@@kurtpleavin Only Agfa-Belgium is producing Film. And Agfa Belgium is only producing the aviphot aerial film, sold by Rollei as Rollie Retro 80S, 400S, Infrared, Superpan. But otherwise we would not be able to enjoy the special properties of aerial film. Everything else sold with the AGFA brand are repacked Films from one of the other producers. Rollei and Lomography are also only rebranders and resellers. Nocolorstudio is new to me, thanx for the tip! At least we won’t run out of film in Europe any time soon.;-)
I love this video. Too often UA-cam is full of videos "my first roll of" and it annoys me. People shoot either one roll or three and develop them all at once. Then I laugh when I think about my reaction to seeing the title of this video. Please keep these coming. I love this format and as a guy who develops my own film no one scratches my brain or answers question like you video does ❤️
10:40 mark, you nailed it right on the head with the lens pairing options. When I first used this film (Fomapan 400), I used a newer 55mm Micro-Nikkor f2.8 ai-s lens and because it was so clinically sharp so high detailed, I was a bit overwhelmed by the image. Later on, I gave this film another chance with my Leica M3 and my Nikon S3. For my Leica I used a Canon made 50mm Serenar f1.9 from around 1949 or so, and I used a 35mm W-Nikkor f3.5, a lens from the mid 1950s, and because the film had so much contrast to begin with, the softer lenses rendered it in such a way that I was immediately blown away by it. I remember shooting a portrait with it in the subways with very minimal light at wide open, shooting at around 1/25 and the results that came back were both sharp but soft in the best way possible. This film (along with Fomapan 100) with my vintage lenses is my go to black and white set up nowadays depending on the light of course, and I haven't touched Kodak or Fuji black and white stocks in a long while. The Kentmere comparison might be very interesting, as I find the Kentmere to be a total opposite beast in a nice way, lower contrast, lower sharpness maybe, but very easy to use in any situation, especially in comparison to Fomapan 400 which can be peculiar with it's lighting choices and subjects. I think if I were to compare, Fomapan has this Eastern European, 1950s even Soviet cinema kind of feel to it (plus, love the Japanese cinema comparison, cause I use it here in Tokyo ahaha). Whereas Kentmere is very much like a 1960s English film like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. Both lovely in its own way but with very different strengths.
Cheers from the country where Fomapan is produced! I love all the ISO films produced by Foma, but 200 is maybe my favorite. When I shoot Fomapan 400, I practice semi-stand development in Fomadon R09 (it's a Rodinal from Foma) to get the same level of detail the you show on your scans in this video. Really a lot of information in highlights and shadows. Great video!
Interesting! It's hard for me to find Rodinal type chemistry in Singapore.. And they don't ship it freely due to it being a concentrated chemical.. Hopefully one day I'll be able to try it!
@@jeremy-tmaybe once you can plan a trip to Europe with a stop in Prague and stock up with cheap Fomadon and a few hundred meters of Fomapan as well :)
Jeremy, I was just just wondering about my friend's suggestion to try Fomapan bulk roll and wanted to know really more and Lo your site stumbled on me just as i opened and started exploring. This is Godsend. What an effort and the result is a passionate study of the fomapan. Some of your photographs stop time ; Wonderful. Subscribed and Thank you Very much.
First video of yours that I stumbled upon. Subscribed to see more. Great content dude. I love the in depth, personal take on the experience of 1000 feet later.
Jeremy! this video is so so wonderful and informative. you're becoming a big inspiration for me! I would love a video about the rotary processor and maybe a 'how to' video. maybe even a 'how to' on bulk rolling? thanks for this one!
Awesome video man, I almost exclusively shoot HP5 and Delta 3200, so seeing such an in-depth review. The grain characteristics are definitely the look I enjoy from Delta 3200, so I may consider shooting a few rolls before getting bulk rolls.
They use 2 or even 3 emulsion layers in Tri-X and HP5. Here's how it works: Top (outer) layer, high speed, mid layer - medium and bottom layer (coated on film base)- low speed. Each layer on its own would only produce a low maximum black or density. Together, the high speed layer gives you shadow detail, while the slow speed layer highlight detail. I suspect Fomapan is not multi layered, so gives somewhat different tonal rendition. Horses-4-courses. I used to like the Agfa and Ilford b&w films you processed in colour neg chemicals, which had incredible subject brightness range and produced velvety b&w prints on an enlarger. I also loved Kodak Technical Pan 35mm film. Ahhhh...happy days.
Mind blowing! I can't believe how many rolls you are shooting in a month ,and the amount of info in this video. Here I am shooting one roll in 3 months....
Thanks Jeremy for your time and such detailed walk through of your process In a few years time I’m looking forward to your complete shooting, development and scanning guide of all the black and white film stocks 😂
This was a super in depth video! Great work! I've still never shot fomapan and I would love to try it. I mostly shoot color negative, but I feel a strong B&W phase coming on for me and my work!
This video came right when I needed it. I have been considering bulk rolling fomapan myself now for some time to save money and be able to actually shoot consistently. Thank you for this, super super helpful.
extremly good and interesting video again! thank you for all the valuable information! also i had no idea that the agitation of the film during develoment has such a big impact. and ofc awesome shots as always ;)
I recently bulk rolled my first 100’ of Fomapan 400 (but, I’ve shot many non-bulk rolls over the years). I really like the film. It’s weak anti-halation later and extended red sensitivity give it such a unique look. That being said, I have the exact same line going through all of my negatives that your video showed. It’s very frustrating. I’d rather spend more for 100’ of Eastman-5222 and not have to deal with manufacturing defects.
