Can anyone tell me if this is an option? I would like to shoot B&W slide film. What are my options? Also, does anyone have any suggestions as to which would be better for portraits? I would like to shoot my kids (2 1/2 yrs and 6 mos) in front of a white background. The format does not matter, although I am equiped with 35mm. I can rent MF if the film suggestions fall within this medium. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Joe

-- Joe Ratti (joe_ratti@yahoo.com), March 25, 2001

Answers

AIM Color in Los Angeles has a B&W Reversal process called DR5. Great process for shooting for 4/C magazine reproduction. They process quite a few films. I've used them for Tech Pan and T Max 100 with great results.

See their web site at http://www.dr5.net/ for films processed and recomended film speeds.

James

James

-- James Loftus (jdloftus@earthlink.net), March 25, 2001.

Joe, you can get Kodak's Reversal Kit for use with Tmax. Although a lengthy process the results are beautiful. As far as the white background, don't forget to light the background... 1.5 stops brighter than your main light if you want to render it white... otherwise it wise it will be grey.

-- Scott Walton (f64sw@hotmail.com), March 26, 2001.

Agfa Scala is superb! Don't know if it's available in the U.S., but it's widely available here in the U.K.. Had some excellent results, though latitude is of course similar to that of colour tranny film.

-- Ed Hurst (BullMoo@hotmail.com), March 26, 2001.

I have used several approaches. The most convenient is to use Kodak TCN 400 and to have it processed by DALE Labs with the slide option (prints and slides). It's also the least expensive option. It cost about $3 extra for the slides.

I haven't tried the Agfa BW Slide film yet.

I used to use the older style BW reversal processes - with rexposure, using D19 as the initial and the redevelopment developer. It uses the published Direct Positive Bleach and Clearing Bath. It worked well with Panatomic X, and Agfa 25 B&W. It works best with thin emulsion films. Haven't tried it with Tmax 100 yet. It's a tedious process. It requires experimentation. First Development times were about 8 minutes. Panatomic X exposure speed was about 80 ASA.

-- Carl A. Hein (chein@tiac.net), April 22, 2001.