Won some Ilford Pan F (non plus), now what?

nbagno · Nov 3, 2018

10 rolls of 120 format Pan F won by me in a raffle Expired 2004. Never shot with it, not sure how to shoot it or what its really good for. Suggestions appreciated.

glbeas · Nov 3, 2018

Its a bit contrasty, very fine grain. I like it with semi stand developing in rodinal, helps to tame the contrast and hold the shadow detail better.

Pentode · Nov 3, 2018

Slow film ages better than fast so it's probably fine to try it at box speed. If it was stored poorly it may have a mottled appearance (easily mistaken for a processing error, but it's not - it's a result of moisture in the backing paper) or it could be fine.

What's it good for? Anything you like! It's a slow, fine-grain, medium/high-contrast, panchromatic film. It's good for everything from portraits to landscapes to still-lifes. Best bet is just to shoot some and see how you like it.

David Allen · Nov 3, 2018

So long as it has been well stored it should be fine.

It is good for anything where you want very fine grain and high resolution or (after a few tests) when you are making photographs of lower than normal contrast scenes (in Zone System speak it is very easy to achieve a N+1 / N+2 expansion with Pan F).

It will be the most contrasty conventional film that you have used. It needs generous exposure and careful development but this is counterpointed by the blistering sharp negatives that it can deliver. If you regularly make images of high contrast scenes choose a developer that inhibits the build up of overly dense highlight areas on the negative (such as a two-bath developer like Barry Thornton's one).

Most important thing to know is that very many people have experienced problems with Pan F and the reason is that it needs to be processed very promptly after exposure.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

Vaughn · Nov 3, 2018

Since the frame numbers were exposed a long time ago, they will be a bit faint. Should a particularly fine film in low contrast situations, and not a bother in normal conditions. Might as well use another film in high contrast scenes (TMax100?) and save the Pan F for its real strengths.

Unfortunately, by the time you get use to it and start loving the stuff, you'll be out! Then before you know it, you'll be hitting the new stuff.

pentaxuser · Nov 3, 2018

The reference to Pan F expiring as late as 2004 surprised me as the two other films in the traditional range such as FP4 and HP5 had been given the Plus a number of years and had evolved in the 50s and 60s from predecessors of FP4 and HP5 but research showed that Pan F was the last to be given plus status in 1992.

It was by 1991/2 the oldest of the Ilford range, having been introduced in 1948 and yet waited the longest for its upgrading to Plus. Nothing to do with the nub of this thread but I thought it worthwhile to set this down out of interest

A film that has stood the test of time. Good luck with it

Les us see the results , please

pentaxuser

nbagno · Nov 3, 2018

pentaxuser · Nov 3, 2018

Thanks for that, nbagno. When I said show the results I meant when you expose and develop the film. I wasn't doubting your information but was just surprised that Pan F without the Plus had survived since 1948

pentaxuser

Nokton48 · Nov 3, 2018

I bought a case of expired 120 Pan F+ 120 I saw in the basement of Midwest Photo.
A dollar a roll. Great film and it's been deep frozen since.

When I was last using it I was liking it in Pyro PMK+

nbagno · Nov 3, 2018

pentaxuser said:
Thanks for that, nbagno. When I said show the results I meant when you expose and develop the film. I wasn't doubting your information but was just surprised that Pan F without the Plus had survived since 1948

pentaxuser

Ko.Fe. · Nov 3, 2018

I have another ISO 50 film from 2004. It works best at ISO 25.

Won some Ilford Pan F (non plus), now what?

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