This Budget 4x5 Film Surprised Me (Fomapan 100 Review)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video, I’m off on a day trip in the UK, testing and reviewing Fomapan 100 in 4x5 large format.
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While stocking up on some of my regular 4x5 film (Ilford FP4), I came across Fomapan 100 and was intrigued by the price, costing less than half of what I’m used to. So, I decided to pick some up and spend the day testing it out to see how it performed. I head out with the Horseman 45FA for a day trip along the England and Wales border. I ended up shooting several different scenes and doing a final review back in the office. Overall, I’m quite impressed. More than I thought I would be!
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I'm relatively new to film photography (1 year or so in) and I already enjoy it more than shooting digitally. It just feels much more special and thoughtful. thanks for inspiring us kyle!
I use Kentmere 400 in 35mm and Foma 100 in 4x5. I like it. Of late I've been trying out some recently expired TMax320 which is really nice.
Love the old station and the 'prowl' of old Jags is great. (Yes, I looked it up ;) )
with HC-110 Fomapan 100 is awesome. It's a good film for old brass lenses with no shutter, it endures overexposure
I got a box of 50 sheets of foma100 as my first box to learn 4x5. I'm about half way through, mostly developed in rodinal, and yeah, I like it. I feel like maybe I don't need the exposure latitude of FP4+ in 4x5 as I'm just much more controlled shooting 4x5 than something like 35mm (or even 120), where I'm usually Sunny16'ing it.
The comp & exposure on that church shot was amazing. When I saw the light in the glas at first It was rare for me to think I wish you got that frame on color film.
This is a very small thing: but I really appreciate the even lighting in your driving shots. Sunroof and English weather, what a combo. Thanks for your work Kyle.
Great video. The first location is around the corner from where I grew up! It's great to see these images being made so close to home.
Cheers. Great little spot that I came across last year.
I use Foma 100 in 8x10 and 5x7 for cost reasons. I never rate it faster than ISO 50 and that gives really good results (I tray develop in 1+1+100 Pyrocat HD). Main problem is quality control (pinholes and scuffs a bit more often than I would like), and the emulsion seems very soft when wet, so you have to handle it very carefully.
The lighting on that church was so good before the cloud came in. Glad that it came back out for you a tad bit! Great video as usual. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, I wish I waited a little longer!
This is awesome. Thanks for such an honest review as always- having an affordable 4x5 film really lowers the barrier to entry... especially when its good! Maybe its time I pulled the trigger sooner rather than later...
The lower price is a huge bonus, and helps you get the reps in.
Been using Arista 100 as I understand it it's repackaged Fomapan. Really like it with my Speed Graphic, got some 8X10 in the mail the other day, looking forward to using that on my 1903 Century 8x10. The price makes it sting less for a relatively new large format photographer.
Always enjoy your work, thanks.
I pretty much always shoot Fomapan 100 in 4x5. I have some FP4 and HP5, but I keep those for special occasions. It's nice to not have to worry about the cost too much.
I've had some really lovely results with Foma 100 on my Graflex Speed Graphic with 162mm Optar. One image in particular I had a high res scan done and the image printed A1 size. It's certainly no slouch!
I generally spot meter on the darkest part of the image that I want to retain some detail and place that at zone iii (close down my lens to 2 stops lower than the meter reads). Granted, if I were shooting a really high contrast scene like that church, I'd probably average the extremes too.
Just for kicks last week I shot some old (but refrigerated) 5x7 Arista Edu 100 (aka fomapan 100 but even cheaper) and was very pleased with the results metered at 50 iso and developed as if 100 iso in Rodinal 1+50. Liked it enough to order a 50-sheet box of 8x10.
I use it with HC-110, and I also ordered for 8x10 format. it endures at least 2 stops
@@chriscard6544 Good to know. HC-110 is my other go-to that I always have on hand.
@@GeraldFigal I still have to test Xtol and Pyrocat, but HC-110 is really awesome, for tmax I prefer the classical D76 stock or 1+3. I dont want to hurt anyone here but if you dont test different developers for a specific film, you havent done correctly your work
At this moment I use the most Fomapan 200 of all the Fomapan sheet films. I really like the tonality of this film. I develop it with Rodinal and the grain is well controlled. Sometimes you will have a box with some spots/scratches on it but always manageable when the post processing is digital. And no doubt the retail price of this film is not as high as other brands. The only gripe i have is the reciprocity factor of Fomapan film.
Agreed. For me, the 'Creative' 200 stands out amongst the Fomapans. even in 135 format. The tonality of the mid greys is exceptional and this imparts what I can only describe as a retro quality, reminiscent of the 1950s and 60s b&w films. Bargain.
