Foma 400 is now my go to film

gone · May 6, 2021

I printed some 11x14's today from Foma 400. At 8x10 the grain was hard to see (Dektol for the paper developer, D76 stock for the film). At 11x14, if it's exposed properly there's some grain. Not a lot really. It looks different than Tri-X, but I really like it! Tri-X is sharper, but depending on how big someone prints this may not even be noticeable. I'm going to try Rodinal next at 1:50 and see how that looks at 11x14, then get some Mic-X and see if it can be tricked into making sharper prints.

So far, no surprises. It's been straight forward shooting and printing it for the first time. This film probably works so well for me because I live in the desert w/ lots of bright, hard light, deep shadows, and not a lot in between.

radiant · May 6, 2021

grat said:
I'm starting to think this film is just a collective hallucination. And I've got some pictures I rather like taken on it.

Like the consipiracy that Finland doesn't exist? https://www.vice.com/en/article/xyd...vinced-the-internet-that-finland-doesnt-exist What happens if I shoot "Foma 400" in "Finland" ?

grat said:
Anyone tried EI 1600 with normal development?

I have. If I may continue with this forums scientific explanation "pushes well" description? No I won't. Result: heavily destroyed shadows and potato size grain, I liked it.

relistan · May 6, 2021

I think some folks had the idea I was knocking the film, which I wasn’t. It can look quite good. I was trying to help new shooters of this film know about its native speed. I have taken a number of shots with it that I like. My avatar was shot on Fomapan 400! Here’s another shot I like (PC Glycol 1+50) EI 200

relistan · May 6, 2021

vedostuu said:
Like the consipiracy that Finland doesn't exist? https://www.vice.com/en/article/xyd...vinced-the-internet-that-finland-doesnt-exist What happens if I shoot "Foma 400" in "Finland" ?

haha, invisible pictures!

grat · May 6, 2021

vedostuu said:
Like the consipiracy that Finland doesn't exist? https://www.vice.com/en/article/xyd...vinced-the-internet-that-finland-doesnt-exist What happens if I shoot "Foma 400" in "Finland" ?

Finland? Never heard of it.

I have. If I may continue with this forums scientific explanation "pushes well" description? No I won't. Result: heavily destroyed shadows and potato size grain, I liked it.

Thassalotta grain. If you don't mind me asking, what did you develop with?

I once shot Arista 400 at ISO 3 (more or less-- at least half a dozen stops overexposed). I was quite surprised to get a usable negative out of the process.

foc · May 6, 2021

grat said:
Based on the varying opinions of what Foma 400 is, isn't, can and can't do, what it's supposed to be exposed at, and then the comments of Foma themselves...

I'm starting to think this film is just a collective hallucination. And I've got some pictures I rather like taken on it.

From the data sheet:

Anyone tried EI 1600 with normal development?

Here are a few shots I was doing for a test, in association with Henning Serger, comparing Lomagraphy Lady Grey and Foma 400 (BTW they are the same film).

Click on the thumbnails to view full size.

Foma 400 minus 2 stops at box speed = ISO 1600. Developed in Ilford Ilfosol 3 at 1+14 for 12 mins @ 20C

Foma 400 minus 1 stop at box speed = ISO 800. Developed in Ilford Ilfosol 3 at 1+14 for 12 mins @ 20C

Foma 400 at box speed = ISO 400. Developed in Ilford Ilfosol 3 at 1+14 for 12 mins @ 20C

I haven't got a chance yet to use one of their own Foma developers with their film.
As you can see the claim to shoot at 1600 but don't change dev times doesn't hold true for the Ilfosol 3 developer. It may hold true with their own developers like Fomadon LQN " the magic water" as it has been described on some websites.
Has anyone experience with the Foma developers?

radiant · May 6, 2021

foc said:
Here are a few shots I was doing for a test comparing Lomagraphy Lady Grey and Foma 400 (BTW they are the same film).

Your test setup doesn't have too many stops of dynamic latitude, maybe 2-3 stops max? The shadows are probably maximum 1 stop below.

radiant · May 6, 2021

grat said:
Thassalotta grain. If you don't mind me asking, what did you develop with?

In Xtol. There is no way to print those negatives in darkroom so thanks to scanner and heavy curves adjustments

foc · May 6, 2021

vedostuu said:
Your test setup doesn't have too many stops of dynamic latitude, maybe 2-3 stops max? The shadows are probably maximum 1 stop below.

The shots I uploaded are just a sample of the test. I had shot a range of -2 stops to +2 stops and if any one wants to see them just let me know.

pentaxuser · May 6, 2021

foc said:
The shots I uploaded are just a sample of the test. I had shot a range of -2 stops to +2 stops and if any one wants to see them just let me know.

Interesting and thanks Can I ask: Are these scans of prints from negatives or scans of the negatives and if the later was anything done to the scans in the act of scanning that might be unable to be replicated in darkroom prints?

The problem I have, these days, as a darkroom printer only is working out how much scanning "wizardry" may have made replication in a darkroom very difficult or nearly impossible

Thanks

pentaxuser

foc · May 6, 2021

pentaxuser said:
Interesting and thanks Can I ask: Are these scans of prints from negatives or scans of the negatives and if the later was anything done to the scans in the act of scanning that might be unable to be replicated in darkroom prints?