Wow. I haven't even imagined someone uses this Foma 400 for something other than camera testing after it's serviced. Yes I experience lines nad dots on Fomapan daily basis. But it's easy to tell it's a film not a camera fault, so for my repair purposes it's OK.
@@jeremy-t Yeah, most people skip Fomapan 200 because of the ISO rating. But its a totally different type of film as to 100 & 400 are as the 200 is later generation. They also had a T800, but it got discontinued.
To me Fomapan gives you the nostalgic feeling. It is almost like you go back to the 1960s especially when developed in old school developers like Rodinal or HC110. Granted, it then tends to get very grainy but that is part of the charm, if you will. However, I don't like the handling of the film itself. The silver halide layer is very thin compared to other manufacturers. And also the base has a very strange feeling. It is super thin and tends to stick to get electrostatically charged when used in a camera with motor winder. HP5+ on the other hand does not have the mentioned problems. But then again, it is more than 100% more expensive...
I recently discovered your channel. I'm addicted to it! I was wondering if you could let us know which scanner you are currently using? Thanks so much! Also because of you, now I am looking for a pre-asph lux! Please keep doing these videos!
How would Fomapan pair with 50mm Summicron v5? Or Voigt 35/1.4 Nokton Classic SC? Also you should do a review on that AXLE CR1 Rotary Processor. It looks pretty dope. I've been ordering a lot of Fomapan lately to try out. I agree with you in regards to Kentmere, not a fan 👎🏻I might go the route of bulk rolling as well. Especially after watching this video. Great video!✌🏻
Thank you! I haven't tried the v5 summicron but if it's anything like the 28mm F2 (which it likely is), it would be okay! And yes, I think 35 1.4 SC would be a great match!
If you like lot's of grain you should try Rodinal, It's also a very sharp developer will last forever! It's also VERY cheap. 1+25 for high contrast short dev time. 1+50 for more controlled contrast and longer dev time (Lower cost too). Keep in mind that pushing with Rodinal is probably not a good idea. I would rather pull to 200 ISO if anything.
Great insights again, Jeremy. I totally understand your extreme criticism as a photographer, but please know that your photographs are truly inspiring to many of us. You're so right about the classic Japanese hi-contrast look. It really suits the mood I believe you're attempting to create. I'm wow'd by your 2-3 rolls PER DAY regimen! Do you use the rotary processor for convenience, mainly, given the high volume of film that you shoot? I dev at home with basic Hewes reels and a steel tank, and I've also found that slower agitation with HP5, especially when pushed to 800 or 1600, reduces the contrast and softens the grain. Can't wait to see what's next for you! Are you working towards a book or anything project-related like that?
Thank you for the kind words (: Yes I mainly use rotary processing for the convenience (laziness) haha! I generally develop in batches of 8/16, and I'm too lazy to agitate a huge tank for 14 minutes... :D Also the ability to save on chemistry, it almost halves the amount needed.. 8 rolls would require >2L while with rotary processing it takes just 1L... In the long run it adds up! Lately, these UA-cam videos are taking up a lot of time, so that's less time shooting. Having watched others in the past, I never knew how much goes into it! Perhaps I'm too picky.. I could have made one at "my first 50 rolls", "my first 10 rolls" or.... "my first roll" of Fomapan.. Haha! But I'd rather put out something with a bit more thought, even though it might not be the "best" for the channel. Anyway, yes! I have a few ongoing projects (a few years in the making)! Thematic pictures that I'm trying to find a way to get into print form.. With the help of my wife Steph, some of them might see the light of day soon! 🤞
if you want more controllable contrast then rate each Fomapan film one stop lower. I like 50, 100, 200 rather than their standard 100, 200, 400. Just develop at the same recommended time
If you like the look of fomapan 400 with sharp grain try getting your hands on some rodinal/R09. It really gets hard edge contrast and very sharp grain out of the fomapan films.
Very insightful video, thanks for sharing! Not sure whether I’ll stick to Foma as I don’t develop on my own but have it done at a lab and therefore I cannot influence the dev process. Still thinking about a film stock for a longer road trip along the coast. Options for BnW are Foma and HP5, color would most probably be Gold 200.
120 would be nice indeed, but I’m a pure 135 guy. At least currently. Just got my M6 this spring and enjoying it so much. Analog is so much fun and horror sometimes. 😂 messed up my first roll of HP5 at the wedding of my sister as I did not check if the roll was really locked on the sprockets. So I took 36 exposures on one frame. So maybe I should rule out HP5 and debate between Foma and Gold… 😄
I had a problem with the Fomapan paper. I bought a pack of 16x20 and 8x10 fibre paper. I bought these within the last 8 months. The larger paper was great with very warm results. The 8x10 is great too, however the last 6 sheets had blotches in the final darkroom print. Affordable but not when the emulsion is flawed.
