Testing A Used F3

[bruce282]

I bought a E rated Nikon F3HP and 35-105 f3.5-4.5 macro lens from KEH. I had planned on testing it by shooting the same image over and over changing the aperture and shutter speed each time to kept the same exposure. Maybe do this at 35mm, 70mm, and 105mm.

Since it's been 20+ years since I shot film as I understand it there is now B&W film that can be developed using C41. I'm just wondering when someone would use it vs normal B&W?

Bruce

 

[ann]

IMHO, it is best to test with slide film, with negatives, the processor makes changes and with slide film it is very straight forward and if things are off, it is the camera.

 

[Derrel]

C-41 developing is readily available, but not conventional processing for old-school B&W film. Also, the chromogenic, dye-based monochrome films scan much better than old-school films; Tri-X looks horrible when scanned, but makes beautiful darkroom prints. Kodak and Ilford chromogenic B&W films, which use dyes instead of silver crystals, allow the film scanner's light to go through the film better, resulting in monochrome images that scan beautifully, without excessive grain, and with more or less the "proper" tonality and tonal relationships.

I love traditional Kodak and Ilford film stocks--when printed in an enlarger!!! I am less of a fan of the newer, T-grain style films....but for shooting, commercial developing, and then scanning of the resulting images, modern C-41 develop chromogenic B&W films are I think, absolutely the best choice in film.