ASA 400 film

Gerry M · Jul 24, 2012

Has anyone tried Arista/Foma 400 film in 120 lately? What are your thoughts on this film?

padraigm · Jul 24, 2012

Grainy and for the most part not a 400 speed film. I had to go below ISO 200 for decent results. But some people do get good results with it. So like any film, if you put the effort in you can get the results. But overall Inferior (unless you love the look) to other 400 films. My opinion of course.

Klainmeister · Jul 24, 2012

What was your developer? I shot at box speed, developed in Pyrocat and had very nice results. It responds a lot better to filters than Acros, which I find interesting.

Gerry M · Jul 24, 2012

padraigm said:
Grainy and for the most part not a 400 speed film. I had to go below ISO 200 for decent results. But some people do get good results with it. So like any film, if you put the effort in you can get the results. But overall Inferior (unless you love the look) to other 400 films. My opinion of course.

Thanks for your input. I will probably stick with 100 & 200.

padraigm · Jul 24, 2012

Now Foma 200 (at least in 35mm) is a very nice film... Need to try in 120

Gerry M · Jul 24, 2012

padraigm said:
Now Foma 200 (at least in 35mm) is a very nice film... Need to try in 120

I really like it in 120. Also their ASA 100. Maybe as well as ACROS.

Klainmeister · Jul 24, 2012

The 100 is lovely, but I get very high contrast with a yellow filter attached. Acros is second to none and just as cheap. Highly, highly recommended.

Thomas Bertilsson · Jul 24, 2012

The Foma 400 is wonderful film, and depending on what developer you use, it's either somewhat grainy, or very grainy. It isn't very sharp, though, and from that standpoint it reminds me a lot of the old Agfa APX 400.

I personally like the tonality I get, and it prints very well in the darkroom. I don't use it because of the backing paper; it feels as though it wouldn't be as easy on the film back and transport as that of Kodak, Ilford, or Fuji film would be.

It's not a bad film, just not a favorite.

ntenny · Jul 24, 2012

I shot a little bit of it and found it to be fine, but with nothing that jumped out and made it special. As far as I remember I got box speed in HC-110, though.

The 400-speed field is pretty strongly occupied by TX and HP5---to my mind a film would have to offer something pretty striking for me to choose it over one of those.

-NT

wblynch · Jul 24, 2012

I love Foma 400 in 120. I use D-76 or HC-110 and really like it. I shoot it at 400.

I use it in box cameras, Diana, Minolta TLR, Mamiya 645 and sometimes in 35mm. But I like it more in 120.

R.Gould · Jul 24, 2012

Foma 400 is my main goto film in both 120 and 35mm, I love the tonality of the film, as far as grain goes yes, the 35mm can be very grainy, but bI rather like the grain , the 120 is not to bad, grainier than ilford/kodak films, but at the degree of enlargement I don't notice it on 120. I develop it in stock D76 for 8 minutes and get lovely sharp negatives that print well, and I have printed up to 20/24 with it, although normally my standard paper is 9 1/2 by 12, I also develop it in Rodinal 1/50 and it is even better tonality and very sharp indeed, as far as speed I have shot at box speed, but prefer 320,
Richard

Thomas Bertilsson · Jul 24, 2012

Here's an example of it in 35mm.

Gerry M · Jul 24, 2012

Thomas Bertilsson said:
Here's an example of it in 35mm. View attachment 54405

Thomas,
Thanks for posting the image. That looks great to me. It would make me happy. After seeing some positive input, I will give it a try. Both 120 & 35mm.

Pioneer · Jul 24, 2012

I have had really good luck with this film in both 35mm and 120 and I use it quite frequently. This example was taken in the fall of last year on 35mm with my Pentax LX, developed in Rodinal 1:25, and printed on Arista EDU Ultra RC VC. This was an early print (one of my first) and I do want to go back and try again but I wasn't terribly disappointed. Any faults certainly are not the film's doing.

Gerry M · Jul 24, 2012

Pioneer,
Thanks for posting the image. I would be pleased with that.

brianmquinn · Jul 24, 2012

Like the rest said. It is not the "best" film but how do you define the best. Try it out and see for yourself. Also you really must process and print your own film and give it a chance to see what it can do. I like this film a lot but it is not my "favorite" film for general use but there are times when it is the BEST. However that is just my opinion.

Gerry M · Jul 24, 2012

brianmquinn said:
Like the rest said. It is not the "best" film but how do you define the best. Try it out and see for yourself. Also you really must process and print your own film and give it a chance to see what it can do. I like this film a lot but it is not my "favorite" film for general use but there are times when it is the BEST. However that is just my opinion.

Brian,
I ordered some from Freestyle today. I do process my own, so will jump in and see where it goes. I don't expect it to be a favorite, as I generally prefer 100 & 200 ASA film. Still, I wanted to try a faster film for hand holding a Fuji 645.

Leighgion · Jul 24, 2012

For a variety of reasons, Fomapan 400 is one of my go-to films these days. Part of its charm is its low tech retro look. I'm mostly shooting it in 135, but I've also tried it in 120, it so happens handheld in a Fuji 645.

Wind Action by Leighgion, on Flickr

Gerry M · Jul 25, 2012

Leighgion said:
For a variety of reasons, Fomapan 400 is one of my go-to films these days. Part of its charm is its low tech retro look. I'm mostly shooting it in 135, but I've also tried it in 120, it so happens handheld in a Fuji 645.

Wind Action by Leighgion, on Flickr

Super images on Flickr. And... it makes me happy that some were with the GA645 and Foma/Arista 400. Very well done.

ASA 400 film

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