Hi jeremy thanks for this particular fomapan 400 video, i have been shooting with fomapan 100 for the last couple of years, because the cost is very tempting, and i think im getting used to it but from this video i learnt i should push it a little more and i agree being the highlights are less capable of retaining details since my go to 400 is still HP5+ and yeah i do both on bulks too.. i pair fomapan with only the 28 summaron, 50 noctilux 1.2 and a steel rim.. we probably have the same preference 🍻
Wow, many similarities between us! Yes Foma 400 is nice at box speed too especially if you're looking for more tonal range. How have you been finding the 28 summaron? That's one I've never tried!
@@jeremy-t the summaron is excellent, if you prefer the pre asph with the foma400, im pretty sure u gonna love it too.. less contrast, one more thing, i learnt from this video, that blotch things is a “feature” from QC? Lol i thought what had i done during my development … thanks jeremy!
I have bulk loaded Foma, I have found scratches on my film, also, the film canisters can sometimes leave debris in your camera or on the film when the light trap on the canister starts to fray. For me, I just buy Foma or any film in pre-loaded canisters.
Have you tried the agfa apx400? I started using it since the naked photographer posted the technical comparison with trix, the grain is similar but with a tonal gradient smoother than hp5! So really good separation between tones, great for scanning and even better for printing, similar price to foma but without the quality control issues. To me it’s the perfect film, just wished they made it in 120 too
Interesting! No I haven't but thats one I'll look into. Have you ever tried pushing it a stop (I often times find myself in low light situations..) How does it respond? :)
@@jeremy-t yes i did! Pushes very well. Max i did was 800, but i see no problem pushing it to 1600 as well. Much smoother grain and tones than the delta 3200 at 800. Did a 1m enlargement from a shot of it pushed to 800 that looks really good
@@szecekthe tonal curves seem quite different from eachother the ones presented gregory davis (the guy i mentioned), so it shouldn’t be the same emulsion. The agfa stuff seems to have better quality control too. But who knows, that tonal curve could be different from a degree more of temperature or a couple seconds longer in the developer
After a lot of experimentation, I've found that if you expose Fomapan films (all 3 of them) at half the box speed, and develop about 10 percent less, they are less grainy and less contrasty with better shadow detail than normal speed and development. I like the look a lot better. However, I'm making wet darkroom prints, rather tha scanning.
I’ve never had any issues with Foma films. I have, however, had problems with Kentmere 400 film cassettes having slight light leaks around the light traps. I’ve contacted Harman twice, but they didn’t respond.
I do use Fomapan 400 on a regular base due to its cost and the pleasing results I get ...but what's very frustrating is the fact that this film is very prone to scratches. Never encountered this with HP5+...
Can you make a video of gear you ise for bulkloading and how you do it? My bulk loader just broke and i really would like to know what models you would recommend
I completely thought those blotchy lines in the emulsion were user error on my part! I went crazy thinking maybe it was being made by my bulk roller, or reused canisters, or developing spool, or squeegee. Lo and behold, I am not the only one. wow. I even went as far as replacing my bulk roller to a much more expensive model to prevent those lines, who knew they were a quality control issue.
Best review of Fomapan 400 on this platform, greatly appreciated. You have the unique perspective of someone who've actually shot with this film extensively and it really shines through in your review. I purchased my first 100' roll back when you made your switch video and since have loaded my second 100' roll. I'll need to try your developing methods of pushing and slower developing sometime. Would love a video on rotary developing without a rotary developer lol.
I have a question 🙋 I recently picked up a GR1s and a couple of rolls of Fomapan 100 and 400. These purchases are influenced by your videos. I’ve always been interested in the GR1 series and loved the look of Fomapan for a long time but it was your videos that finally made me to decide to pull the trigger. My question for you is since Fomapan (and I do intend on bulk rolling one day) doesn’t have any DX coding, I’m assuming you use the exposure compensation on the GR1? To -2 stops? And to get your iso 800 or 1600 look, you do that during development? Thanks for these videos! They’re absolutely great!
Hey! Great choice I hope you enjoy the results! :) The GR1s will read an uncoded canister as ISO 100, so if you intend on shooting at ISO 800, you’ll need to load your film in a canisters that have at least ISO 200 coded, that way you can exposure compensate -2 on the camera. I usually reuse old HP5 or P3200 canisters and exposure compensate accordingly. An alternative is to google - iso 800 DX Code stickers, they’re not too expensive!
@@jeremy-t Thanks for the tips! You should do a video on the rotary machine. I've been quite interested in it since watching your videos. I'd also like to hear more about how to manually just rolling on a table. Cheers!
I have the same black smoke lines on Fomapan 200, on Fomapan 400 I had electric discharge once (transparent lines going like veins). I use mostly Fomapan 100 and have plenty of emulsion defects on all Fomapans (100/200/400). I don't think it is a good idea to pay less for film and then have damaged photos and I don't plan to buy from Foma anymore. Have you already tried Adox films?
Regarding your explanation of shadow details and highlights, just meter for shadows and develop for highlights. Zone system. Regarding film sensitivity in my testing is iso 250, 510 pyro/x-tol/rodinal...
I much prefer Fomapan 200 over Fomapan 400. Using Fomapan 400 at box speed is already pushing it, and if you want to push your film to ISO 800 or more then perhaps you might want to use a film that can do it, like HP5+. I personally find I have most of the time enough light to stick to ISO 100 or 200. But then I grew up when an ISO 400 film like HP4 was a sensation... Try also using a flash.
