Jul 17: Digital b&w by David Mingay

David Mingay | all galleries >> Mynd Dagsins 2011 >> Photo of the Day 2004 > Jul 17: Digital b&w


17-JUL-2004

Jul 17: Digital b&w

At last - real digital B&W

I've struggled for years to get real film quality black and white from my digital cameras. Somehow, it's never quite the same. Now with the introduction of these new Ilford B&W memory cards, I've found the answer! The exact same tone and grain characteristics of the film equivalent, but in digital form. They were out of stock of my favourite - FP4, so I picked up an ISO400 HP5 card and a super fine grain ISO50 PAN F card. I'll show you the results as soon as I can.

One year ago: 17th July 2003

Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel ,Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
1/125s f/11.0 at 100.0mm iso100 hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	17-Jul-2004 12:18:45
Make	Canon
Model	Canon EOS 300D DIGITAL
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	100 mm
Exposure Time	1/125 sec
Aperture	f/11
ISO Equivalent	100
Exposure Bias
White Balance	(-1)
Metering Mode	average (1)
JPEG Quality	(6)
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original

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images copyright David Mingay

comment |

James Lundy		11-Feb-2005 06:09
Creative and well executed. Looks like you got a few takers below. Hehe.

CJ Morgan		27-Jul-2004 02:50
Okay, true confession time.... I fell for this, hook, line and sinker. I can't believe it. You got me David... big time. Kudo for extremely good execution. Well done (you sod, LOL).

CJ Morgan		26-Jul-2004 07:12
Wow, that's cool... perhaps a reason to go back to using Ilford stock (my brand of choice when I was shooting B&W film). HP5 rocked... although a bit grainy, but that wasn't a problem when using medium format film. And PAN F sucked.... folks use to think it would be a cool film because of its low ISO and fine grain qualites. But to my experience, that particular film just had a lousy character curve and very little latitude for even the smallest of exposure error... a film which only seemed to perform well under the lowest contrast of lighting conditions and just totally impractical for natural or outdoor lighting. But FP4 and HP5 were... (and perhaps still are for those who still use film) both excellent films.

brother_mark		21-Jul-2004 16:53
Cool!! I've called B&H and put in my order. They said to expect them when hell freezes over. What do you think that means?

Guest		19-Jul-2004 21:25
They'll be doing IR film next right (well maybe not Ilford but someone must have the same technology!)? I mean... they have to do IR CFs... (he said while walking away daydreaming about the possibilities of true b/w and IR cf cards!)

Pall Gudjonsson		19-Jul-2004 14:56
Hey - can you "push process" these like the old films :-)

Mike R		19-Jul-2004 06:34
Never really liked Pan F, HP5 was to stark for me. I'll wait for the FP4 or the Delta 400 versions. 'Leak' the news of these on April 1st next year - many, many people will believe.........

Ray :)		17-Jul-2004 23:25
Is it true you can only take these out of the camera in a darkened room?

Angela Johnson		17-Jul-2004 16:09
Oh god, if this were only true -- I'd LOVE to be able to shoot and get the same tones as HP5 with my D60.

Guest		17-Jul-2004 15:38
WOW. But my question is....can you make it into a color piccie in Photoshop??

Robin Reid		17-Jul-2004 13:55
Fascinating. I didn't know about these cards.

Don Northup		17-Jul-2004 13:44
cool

dazedgonebye		17-Jul-2004 13:39
Great find David. How's about a link? ;-)

Herb Knufken		17-Jul-2004 13:13
Did you get a cable release with that;o)))

Guest		17-Jul-2004 13:00
Oh boy this is neat! - (And yes ISO50 PAN F is the best)

Guest		17-Jul-2004 12:40
WHAT? Is that for real? No, Dude..really...this is not a joke? You didn't photoshop the words in there....omG....whoa...