I'll probably try the 200 out of curiosity, after shooting this one.
Thanks for thegreat video, I used Fomapan100 a lot and liked it a lot. Flexible and cheap. What enraged me and pushed me away is the inconsistency in the emulsions - sensitivity and tonality varied quite a bit between batches and I experienced enfuriating amounts of tiny specs and dots every now and then. Randomly. I'd still say it's a good choice for anybody getting into large format or black and white, it makes those earlier mistakes much less costly. But when I look forward to that shot and go to all these lengths to make things right I need something more reliable like HP5.
Yeah, the QC is a bummer. I'll be curious to see what I experience as I shoot more of it. As mentioned in the video, I think I'll stick to the Ilford films for project work, and maybe the Foma for more casual stuff.
So far, in 4x5, I found that Foma 100 yielded much pleasant results thant Tmax 400 and Tri-x 320 - and I'm a die hard fan of Tmax and Tri-x in 35mm and medium format. I knew it was good in the smaller format but paired with xtol like developer you can pretty much recover from any lighting situation or even overdevelopment without loosing too much of the highights. Definitely the best of the Fomas and one of my favorite B&W, whatever the format !
Great video as always. I love Fomapan in large format. I've used 100 and 400 in the past but over the last couple of years I've settled on Fomapan 200 for 5x4 and 10x8. I shoot it at 100 and develop in 510 Pyro (which I mix myself). Works great for alternative prints (kallitypes) and silver gelatin prints. Church interiors need very long exposures due to Fomapan's extreme reciprocity failure, usually between 5 and 20 minutes, but I don't mind that.
200 will be next on the list for me!
Foma 100 is my everyday go-to film. I shoot it in 135 and 120. It is great developed in XT3 (=XTOL) 1:3 or even in Rodinal (1:50).
The only issue is that the Foma films may have more defects on the emulsion than Ilford products (i.e. spots or scratches). However, I digitise the negatives and that use Lightroom's AI erase/heal tool to remove these defects. So no real problem for me.
Thanks for the video. It fuels my GAS to one day get into 4x5 🙂
I'm always pleased with the results I get with Fomapan 100 in 9x12.
9:17 that tickled me 😂. Great video Kyle.
Another Great video Kyle. Foma delivers, Great film overall even though I have had a couple of bad box in the past with weird patterns I am still working with it from time to time for some work.
Foma 100 is much better than 200 or 400, it stands out in the Foma family. I use it most for 8x10: at this size it is obviously accurate and gives you retro tones that other films seems to have lost
I have used 100 quite a lot for reversal processing and it is great, the DMAX is really nice when reverse processed, beautiful rich blacks.
Great images, and it is nice to know I am not the only one that leaves cables and other stuff in the car. I am in good company
Haha, all the time.
Well done! I am one who doesn't like or use LF! I appreciate your hard work and dedication. I print small. I use 35mm mainly.. I cut films out of camera, developing short lengths. More control of Developing! Some very nice images. Bravo.
Thank you.
Another lovely video! Foma 400 was my go-to medium-format film for a long time. Now as I'm slowly getting into 4x5, Foma 100 is my film of choice. The price point is just unbeatable and I quite love the results. The only thing that annoys me a litttle is that usually at least one negative (I do batches of 4) would end up having some faint pink mark. Not sure why. I presoak the films till the water comes out colourless. It happens both with SP-445 and the reel for the Paterson tank, both in stand development and while using AGO. So whether it is a film issue or a development artifact is yet to be figured out.
Cheers. And yeah, I can see myself shooting a lot more of this in the future. The lower price helps shoot a little more 'relaxed'.
Thanks for the review. Will definitely give this a try.
Bought some in 120 and 35mm i love to test it in the next days. But now i first watch your test ;)
I love the contrast of this film. And how it looks with different color filters.
But I don’t know how it is with sheet film. But the 35mm if very very soft when wet.
I've used Arista EDU 100 and 400 4x5 films, which are apparently just Fomapan with a different name, and I've found both of them to perform rather well. I used the 400 for some portraits, and while the grain is noticeable at large magnifications, I didn't find it to be detrimental, and the tonality was very smooth, especially with skin. The 100 speed is dramatically finer-grained and overall sharper, though, and I haven't yet found anything concerning with it. It is indeed a very neutral film, but that's just what I want when metering, exposing, and developing with the zone system. I shot an impossibly contrasty landscape earlier this year, and I was able to pull detail from every area of the image, from the deepest shadows to the brightest clouds all under midday sun. That's pretty incredible. For the price, I don't think it can be beat.
