HP5 @ 200 in Ilfosol S for 5.5 minutes at 68 degrees looks something like Efke 400 with slightly better shadow detail. These took a bit more PS work to get here than HP5@200 in Tmax. The contrast was higher and the shadows fell apart easier. Hmm, interesting, but perhaps not a winning combination.

Hexar RF, ZM Biogon 35, Delta 3200 @ 800, Ilfosol S

All forums and other fonts of internet wisdom indicate that this should be a terrible combination. Ifosol S is reportedly not suited for high speed films, but the local art shop had a bottle, and I couldn’t resist. Two rolls is too small a sample size to tell, but I think this looks kind of cool. Grainy, definitely, but there’s a nice gradation in the midtones, contrast is well under control for ISO 800 and shadow detail is not bad. Overall, this was a fun experiment, and a productive enough one that I’ll probably order some more Delta 3200 and maybe some Neopan 1600 with my next film order. Marginal light photography can be interesting as long as you keep your expectations in line. And grain is good for winter.

For all those that have been wondering about the one lens, one film experiment, it’s still under way, although the parameters have changed. The real purpose of the experiment was to learn something more about scanning and post-processing. Once I wrapped my head around a couple of post processing techniques, varying the film seemed like a good idea, and then the enforced asceticism of one lens just started to seem silly when I only use two lenses anyway. In any event, a follow up post will follow, eventually.

Processing Notes: I used the Massive Dev Chart’s suggested time of 8 minutes at 68 degrees. I agitated for 10 seconds every 1 minute. Either my developer was a bit cold, a bit dilute or the suggested time is a bit too short as these negs were a bit on the thin side. 9 minutes might be closer to the correct time.

I just made another repair on one of my Hexars; both are now officially ugly in a way that only a photographer could love. One has the replacement eyepiece lens held in with superglue and gaffer’s tape. On the other one, I’ve just finished a repair to keep the frame advance selector from moving too freely on its own. It had developed a tendency to migrate to the self-timer position when I wasn’t lookig. A bit of wire around the base of the selector and a bit of gaffer’s tape for cosmetic purposes has subdued its wander lust for the moment.

This is what happens when you use your cameras everyday. With very few gaps for digital diversions, I’ve carried one of these bodies almost everyday for 3 years. They’ve banged around in back packs, been rained on, snowed on, poked by TSA minions, slipped from my shoulder repeatedly and generally been treated like tools. They’ve never failed me. I’d consider buying another for the inevitable day when one finally dies, but prices for bodies in good condition have risen considerably since I bought mine. KEH is listing an EX grade body for almost $900. That’s 30% more than I paid for either of mine. Perhaps word has gotten out that they really are fine cameras. For that kind of money you can buy an RF for which spare parts actually exist. Unfortunately, you can’t buy anything with the same feature set of the Hexar RF for any amount of money.