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Old 10th August 2009, 07:49 AM
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Default Fomapan 100

Seeing as I mentioned on another thread about my adventures with the cheap side of film, other folk expressed an interest in Foma, so having just got a box, I thought I'd start a thread of my own!
This review applies to the sheet film version – I do have some 120 but haven't used it yet (though apparently it's base is blue-grey – it's deliberate, don't worry!)
Equipment was my ratty old Sinar F, and a late 60's 90mm Schneider Angulon . . the one that isn't supposed to work with 5x4 . . . but does . . . just. My meter is an ancient Gossen Lunasix S with the spot attachment (it reads an angle of either 7.5 or 15 degrees – I chose 7.5).
Oh and if you get bored before the end of this, I don't blame you
Right here goes.

FOMAPAN 100

Initial results with this film are very promising. I didn't do a full speed test, just did two exposures of the same thing at different EIs and developed for the same time. I decided to do the box speed of 100 and then halve it to 50 for the simple reason that that is the way the dial on my Gossen works, so there was less to think about at 6.00 AM!
I used my standard developer of HC 110 in Dilution H, because I like it and know what it can do. Although I call it Dilution H, my dilution tends to be 1+71 (it was an accidental measurement when I started using it . . . but I liked it – it actually gives a mild compensating effect), so 5ml of HC 110 syrup (the 'American' concentrate in the litre size, not the European one in the 500 ml bottle) to 355 ml of water at 20C. It's in between Dilution H (1:63) and Dilution F (1:79).
5 ml of HC 110 syrup will easily do 4 sheets of 5x4.
I only ever develop in trays and my agitation sequence follows the old Kodak method (gentle lift to front centre of tray, gentle lift to front left of tray, gentle lift to front right of tray – that is one agitation sequence). For the first 30 seconds I follow that sequence constantly, and then after that it is once every 30 seconds for the first five minutes and then once a minute after that (though when you get into really long developing times this changes). It seems to give me negatives that print well in my set-up.
I got a time for Foma 100 in HC 110 from some of the US sites of 9 minutes for sheet film, and 8 for roll, with Dilution H.
So on Saturday, it was up early and off to my local Victorian graveyard to take some pictures.
The first two negatives: even though my readings indicated I should give them N+1, I just developed them for the 9 minutes, as I felt it would be harder to assess things otherwise.
The film is quite contrasty, but in a very good way. It has a broad palette of greys, and ramping my enlarger up to do a pretend print roughly 12” x 16” the grain was pretty equivalent to FP4 in HC 110. It wasn't as fine grained as say Delta 100 in XTOL 1:1, but then that has a tonality which I find unpleasant. Neither was the grain as large as ADOX CHS 100 in HC 110, so this is a good thing!
The first negative I made (at box speed) is actually very pleasing, and I can see from it that if I had developed it for its correct time, it would have had an almost spot on negative. The second one at EI 50, hit the famed Foma 100 reciprocity thing, so isn't quite as clear an indicator.
This being said, next time I take the film out (unless I have done some proper tests) I think I might ere on the side of either EI 80 or 64 . . . possibly 80.
I compared the two negatives with an identical one I made on ADOX CHS 100, which I know to have a speed of 50 with my set-up, and this would indicate (at least visually) from the contact prints that 80 would be about right. Compared to ADOX there is a much finer grain structure, and unlike the ADOX, the resolution doesn’t mush out on fine detail in the middle distance. Acutance is also slightly sharper, but this might also have to do with the contast of the film.
The second two negatives: these were done in the same way, although this time an N-1 was indicated -again I developed for 9 mins, and am glad I did as I made a total bosh of metering the scene. The one at EI 100 is dreadfully underexposed. The one at 50 a lot better and actually pictorially quite good. I think it would be very very easy to cook the highlights with this film though, so would recommend a less active developer than HC 110, or else use a greater dilution of it, or extreme precision and consistency! Or a compensating formula.
I will have to try it with the extreme brightness ranges you can get in the forests and glens up here, to see whether I still want to keep using it with HC 110 though. I get the feeling it might well work very well with the old Barry Thornton favourite of dilute Perceptol, or even the likes of dilute Rodinal.
Is it at all like AGFA APX 100, like everyone says it is? Too early to tell; it does seem to have that mix of good contrast and really smooth greys that you got with APX – that being said the last time I used that, was 120 developed in Rodinal . . so not quite the same thing.
Overall I like the results very much – the PET base feels slightly 'thinner' than Ilford product, but not noticeably so, there was also a very slight curve to the base when it was dry, but nothing to worry about. Oh, and if you are used to handling sheet film, the box (the cheapest looking box I've ever seen) will surprise you – it has only two parts, not the usual three, so don't get a shock in the dark and knock all your dark slides on the floor – don't say I didn't warn you!
Overall, I think it's a very good product at a superb price, and at roughly £1 per sheet cheaper than Kodak film . . . what can you say. I love Kodak film too, but they have priced themselves way way beyond what an average Joe Soap like me can afford . . . Ilford take note
I actually can't wait to get out and about again, and see what it can do in the wilds – lets put it this way, if you feel confidence that a film can deliver the goods when you've walked miles to capture a scene, then it must be alright.
If you've ever wondered about it, I would say go and purchase a box and put it through your own methods and see what you think!
You can wake up now
Phil
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Old 10th August 2009, 08:47 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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Thanks Phil, this is a very informative, and helpful post. I look forward to reading more on your further trials.
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Old 10th August 2009, 09:06 AM
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Oh no Phil, I now have another film to test

