More Arista Testing

Two more test of Arista EDU 4x5 sheet film. I've loaded all my film holders with ISO 100 on one side and ISO 200 on the other. Since I got into the habit of exposing both sides of the holder as a matter of course, this is a simple way to test the films; or at least is would be if Arista notched their films differently. Since both emulsions are notched the same, you have to keep careful track of them in the trays and it's possible that I mixed them up along the way. So all of what follows may be back to front.

The 200 ASA film was thin and underdeveloped. It may need longer than my time/temp calculator is suggesting.

100 ASA, Xtol 1+1,  4:52 @ 25C

200 ASA. Xtol 1+1,  5:50 @ 25C

The 200 image has blown highlights, a narrower dynamic range and steeper curve in the middle than the 100. However, while there are things I like about both images, each can be replicated with with other.

200 ASA, Xtol 1+1,  4:52 @ 25C

100 ASA, Xtol 1+1,  4:52 @ 25C

Here I have tried to replicate 100 ASA image with the 200 ASA negative (left) and the 200 ASA image with the 100 ASA negative (right). Not perfect by any means, but fairly close.

The bottom line is that there is so much that can be done in GIMP (or similar) that the main thing is to  know what kind of image you want and worry less about the developer and the film. Although purists will say that you should get the negative right at exposure / developing (it's hard to argue with that), you aren't completely sunk if you don't. With the aid of scanners and computers, it is now very much easier to recover from a poorly exposed or improperly developed image that it used to be.

So I'm not much closer to choosing a 4x5 film. I'm sure some wag will say it depends what you want to capture and that one should match the emulsion to the subject, but I'm not that good (of fussy).

This morning I did a blind taste test of Peet's and Green Mountain coffees. Both were bold dark roast. I couldn't tell them apart.  I'm sure that some people with more evolved sense could but at the moment I'll take what come (in coffees and photographic emulsions).