Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/24

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Film suggestions for extremely low light experiments?
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 20:10:55 -0500

At 02:08 AM 9/25/99 +0200, you wrote:
>I'm confused about the ratings of these films.  They say 3200, but then they
>mention that the ISO rating is 1000.  So how do I get 3200 out of them?  Are
>they really very grainy?

I've shot P3200 as low as 400 - and it has an amazing tonal range at that 
speed. But I don't recommend it. It was an accident (no DX in that camera! 
<G>) I don't find P3200 really all that grainy. And I like the tonal 
qualities when it's shot in TMax developer. It's optimized to be pushed 
processed in TMax. So that's what I use. I shoot it anywhere from 3200 to 
12,800 at process at 85 degrees. (It's good up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit). 
At 3200 I process it for 6.5 minutes. For 6400 8 minutes, and 12,800 for 10 
minutes. Give it a try, night scenes in Paris is what this film would seem 
to be made for!

Don't know the Ilford film. Saw Ted process it once, and it came out a bit 
thin. But then, he was processing my film in the same tank and he was kind 
enough to optimize processing for me. :-)

Ted's such a nice guy.

>Also, how hard is it to get these films processed?  I presume nobody does
>one-hour lab work on B&W (?).

Cartier-Bresson got his stuff processed in Paris, I presume. I think pros 
over there tend to farm out processing more than over here. So you 
shouldn't have much problem. Check the phone book, or that computer 
terminal thingie they have over there in France... :-)

Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO

http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch

Men say they know many things; but lo! they have taken wings