I'll have to revisit the 400 again. I still have a box, and it's been a couple of years.
Really lovely images man and the film looked great I think. Makes me want to give 4x5 a go haha
Oohh.. something to mention.. Foma 100 has a tendency to block up in the highlights.. expose a little more carefully for the highlights than with other films. :) handles underexposure pretty well.
Some of my favourite 4x5 shots have been on Fomapan 100; it is certainly capable of producing excellent results. On the down side, I have found that I get scratched film much more often with Fomapan than with FP4+. When the film is scanned, I've been able to deal with the scratches in post-processing, but if the aim is to produce a darkroom print, then a fix would require touch-up skills beyond my capability. Consequently, I have flip-flopped in my opinions about whether to trust Fomapan 100. At the moment I've used up my Foma stock in 4x5 and I'm using FP4+ and HP5+ instead; but I still use Foma 100 in half-plate size, because in this size the only alternative is the Ilford ULF run.
Yeah, I've heard from quite a few people saying that the film is quite delicate.
there is a garage in upton upon severn just down the road from the garage at ryall don't know if you've scouted that out but enjoy your channel and especially the 4x5
Ah yes, I know of the one!
Thank you for another great video!
Foma is pretty good, its most of what I shoot due to the price. The only thing is their QA isn't great, if you shoot it often like I do you will get occasional packs with white marks, or even some purple spots (that aren't from fixer issues).
No drama if you're scanning to post online, but a pain if you wanna darkroom print em.
For sure. I did notice some imperfections with the 400 that I shot a couple years back.
Been shooting Fomapan 100 sheet film for years and I quite like its tonality. Due to its attractive price point, it's the only 8x10 film I shoot nowadays.
Hey Kyle; Very interested in this film. It is good to see black and white film being reasonably priced again. I remember getting Ilford FP 4 for $1.24 a roll, and cheaper if you bought a brick. I am old 😂😂😂
$1.24! I wish 😁
Fomapan 100 is the only film I use and never fails to deliver.
Fomapan are very lovely and I found its gradations somewhat resemble trix, but with a more mushy shadow. Such a shame Foma sometime have some QC issues especially with the 120s
Great video!
This was brilliant photography. I still have a few sheets of the Foma100 and 200 left. May I ask how long you have it in DDX?
Thanks. I believe I did 8 mins at 1+4, and the subtracted 15% because of rotary processing.
Foma 100 is awesome.. in Rodinal, it’s beautiful
Hi! Great video. I was wondering if you had any tip for keeping the negatives safe once you took a shot and before developing them? You probably leave them inside the film holders but what if I only have two and I want to shot more that 4 sheets ?! Any recommendations would be helpful :)
I typically leave them in the holders. But if I'm on a trip, I bring along an empty 4x5 box, and put them in there.
I like Fomapan.
I just got into 4x5“ some weeks ago partly becoarse of your lovley videos! I got a Sinar Norma as a gift from a frend of mine… well. And now ive shoots twice with it. And what Film did i get to start with? Of coarse some Foma 100. i got a 50 sheets pack from Fotoimpex for under 50€ and thats perfect for me just to getting to know this camera and the process!
I love to shoot an fp4 in 35mm or 120mm but the Film was just to expensive for me. And i know the Foma 100 quite well becorse i use it as a bulk roll to test old cameras that i work on. Foma 100 is a bit finicy in 35mm becorse the base is a bit thin and it likes to roll its self and i was afraid of that with the 4x5“ film as well and was supriced to get a very (to my feeling) thick pice of Film or base. So! I tink around 3 weeks ago i took my very first shoot on 4x5“ with Foma 100! And i workt out well.
Nice one! Enjoy the jump into 4x5.
fomapan 400 35mm is and will always be my old reliable. 10 rolls costs as much as 3 colorplus rolls at this point.
Your steering wheel is on the wrong side. Weird. Good video, BTW. Thanks!
Thanks. Lumix S5IIX
like to use fomapan 100 in my zero image 4x5 pin hole camera box of 50 sheets about £45 if you look around.
Hi Kyle, have you seen GP3 film from Shanghai? Similar sort of value proposition to Fomapan. A bit harder to get at the moment given politics but shoots well if you can find it at a good price for 4x5
I've heard of it, but never tried it. I'll keep that one in mind for the future.
What rig are you using to shoot your video these days? The colors are fantastic!
Thanks. Lumix S5IIX
@@KyleMcDougall Very impressive, I would have bet a paycheck those were Fujifilm colors.
