thawkins
Well-known
How good is Fomopan 100? What are it's strength and weakness? I have used Delta 100 for years and have the itch to try something new. What do you think?
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
I haven't tried Delta 100 (Though I love Delta 400 and 3200), but I have used Fomapan 100.
Fomapan 100 is a beautiful film. It is going to be grainier than Delta 100, but it is not bad. The grain is similar to Ilford FP4. The tone rendering is wonderful, and it is especially nice in images with a lot of dark tones.
I've tried it in D-76 1+1 and PMK, and love the results in both developers. I get a true speed of 100 from it in D-76 1+1, but the speed in PMK is only 40.
I have used it only in the 120 size. The reason I don't use it more often is that the 120 size curls badly when it dries. That is the only downside to it, and that's a big ones for me.
Here's an example:
Fomapan 100, D-76 1+1, 9 minutes at 68 degrees. EI-100
Fomapan 100 is a beautiful film. It is going to be grainier than Delta 100, but it is not bad. The grain is similar to Ilford FP4. The tone rendering is wonderful, and it is especially nice in images with a lot of dark tones.
I've tried it in D-76 1+1 and PMK, and love the results in both developers. I get a true speed of 100 from it in D-76 1+1, but the speed in PMK is only 40.
I have used it only in the 120 size. The reason I don't use it more often is that the 120 size curls badly when it dries. That is the only downside to it, and that's a big ones for me.
Here's an example:
Fomapan 100, D-76 1+1, 9 minutes at 68 degrees. EI-100
flavio81
Well-known
Fomapan 100 has a very different spectral sensitivity. Also, it is a ISO 64-80 film in most developers so if you develop it for EI 100 then the contrast goes up. The conbination of these two factors give the film a "unique" look that you might like.
Consider the Delta 100 the "ultra premiun vanilla icecream" and Fomapan 100 the "homemade dark chocolate icecream".
thawkins
Well-known
I do like dark chocolate in any form!!
flavio81
Well-known
Hahahah...
What i mean is that it's really a "unique" film, its spectral sensitivity is very different to the common films (i.e. FP4, TriX), which gives a very different look.
Regarding your comparison, i love Delta 100, for me it's an excellent "premium general purpose" film which excels at everything. The Fomapan 100 gives a peculiar look that probably would suit certain images better. I have some nice portraits done with Fomapan 100, and then i also have nice portraits done with Delta 100.
For the price Fomapan 100 is an excellent value and you should try it anyways, as well as Fomapan 400.
lawrence
Veteran
An important aspect of Foma 100 is that it doesn't have an anti-halation backing like the Ilford film, which means you can get some beautiful effects when shooting contre-jour due to the way the highlights are rendered. If you like the work of Eugene Atget you owe it to yourself to try it.
flavio81
Well-known
This is not fully correct. Fomapan 100 does have anti-halation features built into the film like any modern film, just slightly less powerful so you may get the effect you mention. In medium format Fomapan 100 looked as any other modern film regarding anti-halation properties.
Fomapan 400 in particular has low anti-halation power so more suited to that task.
The film without anti-halation mechanisms is Seagull 100, made in China.
Jake Mongey
Well-known
In my experience I have hated the Foma films, but the ilford films have all been great! Then again from what ive heard the foma films are good with filters whereas, i have onlyu used them with no filter. Meanwhile ilford films are good on their own
michaelwj
----------------
They're totally different technologies, Delta being very modern while Foma is old school. I like the Foma films, I find the Delta (and Tmax) films to be boring, I almost feel I might as well shoot digital.
Larry H-L
Well-known
Foma 100 requires less development time than most other traditional b&w film brands in my experience. I really fried my first few 5x7 sheets. But the results were decent once devo times were adjusted.