Using a FW690 I don't see any lines / scratches. I do see tiny purple dots in the film base and frame area (white speckles when inverted) Not sure what is causing that. Do you pre-wash or is this an issue related to developer and fixer? or just a bad batch?
Tracked this down to insufficient fixer strength. At 1:9 the spots were present, at 1:4 all clear and no dots on 120 roll film. Thank you for the fixer hint :) @@jeremy-t
Thank you for the video! Jeremy, I don't develop the film myself, so if I wanted to take it to my lab, I would get the best results by exposing the film to 800 iso in the camera and then asking for it to be developed at 800 iso (or 400? or 1600?)? best regards!
Hey! You can try out shooting at 800 in camera, then telling the lab to push 1.5 stops (if possible with slower or less agitation). It’s hard to know right off that bat what’s the best request option as it depends on the labs process, but that’s a good start! If you find everything is very hot, then in the future you could either rate at 1000 iso or more… Or, you could ask them to only push +1 stop at iso 800!
I'd disagree with you about the differences between HP5 and Tri-X. I've shot them both for many years and while they dry differently, I noticed Tri-X cups more than flatter drying HP5, the actual difference if you have well controlled devleoping is negligible when printing in a darkroom.. Perhaps they scan differently and that's where you're seeing the differences. If you watch this video, you'll see the curves are almost the same and in the print comparison you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. ua-cam.com/video/mzEgzLcTDDU/v-deo.htmlsi=P_awHjm6jns8rPrZ
I'm still amazed by the fact that you shoot 2-3 rolls per day on average, that's crazy!
geez Jeremy is a beast shooting film.
Haha! Some might say, I shoot too much... Some days, some is right... Other days, some is wrong. Is some my wife?
@@jeremy-t do you have a website or an instagram? Would love to see more of your photos and follow you. Love your videos.
I will never understand how to find places to shoot films that many.
Thumbs up for supporting one of the few European film producers!
Agfa, Adox, Rollei, Bergger, Lomography, Ferrania, Ilford, Nocolorstudio, Wolfen, Foma... There's no shortage of European film producers (thankfully)
@@kurtpleavin Only Agfa-Belgium is producing Film. And Agfa Belgium is only producing the aviphot aerial film, sold by Rollei as Rollie Retro 80S, 400S, Infrared, Superpan. But otherwise we would not be able to enjoy the special properties of aerial film.
Everything else sold with the AGFA brand are repacked Films from one of the other producers.
Rollei and Lomography are also only rebranders and resellers.
Nocolorstudio is new to me, thanx for the tip!
At least we won’t run out of film in Europe any time soon.;-)
I love this video. Too often UA-cam is full of videos "my first roll of" and it annoys me. People shoot either one roll or three and develop them all at once. Then I laugh when I think about my reaction to seeing the title of this video.
Please keep these coming. I love this format and as a guy who develops my own film no one scratches my brain or answers question like you video does ❤️
Thank you very much for the kind words! Will be at it! :D
10:40 mark, you nailed it right on the head with the lens pairing options. When I first used this film (Fomapan 400), I used a newer 55mm Micro-Nikkor f2.8 ai-s lens and because it was so clinically sharp so high detailed, I was a bit overwhelmed by the image. Later on, I gave this film another chance with my Leica M3 and my Nikon S3. For my Leica I used a Canon made 50mm Serenar f1.9 from around 1949 or so, and I used a 35mm W-Nikkor f3.5, a lens from the mid 1950s, and because the film had so much contrast to begin with, the softer lenses rendered it in such a way that I was immediately blown away by it. I remember shooting a portrait with it in the subways with very minimal light at wide open, shooting at around 1/25 and the results that came back were both sharp but soft in the best way possible. This film (along with Fomapan 100) with my vintage lenses is my go to black and white set up nowadays depending on the light of course, and I haven't touched Kodak or Fuji black and white stocks in a long while.
The Kentmere comparison might be very interesting, as I find the Kentmere to be a total opposite beast in a nice way, lower contrast, lower sharpness maybe, but very easy to use in any situation, especially in comparison to Fomapan 400 which can be peculiar with it's lighting choices and subjects. I think if I were to compare, Fomapan has this Eastern European, 1950s even Soviet cinema kind of feel to it (plus, love the Japanese cinema comparison, cause I use it here in Tokyo ahaha). Whereas Kentmere is very much like a 1960s English film like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. Both lovely in its own way but with very different strengths.
So well said! I'm getting more and more intrigued.. Will definitely be doing that Kentmere vs Fomapan comparison!
@@jeremy-t thank you for your kind response! And yess as am I, I am looking forward to that comparison video!
Cheers from the country where Fomapan is produced! I love all the ISO films produced by Foma, but 200 is maybe my favorite. When I shoot Fomapan 400, I practice semi-stand development in Fomadon R09 (it's a Rodinal from Foma) to get the same level of detail the you show on your scans in this video. Really a lot of information in highlights and shadows.
Great video!
Interesting! It's hard for me to find Rodinal type chemistry in Singapore.. And they don't ship it freely due to it being a concentrated chemical.. Hopefully one day I'll be able to try it!
