Can you identify a black-and-white film stock from the look of a print?
Asked 12/21/2016
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I’m trying to figure out what 35mm black-and-white film might have been used in some old family photos. Is it possible to identify the film stock just from the visual characteristics of the final photographs, or from a software film-emulation screenshot that resembles those prints? Are there any reliable visual comparisons for black-and-white films?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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I'm not sure you could generally deduce the film type from the printed photo.
In some cases an old pro ( if you can find one ) used to developing black and white films and the various processing possible might make a good educated guess, but in practice a printed photo is not going to provide enough data.
In principle the negative might be analyzed forensically to determine grain and chemical characteristics, and possibly some forensic experts can even do this accurately, but from just a printed photo you are unlikely to be able to determine enough. But to tell from a print to how much of the effects are due to the film or the processing or the printing or even the aging of the print, sufficiently well to identify the base film strikes me as a generally impractical or even impossible task.
Originally by user46861. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user46861
9y ago
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Usually, no. From a final black-and-white print alone, it’s generally impractical to identify the exact film stock.
That’s because the final look is affected by much more than the film: filters used when shooting, developer choice, development time and temperature, enlarging lens, printing paper, darkroom processing, and even aging of the print. Those factors can easily change contrast, grain, tonality, and overall rendering enough to make different films look similar.
If you had the original negative, especially under high magnification, an experienced lab technician or forensic analysis might make an educated guess from grain and emulsion characteristics. But from a print—or worse, a screenshot of film-emulation software—there usually isn’t enough reliable information.
If your goal is to recreate the look, a better approach is to narrow it down by decade and country, then compare black-and-white film emulations on your own images using tools like Silver Efex or similar software. That can help you get close aesthetically, even if you can’t identify the exact historical film.
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