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Ultra Low ISO Film

Mike Chalmers

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179
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London
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Medium Format
Hi folks,

I'm going to be testing ultra low ISO film shortly and, as someone who shoots Portra 400 practically all the time (and often still doesn't have enough light for my purposes), I'd love to know any thoughts / ideas / examples of ultra low iso film.

I am comfortable with how to expose it properly (a mix of long exposures, tripod use and wide apertures, depending on the shot) - and have a few ideas, but I'd love to know more before I get going.

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Mike Chalmers said:
Tom, I’ve been asked not to say as it’s not yet available.
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It sounds like a new film but with ultra low ISO I wish the seller luck in selling it in sufficient quantities to recoup the cost of investment in making it available. It would be nice to hear about it once you can "take the covers off" so to speak

pentaxuser
 
Tom Kershaw said:
At one point ILFORD investigated producing a 'Delta 25' film but I think they decided there wouldn't be sufficient demand or too much competition with Pan F Plus.
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Yes and I think ultra low probably means less than 25 - more like 12, 6 or 3?

pentaxuser
 
Oh, come on. You can tell us. We won't tell anyone else. You can trust us.
 
I miss Kodak direct reversal film X360 and 2468 micro duplicating film. Both orthochromatic, virtually grainless. I think more could have been done to propagate those stocks, just imagining them in sheet formats.
 
I thought early Kodachrome rated at ISO 10 was wonderful, but was glad when they boosted the speed to 25 and then even higher.
 
I've just started using neutral density filters to effectively reduce the ISO on high speed films like Portra 400. If you started out with a 100 speed film and used a 3 stop (ND 0.9) filter, you would get the equivalent of ISO 12.5. The grain structure wouldn't be like Panatomic-X, Kodachrome or microfilm, but it would be pretty close.
 
Ilfords direct positive paper is effectively a low asa film (as I suppose are all print papers). Have some Ilford to try out but not used it yet. Is 3asa a good starting point?
 
Mike check out any of the ASA 2 dry plates I’ve posted in the media section. That will give you some ideas
 
Actually the ISO range and size will help for advice.

I walked around last weekend with Agfapan 25, handheld shutter speed at 250 and f/5.6. Didn’t have to use a tripod even.

If that is the approximate speed then you could do a mix of handheld (to act like nothing’s different) and tripod (to get better effective detail).

But if it’s 3 or so, and if it’s ortho or otherwise not panchromatic, then you’ll want a tripod and cable release.

Landscapes, seascapes (maybe not the “instantaneous” type though) clouds, rivers, creeks, rocks. These all look great on slower film.
 
Has a nice Lomo feel, and some of the charm of Lomo is insanely fine grain. It would be a way to get “qualities” of a 120 Holga in 35mm.
 
Nodda Duma said:
Mike check out any of the ASA 2 dry plates I’ve posted in the media section. That will give you some ideas
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Thanks Nodda, nice work!

The film is ~10iso, no worries if nobody is interested in discussing ideas, I imagine a cool low iso idea will come to me as soo as I finish the roll.
 
 
wahiba said:
Ilfords direct positive paper is effectively a low asa film (as I suppose are all print papers). Have some Ilford to try out but not used it yet. Is 3asa a good starting point?
Click to expand...
Yes, ISO3 is about right for these papers.
 
Mike Chalmers said:
Thanks Nodda, nice work!

The film is ~10iso, no worries if nobody is interested in discussing ideas, I imagine a cool low iso idea will come to me as soo as I finish the roll.
Click to expand...

open shade portraits of people and things ... and window light
is this film orthochromatic ( like paper, blue sensitive ), panorthchromatic ( like efke25 ) or panchromatic ( like modern film ) ?
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/98816417@N08/48424157527/in/dateposted-public/

This was shot on Adox CMS 20 @ EI 12 using an improvised rifle grip comprising an aluminium tube screwed into the tripos socket on the camera .No need for a tripod.
It was developed in homebrew developer TD-LC 103 from the Film Developing Cookbook. Proprietary developer Adotech III would probably be OK for film around ISO 10.
 
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