@@jeremy-tmaybe once you can plan a trip to Europe with a stop in Prague and stock up with cheap Fomadon and a few hundred meters of Fomapan as well :)
Jeremy, I was just just wondering about my friend's suggestion to try Fomapan bulk roll and wanted to know really more and Lo your site stumbled on me just as i opened and started exploring. This is Godsend. What an effort and the result is a passionate study of the fomapan. Some of your photographs stop time ; Wonderful. Subscribed and Thank you Very much.
I hope you've been enjoying Fomapan (: Glad the video was helpful!
Such an objective and informative video that still manages to inspire. Keep ‘em coming!!
First video of yours that I stumbled upon. Subscribed to see more. Great content dude. I love the in depth, personal take on the experience of 1000 feet later.
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
I tried last week developing Foma 400 in Adox XT-3 and it was amazing. Will try also 510 Pyro soon.
Awesome!
Jeremy! this video is so so wonderful and informative. you're becoming a big inspiration for me! I would love a video about the rotary processor and maybe a 'how to' video. maybe even a 'how to' on bulk rolling? thanks for this one!
Thank you for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the video.. I'll look into it! :)
Awesome video man, I almost exclusively shoot HP5 and Delta 3200, so seeing such an in-depth review. The grain characteristics are definitely the look I enjoy from Delta 3200, so I may consider shooting a few rolls before getting bulk rolls.
Interesting.. It's definitely worth a shot :)
Great video. Your words are loaded with info unlike so many others.
Thank you (:
They use 2 or even 3 emulsion layers in Tri-X and HP5. Here's how it works: Top (outer) layer, high speed, mid layer - medium and bottom layer (coated on film base)- low speed. Each layer on its own would only produce a low maximum black or density. Together, the high speed layer gives you shadow detail, while the slow speed layer highlight detail. I suspect Fomapan is not multi layered, so gives somewhat different tonal rendition. Horses-4-courses. I used to like the Agfa and Ilford b&w films you processed in colour neg chemicals, which had incredible subject brightness range and produced velvety b&w prints on an enlarger. I also loved Kodak Technical Pan 35mm film. Ahhhh...happy days.
Mind blowing! I can't believe how many rolls you are shooting in a month ,and the amount of info in this video. Here I am shooting one roll in 3 months....
Thank you! Haha...
Thanks Jeremy for your time and such detailed walk through of your process
In a few years time I’m looking forward to your complete shooting, development and scanning guide of all the black and white film stocks 😂
Haha! Yes that would be fun..
This was a super in depth video! Great work! I've still never shot fomapan and I would love to try it. I mostly shoot color negative, but I feel a strong B&W phase coming on for me and my work!
Glad you enjoyed it! It's definitely worth a shot! :)
This video came right when I needed it. I have been considering bulk rolling fomapan myself now for some time to save money and be able to actually shoot consistently. Thank you for this, super super helpful.
Glad you found it helpful! :)
exceptionally quality content. subscribed
Much appreciated!
extremly good and interesting video again!
thank you for all the valuable information!
also i had no idea that the agitation of the film during develoment has such a big impact.
and ofc awesome shots as always ;)
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes.. When I finally slowed that down, everything began feeling much less "jarring"!
I recently bulk rolled my first 100’ of Fomapan 400 (but, I’ve shot many non-bulk rolls over the years). I really like the film. It’s weak anti-halation later and extended red sensitivity give it such a unique look. That being said, I have the exact same line going through all of my negatives that your video showed. It’s very frustrating. I’d rather spend more for 100’ of Eastman-5222 and not have to deal with manufacturing defects.
Oh mann.. I hope it was just a bad batch.. My latest 2-300 feet has been clean!
Why can’t it be sent back as soon as you notice it? (I realise the damage is done by then but at least the point you should get replacement film)
Wow. I haven't even imagined someone uses this Foma 400 for something other than camera testing after it's serviced. Yes I experience lines nad dots on Fomapan daily basis. But it's easy to tell it's a film not a camera fault, so for my repair purposes it's OK.
Oh dear.. Hopefully they fix it!
I really admire your dedication and depth you put into not just this video but film in general
Thank you (:
I’ve been playing around with a smoque 1 and 2 filter to control contrast lately and I really love it- it def gives more of a vintage feel.
Agreed! :D
You should use Fomapan 200, not 400. Fomapan 200 is their latest gen film, its much higher quality hybrid T grain film.
You can get max ISO320 from Fomapan 400 in microphen, and ISO200-250 from Fomapan 200 in microphen.
Fomapan 200 has almost identical curve to Trix400.
Wanted to say the same here.
Although I'm an amateur, I prefer foma 200 even if I have to expose more
Interesting! Looks like a Foma 200 vs 400 shootout is imminent..
@@jeremy-t Yeah, most people skip Fomapan 200 because of the ISO rating. But its a totally different type of film as to 100 & 400 are as the 200 is later generation. They also had a T800, but it got discontinued.
200 is a very different film than the 100and 400. I like the 200 and never liked the 400 at all. It looks great in Diafine.
To me Fomapan gives you the nostalgic feeling. It is almost like you go back to the 1960s especially when developed in old school developers like Rodinal or HC110. Granted, it then tends to get very grainy but that is part of the charm, if you will. However, I don't like the handling of the film itself. The silver halide layer is very thin compared to other manufacturers. And also the base has a very strange feeling. It is super thin and tends to stick to get electrostatically charged when used in a camera with motor winder. HP5+ on the other hand does not have the mentioned problems. But then again, it is more than 100% more expensive...
