120 Fomapan 100 Film – Hasselblad Portraits
A short review to show why my most used black and white film for medium format cameras is 120 Fomapan 100! It gets bad reviews but that doesn’t mean Fomapan 100 is a bad film. It has been great for me
120 Fomapan 100
120 Fomapan 100 Film – About
Fomapan 100 Classic is a traditional panchromatically sensitized black and white negative film made in the Czech Republic. To my eyes it is as sharp as B&W films from Kodak such as T-Max but had a more classic grain structure more similar to Ilford FP4+ or perhaps Kodak Tri-X. Again from my experience, Fomapan 100 prroduces low contrast negatives in normal lighting conditions. Some of my Fomapan 100 photos are higher contrast due to developing or lighting used.
120 Fomapan 100 – My most used film!
Fomapan 100 film is my current favourite / best value for money black and white film in 120 format. I enjoy using various B&W films from the likes of Kodak, Ilford and Fuji but Fomapan manage to price their film below the competition and the results are actually quite nice.
120 Fomapan 100 – Cost
I pay around £3 a roll for 120 Fomapan 100 film and the next cheapest would be I think £4 a roll for the likes of Ilford FP4+, Ilford HP5+, then Kodak Tri-X 400, Kodak T-Max 100 & 400 and Fuji Acros 100 and then £5 for Ilford Delta 100 and 400. I try to find the lowest prices!
Fomapan 100 can be shot at ISo 50- ISO 400 on the same roll!
What I like a lot about Fomapan 100 is I can shoot it at ISO 50-400 and develop it at box speed. This may be true for other films but I have not noticed it. For medium format film photography shooting in available light ISO 400 is normally the go to film speed for me in the UK. In the studio I shoot ISO 100 films more. Fomapan gives me both. For ISO 800 exposures I would rather shoot Kodak Tri-X 400 or T-Max 400 films and push them
one stop in developing.
Fomapan vs Other B&W films
I constantly swing between the different film stocks trying to find a favourite but as yet there is no clear winner. Kodak Tri-X has some of the nicest tones and Kodak T-Max also. Ilford Delta 100 and Pan F 50 are among the sharpest films I have used and can look almost digital in 120 format. I would say I prefer Fuji Acros to T-Max 100 especially for portraits but both can create nice images. At this stage I prefer Kodak Tri-X to HP5 for the tones and overall look of the pictures.
120 Fomapan 100 in the Hasselblad!
Since getting my Hasselblad 501C I have been shooting much more medium format film and 35mm film is currently on hold! Here are some examples of me shooting 120 Fomapan 100 film.
Hasselblad Film Portraits
Firstly a sneak peek from Poland! Full post to follow.. 🙂
Next, more 120 Fomapan 100 film portraits shot in the UK
Fomapan 100 Film – 35mm, 120 and 4×5
In addition to 120 Fomapan 100 I also use 35mm & 4×5 versions. 35mm Fomapan 100 in my Leica film cameras which I bulk load and buy on a roll. For large format photography I use Fomapan 100 4×5 sheet film in my 4×5 cameras – Intrepid, Sinar F2 and Pacemaker Speedgraphic. I will have to share results of those films soon!
Cheaper than a Hasselblad?
Fomapan 100 in the ARAX-CM (Kiev 88)
More Film Stock Reviews
- How to Process Film through to Digital (Develop, Scan, Edit)
- Rollei Retro 80s Film
- 35mm Rollei Retro 400S Film
- 35mm Ilford FP4+ 125 Film (2)
- Kodak Tri-X Film
- Kodak T-Max 100 Film
- Expired Ilford Delta 400 Film
You may also like… What Gear I Use for Portraits!
- See full details of my portrait photography lighting kit – HERE
- See full details of my portrait photography equipment kit – HERE
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beautiful results
Thanks Victor.. the post to follow from Poland shows different B&W films side by side so should be nice. Soon!
You make one of my least favorite film look good .
Haha thanks Dehk 🙂
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You take stunning portraits Matt, indeed. I really like foma 100 as well but I have been unlucky with it if pushing to 400 in xtol 1+1.
I have noted many of the different developing recipes that you have mentioned on Flickr in your posts and I see they are very different from one another. Can you explain how you use this film at higher than box speed, how you meter on your subjects and how you choose your development time, temperature, dilution and combination with rodinal (2.5, 5 and 10 ml)? A video on the subject would be very instructive. Thank you!
Hi Nicolo, good to hear from you. I have done a video on developing on Patreon plus editing tops etc and a scanning video I keep promising on there. On YouTube people seem to want mostly reviews so I put all the other videos direct to Patreon. I don’t follow guides for my developing, I just do it by feel. Add more time if at 400 and even more if at 800, If want more contrast agitate more, if want less do the opposite. I use mostly 1:3 or 1:4 diliutions. + usually with + 2.5ml Rodinal if want added sharpness.. is the idea.