B&W Question

[The_Randomized_Guy]

This is just a thought that popped up earlier while I was messing around in Photoshop but I was wondering, for really good B&W is it better to take a picture using color film and then convert it to B&W and mess with it that way in something like Photoshop or is it better to just take it with B&W film in the first place? Does it really make much of a difference?

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

I'm no expert on B&W film...but true B&W film has a greater latitude than other films. Each type & brand of film is different but I think you would find that actual B&W film is better in many of the aspects that you would desire for B&W photos.

 

[Mitica100]

Mike's right!

 

[JamesD]

I also find that at a given speed, BW film tends to have a bit of an advantage in sharpness and detail over C-41 films. C-41 includes the black and white films which use color processing. (The Portra BW film, for example).

For future researchers:
In the darkroom, a color negative printed on BW paper will have weird tonal effects due to the spectral sensitivity of the paper. This can be overcome in a couple of ways, but it's a lot of work, involving internegatives and headaches.