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Fomapan 400/Arista.eduUltra 400 observations?

I've enjoyed playing with Foma in 100 speed (Sorry, Mike!) in 35mm. Cheap, fun. Grainier than most contemporary films. I've done a few rolls of 400 in 120 but I'll be damned if I remember much of anything except that blue backing and the curl!

If you're shooting 35mm, why not Arista Premium? Cheap Plux-X and Tri-X.
 
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I'll be damned if I remember much of anything except that blue backing and the curl!
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All Fomapan 120 roll film assembly is on Polyester base which curls more and have the Blue tint which you can not wash out. It's a part of the A.H. layer.
 
thicktheo said:
So I bought a package of Fomapan 400 4x5, to try it out. I have HC-110 and Xtol available... which developer should I use, and what is the maximum ISO I can get?
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Have a look at the datasheet, and especially at page 2. There's a development time - gamma - ISO speed chart for the Fomapan400 - Xtol (stock) combination. So, 6' seems to be a reasonable development time (20°C) and the speed you'll get is a tad more than 200. Multiply this time by about 1,4 and you'll get ~8'30'', which should be close enough for Xtol diluted 1+1.
 
I'd say there no developers that will make Fomapan 400 a true 400ISO film. The ISO film speed is well defined and part of this definition is the contrast of the developed film. In a way the chart isn't accurate, as the "speed" might hit the 320 ISO mark, but with excessive contrast. So, if you want to keep contrast to reasonable levels, then EI200 should be about right. Of the developers you mentioned, Xtol would be my choice, as it gives the most film speed. HC110 on the other hand isn't that good in this. Besides, you'd need to find development times somewhere else, based on somebody else's tests. This might work, but it's not guaranteed.
 
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Diafine 3+3 minutes will give full iso 400 speed with the Fomapan 400 film. All other speed enhanced developers, Microphen, Acu-1, etc. will stop close to iso 320. But this you can read in the above mentioned data sheet too!
 
Your collegue from Greece made a good summary how Fomapan 400 works. It's a pretty grainy film like the old type Tri-X. You can pronounce the grain (HC-110/Rodinal) or suppress a bit Xtol/Fomadon Excel W27 and all possibilities what is in between. In fact it's an iso 250 film.

Regards,

Robert

(Dutch Foma distributor)
 
Fomapan 400 35mm - Moersch Finol-times & observations

Good Morning

I would like to share my observations related to Fomapan 400/36 - 135.

Film
Fomapan 400/36 - 135
Batch 007815-5
Exp. Date 2 2016

Exposure
ISO 320, which results in 0.12...0.15 dlog above base & fog for z1

Developement
Film spooled in to spiral in Paterson-tank
Presoak tab water
Moersch Finol 1+75, distilled water
Agitation 60' - 2/30'
Temperature 20°C
Time, N, diffuse light source 21:00 (around 19:00 for condenser light source)
Stop in presoak water 2:00 and washed in tab water 1:00
Fix 1 2:00
Fix 2 2:00
Wash tab water 6:00
Wetting agent 1:00...2:00
Washing line, while washroom-shutdown

Observations
I like the results in terms of tonality.
I like the price.
I do not like the problem with the micro-scratches allover the back-side of the film (not the emulsion-side); also not the weird sound while transporting or respooling the film. I suspected, that the problem with the scratches must be produced in the camera: To control that I cleared a piece of film out of the container in fixing bath; a pattern of microscratches on the base showed up, lenghtwise, 2mm long and allover...
I am looking forward that Foma can fix this problem; I like their B&W-Papers a lot and the fact, that there is another company beside ilfujak.

Regards
Andreas
 
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Foma changed this year on their 120 roll films:
From Blue to Clear Polyester layer.
Another type, more smooth backing paper.
The hardening process of their Fomapan Creative 200 film was changed. In fact the emulsion changed already last year due to the fact an ingrediënt of one of their suppliers was not available anymore.