First about pricing: The ratio of Foma to Ilford (with comparable stocks) seems to be a bit more in favor of Foma here in Germany, but it's in a similar range. While I was disappointed with Retropan 320 (I had strange spots all over the negative, like large silver grains getting completely black in development), I lately found Fomapan 400 and 100 to be quite nice! Fomapan 400 is actually not that sensitive (more like EI 200 in D-76), but Fomapan 100 is more on the sensitive side. Yes, there's lots of grain with Fomapan 400, but it's not that bad in 4x5. Fomapan 100 is a really good film stock, and very "linear" when developed for lower contrast - perfect for more technical applications, like trichrome photography with the appropriate Tiffen/Wratten filters. I still have to test Fomapan 200, though I don't see the advantage in 4x5. What others have already mentioned: Reciprocity failure of Foma stocks is atrocious! This is especially frustrating for me as a large format pinhole photographer (much less of a problem when I put a "real lens" in front of the film ;-)).
I've never come around to shoot my single roll of Retropan because it went unavailable pretty much right after I got it. So I save it for "later"😂
I shoot a lot (comparatively) of Fomapan 100 in 120.
@@robine5280 Fomapan 100 should be good in 120. I used a roll in 135 for filter testing - and I would not use it for "regular" shooting in that format. In 135 and 120 format, I'll stick to Ilford stock, as I'm not shooting that much anyways. But in 4x5, costs matter a lot, and there the lower quality is of far less concern. (That said, I do have some old Fomapan rolls in 120 with old-style packaging lying around, just for the nostalgic look. ;-))
Interesting to hear about the reciprocity. I haven't shot much of this film, and no long exposure with it yet, so that's disappointing to hear.
@@KyleMcDougall Reciprocity is no problem under "regular" circumstances, only with heavy filtering, long-time exposures -- and pinhole photography (especially with additional filtering). HP5+ is much better, but "best of class" are still Kodak T-Grain emulsions (be it B&W or their color stocks).
Fomapan 400 is also very good, still chugging through a box of 50 sheets.
I've had a 50 sheet box of the 400 for a few years now. I should probably revisit it.
I have 200 sheets of Foma 4x5 in my freezer that I was sent in compensation because some other sheet film I ordered went missing and they didn't have any more in stock. I could have got my money back but decided to accept this instead. It's such a huge amount of film I'm not sure what to use it on.
Send it to me, I run a film disposal company 😉
I shoot some rolls of foma 400 in 35mm by the way and was a bit upset in the end. Waht i disliked the most was, that the hole image has this very washt out look. Its was like i layed a gray haze filter over the image. I really did not like the look. Shoot some Foma 100 after that and was feeling a lot! better with my results. I shoot 1 roll of Foma 200 and cida had simmilar feelings to the 400. But it was different. The 200 lookt a lot better than the 400 but the 200 hase a look to it that i dont like that much. Mayby i need to shoot i some more. Mayby my setup dit not fit the stock. Becoarse the tones seem to be very interesting but it is fore shure much less nutral than the 100. The Foma 100 is just solid. Shoot it at 80 and use a mid yellow filter and i dig the look. And if you have the price in mind at the same time it becomes a steal.
Great stuff. Artista is not bad either
Arista is just Fomapan relabeled.
Great video, thanks! Can someone help me finding the platform where people are sharing their photobooks? Curious to check and share.
Nice photos... but the sky or the
church is just sad and empty... we
need clouds or a dramatic sky just
before a storm... and second problem the top of the tower is
not above the Hills behind... so
the picture is a little bit flat....
one of your fan from France
Thank god you didn’t notice the church spire… it’s a bit, well, tilted; like off-centre. What’s, “The Rule of Thirds” in French?
Do I spy a Hasselblad X2D Earth Explorer Edition box ?? 👀
Haha, definitely not.
@@KyleMcDougall had to ask 😆
I’m an auto tech from Ontario and I need to say that we are seeing the decline of the independent auto repair shop. Similar to the decline of the gas station of the ‘50’s. Those Michelin signs hit me.
✅
You can‘t put "budget" and "4x5" in one sentence. Thats illegal
Right to jail, right away! believe it or not
😂😂😂😂 exactly
🤷♂️😆
I wonder how Kyle would look without beard🤔
We'll never know.
👍
Foma 100 is better than 400 in all formats. Even when push 100 to shoot at 400.
Today’s video is brought to you by Michelin.
.... The sky of the church....
Good ole fomapan, yes.....poor latitude at times, one stop off and its over.