The film that I've settled on is fuji nph. I've tried fuji hg? and fuji cu, both asa 1600 films at normal rating processed normal and one stop push. Real grainy with a lot of green "speckles" in the black areas. I tried both with 2 stop push developing with the camera set at 2400, with much the same results. Kodak supra 800 shot at 1600 with a two stop push is nearly acceptable. Can be cleaned up with a LOT of post processing in the editor that I use, Picture Window, from dlc.
The best combination that I've found is fuji nph developed 2 stops and shot at 1600. Nice blacks, good tone, not to "blotchy".
The last comment that I'll offer is the smootheness is seriously dependant on your scanner, that is if you scan. I use a nikon ls-1000, for previews and full scans to check details. Perhaps, because it's light sources are 3 RGB leds it's a real grain intensifier......
Any serious "want to print shots" I've been rescanning with a polaroid fs-4000 (a cold cathode, fluorscent, light source). Much smoother scans, more pleasant to my eye. MUCH,MUCH, SLOWER!!!!!!(scsi-2 interface)
As far as technique and equipmentgoes, I'm always using a monopod with the 85/1.4 and 28/2.0 or a tripod with a 300/2.8 tamron.
I have a lot of shots posted at
www.wojosmojo.net
Check out the difference in the Antigone Rising set, the last shot scanned with the Polaroid, and the same shot somewhat in the middle scanned with a nikon ls-1000. Specefications aside, scanners differ in their handling of less than optimal negatives.....
The first set was taken using cu at 1600 and developed +2.
The second AR set was taken with nph rated 1600 developed +2
The others were made with various films.
Joe W.