Thanks for the detailed post, very useful.
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Old 10th August 2009, 10:30 AM
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Thank's for waking me up Phil In more ways then one

Great report. I will certainly give this film a go in the 8x10 size, for starters it's less then half price compared to Ilford's FP4 and HP5. However I can just about still afford to stay with Ilford's 4x5 film.
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Old 10th August 2009, 10:47 AM
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Gulp - weight on shoulders and all that., You always get keyed up about passing on advice, but I just wrote it as I saw it and did it, so hopefully it will read true with you lot.
Again I would caution over over-development and contrast!
P
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Old 10th August 2009, 11:46 AM
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Trevor Crone Trevor Crone is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Gulp - weight on shoulders and all that., You always get keyed up about passing on advice, but I just wrote it as I saw it and did it, so hopefully it will read true with you lot.
Again I would caution over over-development and contrast!
P
No one will hold you responsible if it goes t..s up Afterall it is down to the individual to make their own tests to see what suits them.

I'll give it a blast in Rodinal and PMK pyro, but not at the same time Although that could be interesting
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Old 10th August 2009, 12:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Gulp - weight on shoulders and all that., You always get keyed up about passing on advice, but I just wrote it as I saw it and did it, so hopefully it will read true with you lot.
Again I would caution over over-development and contrast!
P

Great report Phil - this type of pactical test is often the best. I will look at this film whem I next have to order some 5x4 stock

Neil.
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Old 10th August 2009, 01:05 PM
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I have used Foma100 in 35mm and its fantastic in Rodinal 1:-50
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Old 10th August 2009, 06:36 PM
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Having tried a lot of different films over the last few years I can safely say that Foma 100 has more individual character, more of a distinct look, than any other film I have used. I think of it as an old fashioned "seaside picture" look. Prints come out high in key, light toned, and fresh looking. Trevor, having seen your prints (at Yorkshire Monochrome) I am sure you would love this film.
I have only used it in 120, but assume that sheet film will deliver the same look. I got this look from film developed in Pyrocat HD, and the same look from Rodinal 1+50.

Phil mentioned blown highlights. I use Rodinal 1+50 with 4 initial tank inversions, followed by a single inversion every 5minutes. Total time 20 minutes for film exposed in sunny light. This keeps the highlights nicely in check, and also allows the deep shadow areas to build up more than they do with more frequent agitation.

Alan
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Old 30th August 2009, 03:12 PM
Tenby Eight Tenby Eight is offline
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Thanks for this Phil - Google threw up your review and prompted me to join FADU so I could get a leg up on my working practices.

I've recently, and finally after many years of yearning, got a 10x8 with the intention of doing the platinum thing on portraits. At the moment, however, I'm still working with silver until I can master the camera and handling big bits of floppy wet plastic in the dark.

I've started with Fomapan 100 (HP5 which I use for MF is just too expensive to learn on) and, i have to say, I've had no end of trouble with it. Now that's not to say my large format technique is perfect and i've wasted plenty of sheets learning how to close the shutter before pulling the dark slide, or remembering which side of slide I have already exposed. I've also got old kit which is fully uncalibrated (a Schneider convertible from the early seventies).

But, like you, I have been using HC 110 for years, and have used dilution H to try and wring something worthwhile from the Foma. Shooting portraits in the garden, in pretty close to full sun, I could only get a half decent neg when over-exposing by two stops (25 asa) AND over developing by 100% - circa 20 minutes in the soup. My initial thought was that the shutter/aperture were so far off the mark, my exposure readings were close to irrelevant, so I went out and rented two Bowens 500w/s heads so that shutter speed at least was no longer an issue.

But I'm still having to over expose (2 stops) and over develop (100%) to get anything that looks like a passable negative. I have to say, that even at this level of treatment, the negatives still have an overall 'grey' feeling to them, not punchy in the least. I was recently shown some 10x8 negatives on HP5 rated at 800asa and pushed in Rodinol, and they simply sang with contrast and vibrancy. Nothing remotely like what I'm getting.

So where am I going wrong? I'm nearly through a box of 50 sheets and have more portraits of myself than any socially adjusted person ought to have - what is my howling error? ALL thoughts would be gratefully received.
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