Re: [Leica] Sharp B/W for Learners

["Dan Post" <dwpost@email.msn.com>]

John,
As a 'labrat' in a one hour lab, I can state that most labs do a master
balance on the film most used by the customers- in our case it is Kodak Gold
200. The Kodak tmax 400CN is a chromogenic film(B&W developable in color
processors) that is based on the Gold 200 emulsion. The results are much
better than XP2 the 'slopes' of which are difficult to balance- the
slightest under or overexposure causes the prints to 'color shift' from a
cold tone blueish to a sepia like tone. The Kodak, for us, gives better B&W
performance in a color printer, and though I have not tried it personally, I
hear it works just fine in a B&W enlarger.
Try both, and judge for yourself, but from experience, I like the result of
the Kodak emulsion better.
Dan'l
dwpost@msn.com