Ilford Kentmere 200 (35mm, 120) coming soon...

[Disconnekt]

Ilford Kentmere 200 coming soon in 35mm (24exp & 36exp), 35mm 30.5m bulk roll, and 120.

A store in France has them on their site for preorder, here: https://www.digit-photo.com/KENTMERE-Pan-200ASA-135-36-poses-rKENTMERE6015055.html

Prices including VAT:
24exp €7.20
36exp €8.40
120 €7.40
35mm 100ft (30.5m) bulk roll €124.90

 

[MattKing]

For clarity, if it is Kentmere, that means it isn't Ilford.
Harman Technology Ltd. manufactures both product lines. They own the Kentmere brand, and license the use of the Ilford brand for Black and White film and darkroom products.
But it is interesting that a Kentmere Pan 200 is in the offing - I wonder if this means changes for the 100 speed version.

 

[pentaxuser]

There's nothing on the Harman website and yet one store in France has pre-orders with prices so presumably they have set their prices based on what they know to be Harman's charge to them


Presumably other stores in France have also received similar information from Harman? Perhaps our members France can shed more light on this. It appears to be a store based in Metz

I have asked the question of IlfordPhoto

pentaxuser

 

[cmacd123]

But it is interesting that a Kentmere Pan 200 is in the offing - I wonder if this means changes for the 100 speed version.

perhaps they are trying to match the foma/arista edu ultra line for the school market?

 

[Hunter_Compton]

The release got leaked on the 23rd of April, when Kosmo Photo erroneously posted their article of the film on their website for a couple hours before it was taken down.

The article with example photos can be viewed via this web archive link:

Harman Technology releases Kentmere 200 black-and-white film

The film is available in 35mm rolls, 35mm bulk rolls and 120 (Pic: Harman Technology) Harman Technology has released a new film in the Kentmere range of black-and-white films called Kentmere 200. T…

web.archive.org

 

[koraks]

perhaps they are trying to match the foma/arista edu ultra line for the school market?

That would be my guess. Not a replacement of present Kentmere 100, just a new product that sits between 100 & 400. I'd like to see a datasheet on it once that becomes available.

 

[GeorgK]

Investing into R&D for a new budget ASA200 film seems a little bit odd, espescially as they have not been able / willing to update Delta400 in ages (falling terribly behind Tmax400).

ISO 200 with "enhanced contrast" at box speed? - Sounds like a f'ed-up production run of FP4+.

 

[koraks]

Investing into R&D for a new budget ASA200 film seems a little bit odd, espescially as they have not been able / willing to update Delta400 in ages (falling terribly behind Tmax400).

The complexity of updating Delta 400 may be far bigger than adding a relatively simple product to the lineup.

Sounds like a f'ed-up production run of FP4+.

I don't think anyone with insight into how the film industry works believes that products are still (or ever have been) made and marketed that way. The whole concept of "oh, this batch failed, let's put a different label on it" really is an old wives' tale. If Harman are launching a Kentemere 200 product, then it really is a deliberately made product.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

This just appeared on Bluesky... Could be the Kentmere 200... or something else...

 

[koraks]

This just appeared on Bluesky... Could be the Kentmere 200... or something else...

Something else I think, because Harman have kept the Ilford and Kentmere branding strictly separated. Note that on ilfordphoto.com there is no mention whatsoever of the existence of any Kentmere product. Even under 'Our brands' it's not listed.
Mistaken - it's there alright! See#15 below!

 

[Agulliver]

Interesting....with the reported issues people are having with Fomapan 200 in 120, perhaps part of the rationale for launching Kentmere 200 is that particular gap in the market.

On the face of it, Kentmere 100 or 400 can be successfully shot at 200 so there's no need. But the Kentmere films are more likely than Ilford films to be shot by newbies who aren't experienced at push and pull processing, or who use labs.

Either way, it's always good to see something new.

 

[Agulliver]

Investing into R&D for a new budget ASA200 film seems a little bit odd, espescially as they have not been able / willing to update Delta400 in ages (falling terribly behind Tmax400).

ISO 200 with "enhanced contrast" at box speed? - Sounds like a f'ed-up production run of FP4+.

If Harman feel that Delta 400 has fallen terribly behind Tmax 400, you can bet they'd be very intent on improving Delta 400. However, it may well be more costly and time consuming than introducing a new traditional grained 200ISO B&W film.

And at this point in history, I cannot imagine Harman screwing up a production run of FP4...nor that a company with their reputation and standing in the industry would market it as a new product.

 

[AZD]

I hope it meets all of my impossible expectations or I’m not buying anything.

Hey, actually, I would rather welcome a new(!!!) 200 speed film. Sure you can bend 100 or 400, but 200 is kind of a sweet spot for hand-holdability and (potentially) fine(ish) grain without the internet scaries of resorting to a T-grain 400 speed.

Regardless of reason or branding, pretty much everything that Harman produces is top notch. This will be good film.

