Hey Hey.. One of my FAVOURITE films to use !! :) (or "favorite" for you American folk - Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!)
Here's my experience with Kodak Portra BW: I've only had it processed at camera stores. In the Toronto area, Downtown Camera and Japan Camera do a wonderful job with this film. It does not have the strange blue/purple cast that Ilford XP2 has. Mind you, if memory serves me correctly, XP2 was the first C-41 "B&W" film on the market. Kodak also makes T400CN which is similar to XP2 in terms of its formula (as far as I know - if there's a Kodak expert in the crowd feel free to correct moi). After processing - printing on B&W paper in a darkroom produces excellent contrast and you can probably get away without using any filters in your enlarger. The results on B&W paper are great and I have been able to go up to 11x14 without any problems. I would like to see if I can tackle a 16x20 but I don't have a subject that would be decent yet. The images of the last TOPDML get together (http://www.chang-sang.com/pdml/) are all shot on Kodak Portra400 BW and scanned in via Minolta Dimage Scan Elite II. Using VueScan I simply use the "Ilford XP2" setting in the "Color" tab and it adjusts accordingly. As for MiniLabs (i.e. Target/WalMart/Walgreens/Shoppers Drug Mart/etc.) - I've already had a bad experience when I dropped off XP2 at one (WalMart). The stunned look - the "what's this?" asked of the "manager" - the eventual return of prints and unsleeved/rolled negatives - turned me off taking anything near "professional" film to a MiniLab. Just my experience - YMMV. As Shel says... if you wanna take the chance and play a bit (only cost me $60 CDN - I bought a few "extra" goodies) go for it and develop your own B&W film. You'd no longer be limited to 400 ASA (a la Portra) but you could push/hold back the film and get an opportunity to see what you and your camera and film can do under interesting lighting conditions :) Nowadays I use Portra only when I know I HAVE to have prints of EVERYTHING (i.e. Party Snaps/Family Gatherings etc.). I stick to using B&W of all flavours instead and develop my own; scan the negs; and print what I want to via Epson. If there's something I really like - I'll rent darkroom space and print there for $10/hour :) Cheers, Dave "Call Me Nuts For Buying Yet Another Camera" Chang-Sang -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of frank theriault Sent: Sunday, May 26, 2002 8:26 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Kodak Portra? Hi, Cory, I'm the same as you. I've only used C41 b&w once (it was Ilford, I can't remember the exact type), and I hated the blue/purple cast from the minilab. Said I'd never use the crap again. But, yesterday, I finished off my first roll of Portra 400 B&W, having heard so many good things about it. I should get it back in a few days, so I'll let you know what I think. I'm wondering if the cast is inevitable from minilabs, but if you get it printed on B&W paper maybe it works? Anyone else out there know (yeah, you Dave C-C in TO).<g> regards, frank CBWaters wrote: > Reading the Kodak site I came across this Portra B&W C41 film. > > I think the one I tried before was Kodak Black And White +. There was a > funky sepia-like tone to the prints that I disliked. > Anyway, I'm just wondering if I should believe the hype here... > -- "The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
