In my world, film photography has not gone out of style.
leica summilux 35mm f1.4 pre-asph
I still prefer to use film for my photographs. Images are carved out of solid material by light, just as our planet is carved out of time. The layers of grain remind me of what the human world looks like. In today’s digital age, in the eyes of the average person, we photographers who use film are an apathetic bunch. However, indifference is not our true colors. Tonight, in the fall rain, I am looking through old photos under the lamp, exploring time, the world, and myself.
For those who enjoy shooting with Leica lenses at wide apertures, ISO 100 film remains a popular choice that offers greater convenience than ISO 400, particularly when using large apertures like f/0.95 or f/1.4. Furthermore, ISO 100 film can produce much finer image quality than ISO 400 film. The Rollei RPX film boasts a remarkably flat base, which allows for easy scanning without the need for flattening. This is a feature that I personally love.
However, while ISO 100 film is generally considered to be fine-grained, the grain may still be noticeable to some extent. Established brands such as Kodak, Ilford, and Fuji have invested considerable efforts in fine-grain technology. Nevertheless, the RPX film has several advantages: it is affordable, easy to develop, and has good tolerance. By contrast, many ISO 100 films have poor tolerance, particularly the Fuji Acros 135 and Ilford Pan 100. Rollei RPX, on the other hand, has a level of tolerance that is more commonly associated with ISO 400 films. The contrast of RPX 100 is also medium to high.
So why has Rollei resumed film production, offering various types of film including ISO 25, ISO 50, and ISO 100, all produced in Europe? According to the packaging of MACO PHOTO PRODUCTS, the company is located in Stapelfeld, Germany and is a subsidiary of Hans O. Mahn Gmbh & Co. KG, with a 36-year history of producing film. Interestingly, it comes from the same factory as Ilford and Kentmere in the UK, with only different formulations.
Rollei RPX 100 is a traditional medium-speed black and white film.
This film is suitable for a wide range of photographic and scientific applications.
Particularly portrait and landscape photography, architecture and product photography.
The popularity of this film confirms its high quality.
It is a fine grain film that enables good sharpness and a broad tonal range with good contrast.
Overall, the film base is slightly thinner, with high transparency and is easy to scan. However, one drawback is that the frame numbers on the film edges are marked based on half-frame cameras, which means that Fomapan has over 70 frame markings, whereas the standard 135 format film has only 36. Nevertheless, this film from the Czech Republic performs quite well in actual use.
Grain
Fomapan ISO 100 is not particularly fine-grained, and some even say that it is the roughest among all 100 speed films. However, I don’t completely agree with this. The grains of Fomapan often appear in highlight areas, but if the metering is reduced to darken the image, the grain is not very noticeable.
Mood
Although the tolerance of this film is high, large grains can easily appear in highlights, making it less suitable for shooting fresh and light style photos. If you prefer a bright and delicate feeling, Fuji’s Acros 100 is a better choice.
Cost-effectiveness
Many people consider this film to be good, with high tolerance and sharpness, despite the grains not being particularly fine. It bears some resemblance to Ilford Pan 100, but with higher contrast. Overall, it is slightly inferior to Ilford Pan 100.
Conclusion
Fomapan 100 is an excellent film for street photography, with surprising tolerance and unbeatable cost-effectiveness.
fomapan 100
FOMAPAN 100 Classic is a panchromatically sensitized, black-and-white negative film designed for taking photographs. The film meets high requirements for low granularity, high resolving power and contour sharpness and a wide range of halftones. FOMAPAN 100 Classic has a nominal speed rating of ISO 100/21o, but due to its wide exposure latitude the film gives good results even when overexposed by 1 EV (exposure value) (as ISO 50/18o) or underexposed by 2 EV (as ISO 400/27o) without any change in processing, i.e. without lengthening the development time or increasing the temperature of the developer used.
more info
The packaging box of this Fuji film clearly indicates that it is developed using the CN-16 process, and not C-41. In contrast, Fuji’s other universal film, C200, has both processes printed on its packaging.
The CN-16 process offers a 5% higher contrast than C-41, however, this particular Fuji film is typically processed using C-41 at the developing shop, resulting in a decrease in contrast of approximately 5%. This creates an elegant and gentle feeling that many people prefer for capturing fresh-style portraits. For those looking to capture warm and gentle feeling photos, this film is a great option. Its box, which features white and green colors, gives off a healing effect.
Additionally, Fuji’s APS film uses a finer and thinner emulsion layer that can exhibit the delicate texture of a full frame on a half frame. This special coating appears to have also been applied to this film, resulting in the absence of any obvious rough particles. This makes it superior to Fuji’s Superia X-Tra400.
The ISO 400 film from Fujifilm, also known as Superia X-Tra, was considered a universal high-speed film during the era of film photography. It performed exceptionally well in many compact cameras with smaller apertures, and was versatile for both indoor and outdoor settings, whether for street photography or everyday gatherings. Fujifilm emphasizes that the X-Tra film has an extra layer of light-sensitive emulsion, which greatly improves its latitude and produces more natural color transitions.
Generally, color films have three emulsion layers – cyan, magenta, and yellow. However, the X-Tra film has an additional blue-sensitive layer, which significantly enhances its tolerance and allows for more delicate images in both bright and low-light conditions.
Compared to Fujifilm C200, the Superia X-Tra 400 film has an advantage in latitude and color reproduction, but its overall contrast is not outstanding since it is a high-cost performance film. It is positioned for family use, with a focus on natural skin tone reproduction. Personally, I really like its indoor performance – the colors are especially natural, and the film captures images with great precision.
The Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 400 is a high-speed film that produces fresh and natural-looking images, making it suitable for shooting situations that focus on people. Unfortunately, Fujifilm recently announced that they will stop producing this film, causing its stock prices to increase significantly.
ISO 400 black and white film is a popular choice for capturing human subjects due to its high tolerance and larger grains. Kodak Tri-X 400 has gained a devoted following for its ability to handle push processing, allowing it to be used at ISO 800 or even pushed to ISO 3200. However, Kentmere 400, the film we are discussing today, is best used at its rated ISO 400 and should not be pushed beyond that. Its pricing reflects this recommendation.
Regarding Kentmere’s contrast, the film’s manufacturer remains a mystery, with some speculating it could be Ilford due to their shared UK base. Nonetheless, Ilford’s PAN 400 is considered to be of superior quality compared to Kentmere. Kentmere struggles with low-light situations and tends to produce deep blacks, leading to an overall high contrast look that can make images appear harsh, particularly when shooting with high contrast lenses or in high contrast scenes. Personally, I find it best to avoid using Kentmere in bright noon sunlight.
On the other hand, Kentmere 400 performs exceptionally well for indoor and subway portraits, creating a clean, bright look reminiscent of its white packaging. It appears to have a built-in half-stop yellow filter effect and also handles foggy weather with ease.
This lens is optimised for digital photography and has significantly reduced image field curvature in comparison to the previous model.
Used Leica Elmarit-M 28mm F2.8 ASPH Lens (11677) W/ Box, Case, and Lens hood, and all caps.
Lens mount - Leica M-bayonet
Number of lenses /groups - 7 /5
F stop range - f/1.4-f/16
Angle of view diagonal - 64 degrees
Filter type - E41 - A46.5
Accessories - Hood: OLLUX 12522
Dimensions length x diameter - 38 x 53 mm / 1.50 x 2.07 in
Weight - 245 g /8.64 oz M3 - 195 g / 6.88 oz
