CocoCastleFinal2 CocoColor

Whenever I go out with my "smaller" film cameras—medium format, 4x5, or 8x10 - I wonder what film I should bring. So, I thought I'd lay out my thought process in the hopes that something I say will be helpful in your deliberations. My ideas break down into five categories: format availability and cost, use considerations and accessories, film qualities, processing, and post-processing and display.

Format: Availability & Cost

The cost difference of a roll of B&W film versus C41 color negative film versus E6 Slide film exists, but it's not such a significant factor to decide which film to use. The cost of a sheet of B&W in 8x10 versus C41 color negative film versus 8x10 E6 Slide film does present a budget issue for most people. 4x5 is somewhere in the middle. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself, but the real consideration besides cost is resolution. Medium format, except in some panoramic formats like 6x17, doesn't quite have the resolution I need to print big (either optically or digitally). Having said that, there is an advantage to using C41 or E6 film in 120 format cameras since these films inherently have more resolution as they are die-based when compared with their silver grain-based B&W equivalents. 8x10 doesn't give you any significant resolution benefits when you account for the flatness of the film plane. So, 4x5 is the sweet spot in most situations.

Use consideration & Accessories

120 film comes in a roll. It is light and easy to transport. Once you start a roll, you are committed to using it to the end, with some notable exceptions, like film holders that can be changed on the back of a camera. 8x10 film holders can comprise the majority of the weight of your kit once you get up to six or more holders. As ever, 4x5 is somewhere in the middle, but as with all sheet film, you have a limitation built into what film you decide to load into your holders before you set out. How many people carry a film-changing tent into the field, especially for a one-day trip? 

B&W film requires at least 3 or 4 filters. My favorites are yellow, orange, green (for trees and grass), and a circular polarizer. Standardizing on a few filter sizes cuts down on combinations of filter adapters, etc., you must carry. Color negative film may make you carry hard and/or soft grad neutral density filters to deal with bright skies, as well as a polarizer for skies and water. Slide film needs the same filters as Color negative film plus Warming filters for cool shadows. So carrying more film types means more extra kit to carry, or worse, forget to bring.

Film Qualities

B&W film demands a particular way of "seeing"; it requires you to pre-process your image, usually with a color filter to increase contrast and emphasize the sky, the buildings, and/or the greenery. B&W film has a vast dynamic range and is quite forgiving of slightly off exposure. But there is no going back. In the scan on a computer or in the darkroom, less latitude is afforded you to change your interpretation of the scene. Some people thrive on this limitation as they see the subject's grandeur and how it can be rendered simply and powerfully in black and white. 

Color negative film has a good dynamic range and acts like B&W film in handling terms (it is negative, after all).

Slide film has relatively little dynamic range. It is finicky, may block your shadows, blow out your highlights, and give a cool cast to your shadows. Woe is you if you don't consider reciprocity and the bellows extension. All in all, it is the worst of all film types, except when it gives you a glorious result that you keep coming back for more.

Processing

Finding a shop that will do E6 processing is becoming more and more challenging every year. Where I am at the moment, in Madrid, Spain, there are only a handful of places, and while one shop will process up to 8x10 format, many will only do 120. The cost of professional E6 processing is getting out of reach for many amateur photographer's budgets. Unfortunately, from what I understand, doing home E6 processing is a fought process with toxic chemicals, strict temperature requirements, and high costs in chemicals and processing equipment. Professional C41 processing, at least in 120 format, is generally more accessible both in availability and cost. B&W lends itself to home processing, either in a tank for 120 format or in trays for large format. Furthermore, B&W chemicals are fairly cheap, non-toxic, and easy to buy. In 120 format, I look for low-grain film with a superior developer like XTOL to highlight the fine detail. With Sheet film grain doesn't matter as much, and I tend to use Rodinal as it lasts forever, is cheap.

Post-Processing & Display

B&W film. What is there to say? It's easy to scan and print professionally or in your darkroom. As mentioned before, the resulting image is pretty much baked into the negative, although there is some opportunity for interpretation. Simplicity is the experience. The reason to go for 8x10 in this format is simple - contact printing - no messing around with scanning or an enlarger, just maximum quality and minimum fuss.

Color-negative films have scared me in the past. I rarely, if ever, get it printed professionally in a C41 process. I have hated its orange color cast and the difficulty of getting a realistic scan. But my attitude has changed with the Epson series of flatbed scanners coupled with Silverfast scanning software. Whereas before, I would live in fear of the result using Vuescan software, now I think nothing of getting a fairly good result right off the bat with Silverfast. 

Having noted the significant number of negatives for Slide film, its low dynamic range, its high cost per sheet, the difficulties in finding local processing, and its high cost to process, you might think I'm a naysayer on using this film. However, in reality, there are some very strong benefits to this kind of film in the area of post-processing. First, an E6 slide on a light table with a magnifying scope gives you all the information you need to decide whether that image is a keeper. Scanning is a breeze, pretty much whatever software you are using. Adjusting the image on your computer is very flexible, and you can very easily toggle color filters to get a multitude of black-and-white outputs.

So what does all this conflicting advice and information mean for my film choices? I guess I come down to three different use cases to determine my film selection:

• Medium Format with C41 film (and a limited amount of E6 film) for scanning and outputting on inkjet. 
• 4x5 with B&W for optical printing, C41 and E6 for scanning and outputting on inkjet
• 8x10 with B&W for contact printing

What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear them in the comments below.

The images above are of Coco Castle in Segovia, Spain. Ekatachrome 100 with B&W conversion in Photoshop using color sliders