I haven't used B and W film before but having just read a magazine article about reportage style wedding photography I thought I'd give it a go at a friends wedding. I would like to know which would give the smallest grain; Fuji Neopan 1600 rated at 1600 or Kodak T Max 3200 rated at 1600. I will be sending the film to a Lab for processing.

I'm using 35mm and wondered what size the resulting photos can be enlarged to with such grainy film.

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.

Stuart Ross

-- Stuart Ross (stuart@whitehill.worldonline.co.uk), July 24, 2002

Answers

Hi Stuart, I have tried two different processes with the old T-Max 400. As you may know, Kodak has recently made a new version of the film and I'm not sure, but I believe the process times are different for it. I shot my old T-Max at 1200 ISO and processed in HC-110 dilution "B" at 68 degrees for 8 1/2 minutes. I also shot some at 1600 ISO, processed in D76 straight at 68 degrees for 10 1/2 minutes. I made nice 5X7's. Would probably be ok for 8X10's.

Randy

-- Randy Sweatt (rsweatt@kimbanet.com), August 05, 2002.

Kodak TMZ rated at 800 with apertures from 1.4 to 2.8 will do nicely indoors w/o flash and will not show too much grain. Of course when you're shooting with iso ratings from 80-3200 grain is going to be there. That's part of the beauty of b/w wedding reportage.

-- Jason Hudson (jason@hudsonphotos.com), September 13, 2002.