Favorite 4X5 B&W film for landscapes and scenics?

[John Wiegerink]

I think it's PL, as it's a sheet film...

Thanks Andy

 

[BHuij]

Amazing and I believe I even know the location; I shot there myself. A stream in Wales.

High praise coming from the author of one of my favorite photography books! I would love to photograph streams in Wales someday, but this is a significantly more mundane parking lot in Utah, about 100 yards away from the office where I work my 9-5

 

[Ian Grant]

Efke 25 was awesome. Loved it in 8x10. Luckily I have a 50 sheet box of 4x5 that braxus sold me. That's a "special occasion" film.

I still have 2 boxes of 10x8 EFKE PL 25, it's a lovely 50 ISO film. I have some 5x4 as well, not sure how many sheets are left though.

This is a 5x4 shot on PL25, processed in either Rodinal or replenished Xtol.

Kb for 35mm, R for 120, and PL for sheet film. And the 25 is the Tungsten speed, not the daylight speed which was 50.

Ian

 

[John Wiegerink]

I still have 2 boxes of 10x8 EFKE PL 25, it's a lovely 50 ISO film. I have some 5x4 as well, not sure how many sheets are left though.

View attachment 393227

This is a 5x4 shot on PL25, processed in either Rodinal or replenished Xtol.

Kb for 35mm, R for 120, and PL for sheet film. And the 25 is the Tungsten speed, not the daylight speed which was 50.

Ian

Ian, that's Efke 25 tonality for sure. I always just rated it at ISO 25. If I watched my development times right I never had problems with the high values going over the edge. When I first started using Efke 25 it was developed in ID-11 Plus. What I have left is now done in XT-3R, but when I do some more sheets with my Kodak Medalist and sheet film back I will try Pyrocat-HDC. I think it should be really nice in Pyrocat.

 

[Ian Grant]

Ian, that's Efke 25 tonality for sure. I always just rated it at ISO 25. If I watched my development times right I never had problems with the high values going over the edge. When I first started using Efke 25 it was developed in ID-11 Plus. What I have left is now done in XT-3R, but when I do some more sheets with my Kodak Medalist and sheet film back I will try Pyrocat-HDC. I think it should be really nice in Pyrocat.

I first used EFKE Kb 14 (the old DIN name) in 35mm back around 1978 shortly after it was imported into the UK, the claim was LF quality from 35mm negatives. Back then there was almost no emulsion hardening and I added either a hardening stop-bath or some formaldehyde to the developer, yes it was exceptionally fine grain, but too finicky. Later Fotokemica improved the hardening quite significantly.

Because Adox, and later EFKE Fotokemica, used the DIN method for speed testing there was no revision (doubling) of the film speed, unlike the ASA/BS standard changes of the early 1960s.

Ian

 

[John Wiegerink]

I first used EFKE Kb 14 (the old DIN name) in 35mm back around 1978 shortly after it was imported into the UK, the claim was LF quality from 35mm negatives. Back then there was almost no emulsion hardening and I added either a hardening stop-bath or some formaldehyde to the developer, yes it was exceptionally fine grain, but too finicky. Later Fotokemica improved the hardening quite significantly.

View attachment 393243
Because Adox, and later EFKE Fotokemica, used the DIN method for speed testing there was no revision (doubling) of the film speed, unlike the ASA/BS standard changes of the early 1960s.

Ian

I wondered about Elke's speed ratings and never knew what you just posted. I did learn that my 6X9 Efke sheet film didn't like my tray processing the hard way. I tried to develop 5 sheets in a 5X7 tray and it was scratch city on three of those sheets. Dug out the FR adjustable tank and had no problems, but you still had to be careful. Maybe it was just my bad luck with scratching and other folks might have gotten by just fine. I just counted my sheets left and I have 14. Sad day when those are gone, but I'll live.

 

[Paul Howell]

I shot Elke in the 70s when it was a gray market import. There was electronic photography discount house in Sacramento that sold it very cheap, like 1/2 of Kodak and GAF. I used Kodak for work but would shoot Elke for personal work. It seemed that all of the Elke film sold as ADOX shot pretty much at box speed. As Kodak was no longer selling a slow 4X5 Elke 25 filled the gap. I use tanks and hangers and did experience and issues with scratching.