Richard Vanek - Black and White Photography

Today morning I went to Gamla Stan. I took camera loaded with TMZ (3200ASA) as it was night time. No light at all. I wanted to take pictures of some wall lighted with those old lamps.
Gamla Stan is old town of Stockholm, narrow streets, old building and nice atmosfere esspecialy now when it is full of snow.

I developed it in XTOL 1:1 for 18:30 @ 20C. It is underexposed, but I expected that as most of the time it was very dark, but I think I have got nice pictures as well.

I think I settle down for developing TMY in XTOL 1:1 at 20C at following procedure:

 1 x 30sec   - non-stop inversion
16 x 30sec   - 4 inversion in 5sec
 1 x 45sec   - no inversions

This way total time is 9:15 and negatives are nicely full just enought for getting nice shadow details and scanning. I am starting clock after pouring xtol in tank, than starting pouring it out 10 sec before time is up.

I need to developed films of other brands (Fuji Neopan, Agfa, Fomapan, Ilford Delta or HP5) as I would like to buy bigger amount of the one which fit the best.
I used so far TMY but I am not very satisfied with it, it very sensitive on way of developing and exposing. I need something more flexible. Nice thing about TMY is that I can buy it very cheap. So let's develop what I exposed already in winter and see which one is potentional favorit.

So I developed Ilford Delta 400 and HP5. Both very nice films. Much stronger base comparing to TMY & Fuji. As I used non-hardering Ilford FIX for all films I can see that Ilford films are stronger they do not round as Kodak or Fuji does.
The base is a little bit darker than Kodak one. I have no idea how it will effect scaning as do not have scanner with me here. Pictures I did in SK in winter are full of tones and Delta is handling overexposing very well. Few shots agains the Sun are much better than I had with TMY.
Negatives for both films are nice full maybe little bit too dense, just little. I will see how does it effect scanning one I am back home.
Developing procedure I used for Delta 400:

     xtol 1:1 @ 20C 400ml

 1 x 30sec   - non-stop inversion
11 x 60sec   - 4 inversion in 10sec slow

And for HP5:

     xtol 1:1 @ 20C 400ml

 1 x 30sec   - non-stop inversion
11 x 60sec   - 4 inversion in 10sec slow
 1 x 30sec   - no inversion

Agfa APX 400 today. I developed one roll. Base is darker and what is funny it is curvy as TMY and Fuji. I expected, as it is kind of classical emulsion, to have more solid base same as Ilford, but not. It is very thin but darker as Ilford ones, so I expect difficulties with scanning.

And now comes Fuji Neopan 400. I must say I have high expectations for this film based on information I have got from Inet. And at first I was dissapointed. Once I settle time (I developed 3 rolls) I have get nice results what is about shadow details, scale and base is very very transparent. Maybe little bit more than one used with TMY.
So my procedure for XTOL 1:1 400ml at 20C is following:

 1 x 30sec   - non-stop inversion
19 x 30sec   - 1x inversion (fast)

There is one think which I am not sure what cause it. Each of those three films has two parallel scratches on the first 8-15 shots! I have no clue from where they come. Same camera, same tank, same handling as other films. I never ever had a scratches on films I developed. And now this. I even dissasemble the film box and search for some spikes, looked at my new camera and found nothing! If it is from producer than it is strange as I bought two films in Germany and one here in Sweden. I really do not know.

I was hoping for a suprise today. I developed Fomapan 400. The cheap film which I was using 15 years ago, even that time it was of course different model :-)
So base is very dark, probably darkes of all I developed so far. Pictures are low contrast. I used non-diluted XTOL as there was no time provided for dilution. I will try tomorrow little but different agitation and see if I can improve contrast. I also have feeling that whites are no very white, so in other words blacks on negative and not black enough. More tomorrow.

Today evening I developed new roll of Fomapan 400 in non-diluted Xtol. I did one inversion every 30sec and constant inversions for first 30sec. Total time 7:30. Negative inmprove in contrast, maybe little bit in shadow details. Tomorrow I'll try 12min in xtol 1:1 with agitation 4x in 10sec each minute.
I have feeling that this can lead to nice and cheap way of producing negatives.

I am going to small one week holiday. I am going to buy few rolls of Fuji Neopan 400 today and use them there and see what about scratches. If scratches dissapears this can be my film of the future.
Whole point for this search is that I like to find the best and cheap film. Best is Delta400, but it is the most expensive one. If money is not a problem I will use it no question. But Neopan is very close and it is second very cheap. Not as cheap as Fomapan, but 2.85euro per roll is not bad.

Yesterday I developed Fomapan 400 in xtol 1:1 for 12 min @ 20C. It looks good, but not extremely good.
When I cut it today morning I realize interesting thing. There were scratches again on that film, but scratches were not real it were drying marks which just looks like scratched line!!! Sommaybe scratches on Fuji are the same I didn't verify that yet, but I'll do as soon as I can.
I am leaving for holiday now so next time you hear from me will be in 10 days. And I will have some more Neopan exposed...