Agreed! Haven't used a motor winder.. But especially in 120 its quite thin!
I recently discovered your channel. I'm addicted to it! I was wondering if you could let us know which scanner you are currently using? Thanks so much! Also because of you, now I am looking for a pre-asph lux! Please keep doing these videos!
I scan with a Canon EOS R, negative supply hardware, and negative lab pro to convert!
Glad you enjoy the videos :) will do!!
Many thanks Jeremy, greatly appreciated. Best regards Neil.
Glad you enjoyed it
How would Fomapan pair with 50mm Summicron v5? Or Voigt 35/1.4 Nokton Classic SC? Also you should do a review on that AXLE CR1 Rotary Processor. It looks pretty dope. I've been ordering a lot of Fomapan lately to try out. I agree with you in regards to Kentmere, not a fan 👎🏻I might go the route of bulk rolling as well. Especially after watching this video. Great video!✌🏻
Thank you! I haven't tried the v5 summicron but if it's anything like the 28mm F2 (which it likely is), it would be okay! And yes, I think 35 1.4 SC would be a great match!
If you like lot's of grain you should try Rodinal, It's also a very sharp developer will last forever!
It's also VERY cheap.
1+25 for high contrast short dev time.
1+50 for more controlled contrast and longer dev time (Lower cost too).
Keep in mind that pushing with Rodinal is probably not a good idea.
I would rather pull to 200 ISO if anything.
Thanks for the tip! I've heard a lot about it but never actually tried it.. I'll keep that in mind!
I use foma 100 pushed 400, and I love it ! :D
Wow awesome!
I would love to see more videos about film processing ❤
It's in the works! :)
Great insights again, Jeremy. I totally understand your extreme criticism as a photographer, but please know that your photographs are truly inspiring to many of us. You're so right about the classic Japanese hi-contrast look. It really suits the mood I believe you're attempting to create. I'm wow'd by your 2-3 rolls PER DAY regimen! Do you use the rotary processor for convenience, mainly, given the high volume of film that you shoot? I dev at home with basic Hewes reels and a steel tank, and I've also found that slower agitation with HP5, especially when pushed to 800 or 1600, reduces the contrast and softens the grain.
Can't wait to see what's next for you! Are you working towards a book or anything project-related like that?
Thank you for the kind words (:
Yes I mainly use rotary processing for the convenience (laziness) haha! I generally develop in batches of 8/16, and I'm too lazy to agitate a huge tank for 14 minutes... :D Also the ability to save on chemistry, it almost halves the amount needed.. 8 rolls would require >2L while with rotary processing it takes just 1L... In the long run it adds up!
Lately, these UA-cam videos are taking up a lot of time, so that's less time shooting. Having watched others in the past, I never knew how much goes into it! Perhaps I'm too picky.. I could have made one at "my first 50 rolls", "my first 10 rolls" or.... "my first roll" of Fomapan.. Haha! But I'd rather put out something with a bit more thought, even though it might not be the "best" for the channel.
Anyway, yes! I have a few ongoing projects (a few years in the making)! Thematic pictures that I'm trying to find a way to get into print form.. With the help of my wife Steph, some of them might see the light of day soon! 🤞
Great video, thanks for making!! Been thinking of bulkload myself and currently in doubt between 200 and iso400
Glad it was helpful!
if you want more controllable contrast then rate each Fomapan film one stop lower. I like 50, 100, 200 rather than their standard 100, 200, 400. Just develop at the same recommended time
Thanks for the tip!
If you like the look of fomapan 400 with sharp grain try getting your hands on some rodinal/R09.
It really gets hard edge contrast and very sharp grain out of the fomapan films.
I'll take a look :)
Very insightful video, thanks for sharing! Not sure whether I’ll stick to Foma as I don’t develop on my own but have it done at a lab and therefore I cannot influence the dev process. Still thinking about a film stock for a longer road trip along the coast. Options for BnW are Foma and HP5, color would most probably be Gold 200.
Glad you enjoyed it! Gold 200 is really nice (esp 120)... Don't think you'd go wrong with either!
120 would be nice indeed, but I’m a pure 135 guy. At least currently. Just got my M6 this spring and enjoying it so much. Analog is so much fun and horror sometimes. 😂 messed up my first roll of HP5 at the wedding of my sister as I did not check if the roll was really locked on the sprockets. So I took 36 exposures on one frame.
So maybe I should rule out HP5 and debate between Foma and Gold… 😄
Great vid- really appreciate your approach for getting to know a film stock.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I had a problem with the Fomapan paper. I bought a pack of 16x20 and 8x10 fibre paper. I bought these within the last 8 months. The larger paper was great with very warm results. The 8x10 is great too, however the last 6 sheets had blotches in the final darkroom print. Affordable but not when the emulsion is flawed.
Oh dear! Yes, hopefully they get better with QC!
My favorite film is fomapan 100 size 135, 120 and 13x18 and 510Pyro as developer, I buy directly from the factory store.
How do you get it straight from the factory store!