As @Agulliver mentioned, Fomapan 200 in 120 is (I won’t say always, but…) effectively useless due manufacturing defects. Kentmere will not have this problem. (Sorry Foma, it’s true. I love your 35mm, sheet film, and paper though)

 

[Lachlan Young]

perhaps part of the rationale for launching Kentmere 200 is that particular gap in the market

And/ or the use of respooled Kodak 5222 - going off the Ilford statement, it would also appear that the new film will differentiate in baseline characteristics from K100/400 - and be a little more expensive. And, there are various other market motivations (not least that lot of C-41 films sold today are 200's).

If Harman feel that Delta 400 has fallen terribly behind Tmax 400, you can bet they'd be very intent on improving Delta 400. However, it may well be more costly and time consuming than introducing a new traditional grained 200ISO B&W film.

And at this point in history, I cannot imagine Harman screwing up a production run of FP4...nor that a company with their reputation and standing in the industry would market it as a new product.

Exactly, given the level of emulsion design/ manufacturing control they have, making a product like this will have been relatively more trivial than many seem to want/ need to believe.

On the other hand, this product may be the offshoot of other emulsion R&D that will be ongoing, and like Phoenix, being sold to recoup the costs - but because it's inherently a much more final emulsion, albeit without the more complex steps/ components used in Ilford branded materials, it's being sold under the Kentmere brand. If it's an epitaxial emulsion structure, there may be clues to be gleaned from that.

@Alex Benjamin that looks a lot like the layout of the Ilford paper box labels - who knows, maybe they're about to start packaging their panchromatic paper in sheets - or something more specialised like a lith paper (strongly doubt that).

 

[Tomro]

Something else I think, because Harman have kept the Ilford and Kentmere branding strictly separated. Note that on ilfordphoto.com there is no mention whatsoever of the existence of any Kentmere product. Even under 'Our brands' it's not listed.

Really?

Kentmere 100 35mm

35mm, ISO 100, medium contrast, black & white film. Suitable for most applications in good lighting conditions. Medium speed ISO 100 Fine grain and good sharpness Broad tonal range with medium contrast Also available in 35mm bulk lengths and 120 format

www.ilfordphoto.com

the url says ilfordphoto and there you find the Kentmere films. While different brands they don’t seem to try to keep them separate that strictly on their site.
or am I missing something?

 

[koraks]

Really?

You're right; totally overlooked it!

 

[MattKing]

Harman Own the rights to use "Ilford Photo" and "Ilfordphoto.com" and have used that website to market Kentmere branded products since they bought that company, many years ago.

 

[Disconnekt]

I think having another 200 speed b&w film is good, afaik theres only like five "1st party/name brand" 200 speed b&w films?

Kodak Double-X 250 (not sure if Kodak is limiting this film too along with the Vision3 films, not counting rebadges)
Fomapan 200 (not counting rebadges)

Extended red-sensitivity films
Ilford SFX 200
Rollei Superpan 200
Svema 200

 

[brian steinberger]

Hey, actually, I would rather welcome a new(!!!) 200 speed film. Sure you can bend 100 or 400, but 200 is kind of a sweet spot for hand-holdability and (potentially) fine(ish) grain without the internet scaries of resorting to a T-grain 400 speed.

I agree. While I wasn’t interested in Kentmere 100 or 400 when released I’m definitely interested in this new 200, particularly in 35mm. This is great news.

 

[loccdor]

That's great! Something I'll definitely be trying out. I wonder in what ways it's similar or different from the other Kentmeres. An aspect of Fomapan 200's popularity is from its partial T-grain emulsion leading to a good grain/speed ratio, as I recall.

 

[AZD]

I agree. While I wasn’t interested in Kentmere 100 or 400 when released I’m definitely interested in this new 200, particularly in 35mm. This is great news.

I will definitely be trying it out. I like Kentmere 100 a lot. An 8x10 print from 35mm has grain when viewed up close, but by a few feet back it’s hard to tell. I’d trade a little more grain for that extra stop.

That's great! Something I'll definitely be trying out. I wonder in what ways it's similar or different from the other Kentmeres. An aspect of Fomapan 200's popularity is from its partial T-grain emulsion leading to a good grain/speed ratio, as I recall.

Hopefully not too far off topic, but XP2 developed in D76 or similar is good for 200, has nice tight grain, and looks just fine. Of course you give up all the C41 advantages, and sometimes the pink mask won’t go away, completely, but it’s quite nice otherwise.

 

[thinkbrown]

I'm hyped for it. Kentmere 100 was I believe the first film stock I ever shot and it's still a favorite along with K400. I'll absolutely be picking up a brick to try out

 

[xkaes]

As a comparison, all of Ilford's 100' rolls of B&W negative film run about $140-150 -- not that much more.

 

[Kino]

I just wish Kentmere would be offered in sheet film sizes; at least 4x5.

 

[Ivo Stunga]

Rollei Superpan 200
Svema 200

...and both of these are suspected Aviphot 200 aerial film rebrands. And this source film is closer to EI 100 for pictorial contrast. It's rating of 200 is for aerial shots where you don't have that much contrast going on to begin with.

And Double X gets limited too. I can't have it locally for 7€ anymore. Just web stores where it goes now from 16€ up to 25€ lol

And Fomapan 200 likes more light than advertised...

So let's see what will come from this. More film is nice.