Wish list: production of a grainy film

[MarkL]

I’m sure the economics of film production are complex and sales are down, but if a manufacturer were able to offer an old school really grainy film, I suspect it would be very popular. Film grain has mostly evolved to be smoother and smoother over the years, but many of us would absolutely love availability of just the opposite. I know it’s possible to get somewhat more visible grain by using high speed films, enlarging small negatives, using condensers, etc… But I’m talking about very apparent obscenely coarse large grain without jumping through hoops to get it (especially with sheet film).

I’m just a dummy who points cameras at things and am sure Ilford has already thought of this. I’m just surprised no one has done it. I’ve heard more than once that film grain is unique and not well duplicated digitally, and that’s why some people use film, and why more people might start buying it!

Just part of my naïve wish list. I know I’d buy a boat load of it!

[Athiril]

Ah, I'll find and upload that image of Tri-X in Aculux 1+9 I did a little while back in 6x7, its quite grainy, but tightly packed grain.

[MartinP]

You could try something like 35mm Foma400, developed quickly in strong print developer. The EI would be extremely trial and error of course. When you have that pinned down, put your subject far away, with a wide lens, and enlarge like mad? You could then lith the result?

[horacekenneth]

yes me too

[polyglot]

Fomapan 400 or Delta 3200 in Rodinal. As much as you could possibly want, even more if you run the Rodinal hotter (25C).

If you want even more than that, shoot a low-contrast scene and bump the contrast up through overdevelopment and/or printing at a higher grade; both will increase grain magnitude.

[Athiril]

This is 6x7cm, so imagine 35mm instead, I think this would look much better than many examples, as the grain is tight, not sparse with empty space between them.








Also, Tri-X @ 1600 in Rodinal 1+50 has a lot of grain

[Klainmeister]

Ohhhhh that is some lovely stuff. Why I still love Neopan 400 35mm in Pyrocat....get similar results when enlarged to about 11x14

[steven_e007]

A local supermarket I visit is built on the site of an old livestock Market. They have picutures taken of this market - I guess fro the 1950s or 60s - blown up really huge and hung on the walls. The blow ups are maybe 5 feet by 3 feet- and the originals were probably 35mm or medium format. The grain is huge - but sharp as broken glass and just as irregular. So I know what MakL means, I think. Really old fashioned gritty grain... but rather than wish for a film that will probably never be made - best to search for a way of getting what you want from what we have. I would have said ADOX films were the best starting point, but now they are on the way out :-(
Maybe a Chinese film steeped in hot print developer?

[Chris Lange]

Delta 3200 developed warm goes nuts, and I love it.

This is full strength D76 for 18 minutes at 24C

[Athiril]

Maybe a Chinese film steeped in hot print developer?

Not hot print developer, but Rodinal 1+100, 90 minute semi stand iirc, Shanghai GP3 @ 800 (6x7cm)

Not quite that grainy (nor particularly fine)


Grain crop