So the new 120 roll films are better, no micro scratches anymore and a better roll film assy with self adhesive stickers too.

A very good value for money at the moment. No idea how long the old type films are around the miscellanous distributors worldwide after these changes.
 
I've used a few hundred 8x10 sheets of Fomapan 400 aka Arista Edu Ultra 400 at an exposure index of 200 developed in replenished Xtol. Results: completely predictable easy to work with negatives with no quirks or flaws. The price is excellent. My last batch cost $2.80 a sheet including all costs and charges into Australia.
 
John Kasaian said:
Has anyone here used this stuff? Do you like it? What is the difference between it an HP-5+? Any reciprocity info?
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I don't use HP5 much. Arista EDU has an old fashioned look. The film has problems with reciprocity with long exposures. For long exposures over a few minutes, I use Fuji Acros. Here's a shot on Arista EDU 400 processed in HC-110.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
i used to use a ton of 120 arista / foma film
LOVED IT souped in ansco 130 and caffenol c
they were meant for eachother..

YMMV
 
When a first used it, I loved the film. I hated the green base and the curliness of the film. Foma fixed the curly base.
 
Mainecoonmaniac said:
When a first used it, I loved the film. I hated the green base and the curliness of the film. Foma fixed the curly base.
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Surely you mean the blue base, which is now also gone, Foma use a clear base since earlier this year, same emulsion just different base, I use a ton of the stuff, love it and rarely use anything else bot in 120 and 35mm, develop it in either Rodinal or D76
Richard
 
Been so long, I forgot. Maybe I got confused with that green dye in my used fix souping Arista EDU. I love the stuff too. Great for general use. Not very good for long night exposures though.
 
Mainecoonmaniac said:
Been so long, I forgot. Maybe I got confused with that green dye in my used fix souping Arista EDU. I love the stuff too. Great for general use. Not very good for long night exposures though.
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I actually used to use a lot of Fomapan 100 for really long night exposures---usually f/8 for about 15 minutes, give or take---souping in Diafine. I think I had some sort of vague hope that the bad reciprocity along with the compensation would help control the highlights, and while that may or may not actually make sense, it worked out pretty well in practice.

-NT
 
Great! You've made it work for night shots. For me, it's taming contrast. Never used Diafine before. I think if you get the shadows exposed correctly, the trick is to tame the highlights. Arista EDU 100 and 400 does very well with stand development. Had great luck with HC-110 diluted 1:100 with Arista 400. I agitate for the first minute then let it stand for an hour and 15 minutes. The highlights exhaust the developer faster than the shadows. This allows the shadows to continue to develop after highlights have slowed or stop developing.
 
Shot a roll of 35 mm last week and developed it in D-23 replenished. It's not quite 400 speed, but the negs print fine. It seems to be very much like an early Tri-X - grainy, but with decent definition. It's not going to be my regular film, but I bought some in Prague and brought it home to try. The 200 is another thing entirely. A bit contrasty, great definition, and develops well with Beutler. That could well become my slower speed film of choice.
 

Cool. Got any examples to show?
 
You might be right

presspass said:
It's not quite 400 speed, but the negs print fine.
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Arista 400 prints beautifully when it's processed correctly. But I find Arista EDU 400 processed in XTOL is very close if not at ASA 400. When I process it with HC-110, I shoot the film at ASA 320. It's a great film and a very affordable price. There's no reason not to try it.
 
(night, Fomapan 100, f/8, 15 minutes, Diafine)
rich815 said:
Cool. Got any examples to show?
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A few, but they're negative scans rather than prints, and I don't promise Great Art or anything.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntenny/6274608202/in/set-72157627803293477
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntenny/6293451324/in/set-72157627803293477
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntenny/3733301011/in/set-72157614782638072
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntenny/3734101916/in/set-72157614782638072

Some of them show pretty intense highlights without causing a meltdown of the surrounding image, which is what kept me coming back to this combination. (The house-party one has a lit window that did blow out completely, but I think it works in that image.)

-NT
 
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