Which black and white films are suitable for beginners?
Black and white photography is of course an important part of analog photography and can create wonderful memories. Fortunately, there is still a large selection of films for black and white shots. Before choosing a film, you should of course ask yourself what the pictures should look like and what you want to photograph.
There are two main types of black and white films, "real" black and white films and chromogenic black and white films.
How do the two film types differ? The biggest difference is the development of the films. A normal black and white film must be processed in a black and white developer.
Chromogenic films, on the other hand, are developed in the C-41 process, which is otherwise used for color negative films. The advantage is that practically every photo lab offers this development process and you get consistent results. In addition, most labs charge significantly more for proper B/W development.
The only chromogenic black and white film still available is the Ilford 400 XP2 Super (Amazon). The Ilford delivers solid results and has a sensitivity of ISO 400. It is available for both 35mm and medium format cameras and is also very forgiving of incorrect exposure, meaning it's not so bad if you overexpose or underexpose it a bit.
Why should you use normal black and white films?
There are certainly many different reasons, one is simply the selection. There is a suitable black and white film for every taste. This starts with the sensitivity and ends with the look.
You can also have "real" black and white films developed in a lab, but you have more fun and control over the films if you develop them yourself, and it's cheaper in the long run. By the way, you don't necessarily need a darkroom; what you need for developing a film, you can find out here.
Which real black and white film is good for a start?
I always like to recommend the APX films, the APX 100 and the APX 400 from AgfaPhoto. But with a T-Max 100 or TRI-X 400 from Kodak you can also take great pictures.
It's best to take a look at which films are available and search for them on the internet (e.g. enter the film name on Flickr) and see which results appeal to you the most.
