanted. Blue color sensitivity. Very fine grain, high resolving power. | 50 | 8 | Blue | sheet |
| High Speed Infrared (HIE; sheet HSI) | Fine grain, moderately high contrast. Infrared- sensitive to approximately 900 nm; maximum sensitivity from 750 nm to 840 nm. Filter necessary for most applications. | 50[3] No. 25 Filter |
125[3] No. 25 Filter | Infrared | 135, long rolls, sheet |
| EASTMAN Fine Grain Release Positive 5302 | Blue-sensitive film that provides excellent definition, even with a high degree of magnification. For making black-and-white slides from 35 mm color transparencies (two-step process with KODAK T-MAX 100 Professional Film). Extremely fine grain, high sharpness, high resolving power. | Printing speed 250 | Blue | long roll | |
| Fine Grain Positive 7302 | Blue-sensitive film that provides excellent definition, even with a high degree of magnification.For making larger black-and-white transparencies from continuous-tone or line negatives. Extremely fine grain, high sharpness, high resolving power. | Printing speed 250 | Blue | sheet | |
[2]Speed with pulsed-xenon arc.
[3]With a KODAK WRATTEN Gelatin Filter, No. 25; see the film instructions.
Pan--Panchromatic
Ortho--Orthochromatic
Note: For more information, see KODAK Publication No. E103BF (pdf-42k), KODAK PROFESSIONAL Black-and-White Films.
HOW TO PRODUCE A GREAT BLACK-AND-WHITE NEGATIVE
KODAK T-MAX Professional Films and KODAK POLYMAX II RC Paper provide a great combination for making the best possible black-and-white prints. To make the most of the potential of these products, you want to be sure you start with a great negative.
After all, a great negative is the first step toward a great print! You can increase your chances of producing those great negatives if you establish a benchmark for the way you work. Follow the procedure below, and set your standards for success.
FIRST, A FEW TRIAL RUNS
Select a scene in which the subject and lighting will stay the same over a half hour, or set up a studio still life where you can control the lighting. The subject should be easy to meter--with little doubt about the appropriate aperture and shutter speed for a given film-speed rating.
- Load your camera with the film you use most often in your photography--the logical one to use to set your benchmark. Then set your meter at a film speed four stops lower than the actual speed of the film. For example, with T-MAX 400 Professional Film, use 25.
- Meter the scene, and set your exposure as indicated by the meter. Expose one or more frames of film. Advance the film, cover the lens, and trip the shutter to produce a blank frame. Then close down the aperture by one stop (or increase the shutter speed) to record the same subject at a film speed of 50.
- Repeat this procedure at progressively higher speeds until you have exposed the film at a speed about four stops higher than you'd ever expect to use with that film.
- Expose several more rolls of film in exactly the same way.
SEE FOR YOURSELF--IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS
Now process one of the rolls by following your usual procedures (developer choice, dilution, agitation, etc.) at the temperature you normally use. The specific development time is not particularly important as long as you record it.
Place the processed film on a light table and visually judge which image is "correct." Confirm your selection by printing the negative that looks correct on POLYMAX II RC Paper with a grade 2 filter, and by printing the negatives with one stop more and one stop less exposure (the adjacent negatives on your test roll).
This printing step is critical. The "best" negatives for different films can look very different. The only way to be sure which will make the best print is to print the negatives. With this first roll, you might determine that the fourth exposure yields the best print. (With T-MAX 400 Film, this would be the exposure made at EI 200.) The development time you used for this roll would then be your best time for film you expose at EI 200.
Repeat the procedure by processing two more of the exposed rolls with different development times, adding or subtracting two minutes. Examine the negatives on a light table, and determine which ones will print best on POLYMAX II RC Paper. This will determine your best development times for two more exposure indexes. Then fill in the gaps or expand the range of development by processing the remaining exposed rolls at other development times.
THE RESULTS ARE WORTH IT
This test may take a half day of your time, but it will be time well spent. You'll know the optimum development times for the film at a variety of speeds--development times that are optimum for your equipment and techniques.
As long as your equipment and techniques stay the same, you can be confident of your results.
THE BASICS OF A GOOD NEGATIVE
The published processing recommendations for Kodak black-and-white films are intended as starting points for establishing your optimum times. Experiment by modifying the starting-point time and temperature to determine what produces the best results with your processing and printing equipment and techniques.
And remember, consistent quality requires consistent control of time, temperature, agitation, and other variables.
If you don't have a lot of experience with a particular film or film/paper combination, simply judge your technique by the print it produces.
Table of Contents
Previous | Next
O-3 • October, 1999