Hi jeremy thanks for this particular fomapan 400 video, i have been shooting with fomapan 100 for the last couple of years, because the cost is very tempting, and i think im getting used to it but from this video i learnt i should push it a little more and i agree being the highlights are less capable of retaining details since my go to 400 is still HP5+ and yeah i do both on bulks too.. i pair fomapan with only the 28 summaron, 50 noctilux 1.2 and a steel rim.. we probably have the same preference 🍻
Wow, many similarities between us! Yes Foma 400 is nice at box speed too especially if you're looking for more tonal range.
How have you been finding the 28 summaron? That's one I've never tried!
@@jeremy-t the summaron is excellent, if you prefer the pre asph with the foma400, im pretty sure u gonna love it too.. less contrast, one more thing, i learnt from this video, that blotch things is a “feature” from QC? Lol i thought what had i done during my development … thanks jeremy!
great video! really appreciate your detailed analysis and comparison
Thanks for taking the time to watch it :0
I have bulk loaded Foma, I have found scratches on my film, also, the film canisters can sometimes leave debris in your camera or on the film when the light trap on the canister starts to fray. For me, I just buy Foma or any film in pre-loaded canisters.
Yes there are dodgy film canisters out there that have terrible felt problems.. Pre-loaded is great too!
Fantastic vid. Highly informative. Thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hey I shot many rolls of Fomapan 100 over the last year and have the same line in my negatives.
Aww man. Thanks for letting me know! Looks like it is a QC thing!
Have you tried the agfa apx400? I started using it since the naked photographer posted the technical comparison with trix, the grain is similar but with a tonal gradient smoother than hp5! So really good separation between tones, great for scanning and even better for printing, similar price to foma but without the quality control issues. To me it’s the perfect film, just wished they made it in 120 too
Interesting! No I haven't but thats one I'll look into. Have you ever tried pushing it a stop (I often times find myself in low light situations..) How does it respond? :)
@@jeremy-t yes i did! Pushes very well. Max i did was 800, but i see no problem pushing it to 1600 as well. Much smoother grain and tones than the delta 3200 at 800. Did a 1m enlargement from a shot of it pushed to 800 that looks really good
I think APX is produced by Ilford so probably it is the same stock as Kentemere.
@@szecekthe tonal curves seem quite different from eachother the ones presented gregory davis (the guy i mentioned), so it shouldn’t be the same emulsion. The agfa stuff seems to have better quality control too. But who knows, that tonal curve could be different from a degree more of temperature or a couple seconds longer in the developer
Jeremy, I would love to see a video about your guitar gear. Especially your pedals. :)
Haha! That would need to be on a new "Foma + Fender nerds unite" channel.
After a lot of experimentation, I've found that if you expose Fomapan films (all 3 of them) at half the box speed, and develop about 10 percent less, they are less grainy and less contrasty with better shadow detail than normal speed and development. I like the look a lot better.
However, I'm making wet darkroom prints, rather tha scanning.
Great to know!
That was awesome. Thank you.
I’ve never had any issues with Foma films. I have, however, had problems with Kentmere 400 film cassettes having slight light leaks around the light traps. I’ve contacted Harman twice, but they didn’t respond.
Oh man.. That's good to hear about Fomapan though!
I do use Fomapan 400 on a regular base due to its cost and the pleasing results I get ...but what's very frustrating is the fact that this film is very prone to scratches. Never encountered this with HP5+...
Yes.. and some manufacturing defects here and there kinda gets frustrating!
Blotches only found on 35mm in my case. Large format no issues at all 400/200/100
Great to know, thank you!
Can you make a video of gear you ise for bulkloading and how you do it? My bulk loader just broke and i really would like to know what models you would recommend
Great video, thank you
Glad you liked it!
Would you share how you developed Fomapan 400? What chemical, and timing 🙏🙏🙏
Ilfotech HC 1+31, 20 degrees, 25-30rpm, 14 minutes!
How many times do you reuse a film cartridge? How many have you ended up with scratched film in?
great video. still keen to see comparison between voigtlander 35 1.4 and the Leica glow lens
Glad you enjoyed it! Will keep that in mind.. (:
I completely thought those blotchy lines in the emulsion were user error on my part! I went crazy thinking maybe it was being made by my bulk roller, or reused canisters, or developing spool, or squeegee. Lo and behold, I am not the only one. wow. I even went as far as replacing my bulk roller to a much more expensive model to prevent those lines, who knew they were a quality control issue.
Best review of Fomapan 400 on this platform, greatly appreciated. You have the unique perspective of someone who've actually shot with this film extensively and it really shines through in your review. I purchased my first 100' roll back when you made your switch video and since have loaded my second 100' roll. I'll need to try your developing methods of pushing and slower developing sometime. Would love a video on rotary developing without a rotary developer lol.
Glad you enjoyed it! Haha yes a video on that is on the way!
That's awesome.. How has your first 100 feet been? :)
In Befoto in Czech Republic or in Czarne Biale in Poland it can cost even cheaper
Have you tried the Rodinal + HC-110 semi stand combination with Fomapan ?
Hi how do you manage bulk loading? I tried bulk loading and I had a lot of light leaks. What cassettes do you use? How do you manage the scratches?
Hey! I use the Legacy Pro Lloyd 35mm Daylight Bulk Film Loader and old film cassettes. I don't get many scratches or any light leaks!