The problem I have, these days, as a darkroom printer only is working out how much scanning "wizardry" may have made replication in a darkroom very difficult or nearly impossible

Thanks

pentaxuser

They were a photograph of the negative (4608x3072px), with no corrections made.

darkosaric · May 6, 2021

Here are some examples of Fomapan 400, developed in Rodinal 1+50, shoot at box speed (first shoot with Nikkor 105/2.5, second with XA, third with Nikkor 105/2.5, last with Rollei 35):

Helge · May 6, 2021

Been shooting Foma for a few weeks now. And like the Aviphot derived films it truely is a “hidden” gem.
Written off as second-tier budget film it is absolutely not!
In fact I’d say they are superb.

Favorite so far is 200. It’s said to have some more t-grain in it than the other two. And it might be confirmation bias, but I definitely do see some of the smoothness of TMax together with a more s- shaped curve.

Base is a joy to work with. But possibly also the main cause of the halation “problems”.

ajmiller · May 6, 2021

I've just started using 400 in 35mm for a change. rated at 240 and processed in HC110.

Woodshed

ajmiller
May 6, 2021
3

Trying out the new to me Vivitar 70-150 f3.8 lens. Saw it recommended in a thread here and I've...

tom williams · May 6, 2021

ajmiller said:
I've just started using 400 in 35mm for a change. rated at 240 and processed in HC110.

Woodshed

ajmiller

May 6, 2021

3

Trying out the new to me Vivitar 70-150 f3.8 lens. Saw it recommended in a thread here and I've...

.... looks like someone stole the plans to my under-construction darkroom. Tony, I like that photo, tons of interest and geometrical contrasts.

pentaxuser · May 6, 2021

foc said:
They were a photograph of the negative (4608x3072px), with no corrections made.

Thanks for the reply

pentaxuser

radiant · May 6, 2021

Foma films in 135 format are fun until you make 30x40cm (11" x 15") size enlargements and find out how scratched the negatives really are. No other film has this level scratching problems..

ajmiller · May 6, 2021

Cheers Tom, it's a great subject though has a few light leaks.

tom williams said:
.... looks like someone stole the plans to my under-construction darkroom. Tony, I like that photo, tons of interest and geometrical contrasts.

R.Gould · May 6, 2021

vedostuu said:
Foma films in 135 format are fun until you make 30x40cm (11" x 15") size enlargements and find out how scratched the negatives really are. No other film has this level scratching problems..

I have made 20/16 exhibition prints from Fomapan 200 and 400, not recently, and no scratches or other problems, this from 35mm negatives, grain yes, but ''nice''grain, and I like grain sometimes, I have also made same size prints frpm both Ilford (not the plus) and Kodak trix that have been so badly scratched as to be useless, I am not saying either Ilford or Kodak films are bad, but every one has bad batches, maybe Friday films for me it's sings and roundabouts, in what I like to call the big three (Kodak,Ilford and Foma) things go wrong, or maybe I was unlucky with Kodak and Ilford, and lucky with Foma, but I was useing them long before anyone in the UK had heard of them, I used to go to France a fair bit, and a photo shop in France stocked Foma in large quantiles, and only a very few Ilford and Kodak, because, as the shop owner, ( a small old fashioned photo like we used to have) said there was not a lot of call for said films, so I first bought 2 or 3 Fomapan 400's and was hooked, never used any other film ever since
Richard
Richard

darkosaric · May 6, 2021

vedostuu said:
Foma films in 135 format are fun until you make 30x40cm (11" x 15") size enlargements and find out how scratched the negatives really are. No other film has this level scratching problems..

I have not seen this issue - and my favorite printing paper is 30x40cm. Are you using Fomapan from 17m/30m rolls?

Lachlan Young · May 6, 2021

99% of scratching issues on films are end user handling error - which is one of the reasons Ilford etc have gone to much stronger hardening for their BW materials.

markjwyatt · May 6, 2021

I suspect the current interest in Foma may be at least partially related to the sale a month or so back! I picked up some Foma 400 in 120 during the sale, so am reading this thread with interest. I have used a little Foma 400 in 120 (mainly as test rolls for a folder), and some Foma 200 in 35mm. I look forward to shooting the Foma 400 in 120 with my C330f. I may try rating it at 320 or 250.

sterioma · May 6, 2021

markjwyatt said:
I suspect the current interest in Foma may be at least partially related to the sale a month or so back! I picked up some Foma 400 in 120 during the sale, so am reading this thread with interest. I have used a little Foma 400 in 120 (mainly as test rolls for a folder), and some Foma 200 in 35mm. I look forward to shooting the Foma 400 in 120 with my C330f. I may try rating it at 320 or 250.

Which sale was that?

relistan · May 6, 2021

sterioma said:
Which sale was that?

Freestyle in the US had a big sale on Foma stuff.

markjwyatt · May 6, 2021

sterioma said:
Which sale was that?

It was 25% off. I think B&H also did the same. In any case I was not planning on buying any Foma at that moment, but I wanted some more 120 and with the sale, I went ahead and bought some (i.e., it worked).

Foma 400 is now my go to film

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