I have a question 🙋 I recently picked up a GR1s and a couple of rolls of Fomapan 100 and 400. These purchases are influenced by your videos. I’ve always been interested in the GR1 series and loved the look of Fomapan for a long time but it was your videos that finally made me to decide to pull the trigger. My question for you is since Fomapan (and I do intend on bulk rolling one day) doesn’t have any DX coding, I’m assuming you use the exposure compensation on the GR1? To -2 stops? And to get your iso 800 or 1600 look, you do that during development? Thanks for these videos! They’re absolutely great!
Hey! Great choice I hope you enjoy the results! :)
The GR1s will read an uncoded canister as ISO 100, so if you intend on shooting at ISO 800, you’ll need to load your film in a canisters that have at least ISO 200 coded, that way you can exposure compensate -2 on the camera.
I usually reuse old HP5 or P3200 canisters and exposure compensate accordingly. An alternative is to google - iso 800 DX Code stickers, they’re not too expensive!
@@jeremy-t Thanks for the tips! You should do a video on the rotary machine. I've been quite interested in it since watching your videos. I'd also like to hear more about how to manually just rolling on a table. Cheers!
Love to see a comparison between Foma & Kent
You got it!
I usually push it to 1600 and no issues. Though I usually shoot with flash at night.
Cool! What development scheme do you use for 1600?
I have the same black smoke lines on Fomapan 200, on Fomapan 400 I had electric discharge once (transparent lines going like veins). I use mostly Fomapan 100 and have plenty of emulsion defects on all Fomapans (100/200/400). I don't think it is a good idea to pay less for film and then have damaged photos and I don't plan to buy from Foma anymore. Have you already tried Adox films?
Oh man.. Even on pre-packed rolls?
Nope haven't tried Adox. How are they?
Any kind of continuous agitation will boost contrast. Have you tried developing by hand, and using long intervals between agitation?
Yes I have!
Great review! I'd love to give it a go but that production defect is too much.
Fair enough!
Regarding your explanation of shadow details and highlights, just meter for shadows and develop for highlights. Zone system. Regarding film sensitivity in my testing is iso 250, 510 pyro/x-tol/rodinal...
Yes.
The marks look identical on each image. I wonder if it's from your camera?
I much prefer Fomapan 200 over Fomapan 400. Using Fomapan 400 at box speed is already pushing it, and if you want to push your film to ISO 800 or more then perhaps you might want to use a film that can do it, like HP5+. I personally find I have most of the time enough light to stick to ISO 100 or 200. But then I grew up when an ISO 400 film like HP4 was a sensation... Try also using a flash.
👌🏻
Hey Jeremy, do you go to any particular film labs in Singapore for canisters for your bulk rolls?
Hey, I get mine from B&H!
Have you tried Double-X? Don't know what the bulk price comes to per roll though.
Yes, double X is contrasty, bulk prices are close to hp5.
Great Video :), what is the mix ratio you are using for ilfotec HC?
Glad you enjoyed it! 1+31!
Using a FW690 I don't see any lines / scratches. I do see tiny purple dots in the film base and frame area (white speckles when inverted) Not sure what is causing that. Do you pre-wash or is this an issue related to developer and fixer? or just a bad batch?
I don't pre-wash! I've never seen white dots on Foma, but have experienced something similar in the past, for me, it was to do with my fixer aging!
Tracked this down to insufficient fixer strength. At 1:9 the spots were present, at 1:4 all clear and no dots on 120 roll film. Thank you for the fixer hint :) @@jeremy-t
Thank you for the video!
Jeremy, I don't develop the film myself, so if I wanted to take it to my lab, I would get the best results by exposing the film to 800 iso in the camera and then asking for it to be developed at 800 iso (or 400? or 1600?)? best regards!
Hey! You can try out shooting at 800 in camera, then telling the lab to push 1.5 stops (if possible with slower or less agitation).
It’s hard to know right off that bat what’s the best request option as it depends on the labs process, but that’s a good start!
If you find everything is very hot, then in the future you could either rate at 1000 iso or more… Or, you could ask them to only push +1 stop at iso 800!
Thank You! @@jeremy-t
Where did you buy an electrical rotor to use with your jobo ?
Link in the description! (:
How does it compare to Rollei Retro 80S? Thanks
Sorry I thought you were reviewing Fomapan classic 100
Have you tried stand or semi-stand development?
Not yet.. have you? how has it been? :)
Would you be kind enough to share where in Germany you can order Fomapan ?
Hey! I get it from Fotoimpex!
Merci beaucoup !
Rodinal 1:100 stand. 1 hour. Thatˋs all.
Dam 50 to 60 a month. Thats so much.
:D
I'd disagree with you about the differences between HP5 and Tri-X. I've shot them both for many years and while they dry differently, I noticed Tri-X cups more than flatter drying HP5, the actual difference if you have well controlled devleoping is negligible when printing in a darkroom.. Perhaps they scan differently and that's where you're seeing the differences. If you watch this video, you'll see the curves are almost the same and in the print comparison you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. ua-cam.com/video/mzEgzLcTDDU/v-deo.htmlsi=P_awHjm6jns8rPrZ
Interesting! Yes they probably print differently to how they scan.
bro said 90 rolls a month? what am I doing wrong? xD
Haha! Most likely, I'm the one that's doing something wrong.. 😆