Kentmere Pan400 is a great emulsion for people trying 120 film photography for the first time. The soft backing allows for easy scanning, the images will have medium contrast and fine grain, and its mid-speed rating means it can be used in a variety of lighting situations.
Rated ISO 400 with excellent push characteristics, Kentmere Pan 400 film is one of the most versatile and forgiving black & white films on the market. Ideal for ‘everyday’ use, and suitable for a wide variety of subjects and lighting conditions, the resulting negatives capture a broad range of tones and are perfect for both darkroom printing and scanning.
Drawing many attributes from ILFORD stocks such as HP5, Kentmere Pan 400’s price point, coupled with its wide and forgiving exposure latitude, make it an ideal film for those new or returning to film photography as well as students and budget conscious photographers.
For loads more information (and sample photos) check out the video on Kentmere 400 below! Based on Kentmere Pan400 35mm, but the points all apply to Kentmere in medium format 😊
Kentmere was a small black-and-white film manufacturer based in the Lake District for many years. It was acquired by Ilford's parent company in 2007, who consolidated production in their Mobberley plant. The brand exists as a more-affordable alternative to Ilford, with the same quality and consistency of production but with savings made in the emulsion chemicals.
Sample Photos (c) Craig Fleming and Matt Parry
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Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Beginners, Landscapes, Street Photography, Architecture, Creative/Abstract, Travel
Accreditation Handles:Keith "Tank" Sharples
Fit for Royalty
I shot my latest roll of Kentmere 400 at the Sandringham Royal Estate in Norfolk. It was a bright spring afternoon..just right to bring the best out of this film, that I developed in HC110 (1+49) for 9 mins 10 seconds at 20°C. The results speak for themselves.....
I used Kentmere 400 to test an old folding camera I bought and it gave me decent results, despite the light leaks the camera suffered with. The contrast is great and, once I get the leaks figured out, I know I can use Kentmere 400 in it again and get even better photos. For the price I'm not going to complain about "wasting" a roll on an unknown camera. I know what to do to fix it thanks to cheap and cheerful Kentmere 400.
T
Toby W. (Coventry, GB)
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Beginners
Accreditation Handles:@tobywardphoto (instagram)
Much better in 120 than in 35mm!
The grain is barely noticeable once you get into 120, and that really helps you appreciate the more panchromatic emulsion that Kentmere 400 offers compared to other Ilford films. Will definitely use more of in the future!
Perfect for:Great All-Rounder, Beginners, Portraits, Landscapes, Street Photography, Pinhole/Long-Exposure, Architecture, Creative/Abstract, Travel, Studio work, Low light/Night
Accreditation Handles:John J
Super versatile, can be shot from 200 to 3200 ISO
I love Kentmere 400. Due to its easy availability and wallet-friendly price, I shoot it almost exclusively. And this is an excellent film stock.
I shot it successfully at ISO 200, 400, 800 and 3200. It works well with almost all developers out there and depending on what you shoot and how you develop your film, you can get a lot of different looks from this film. Want more contrast? Push it. Less grain? Shoot at ISO 200.
Overall this is the best value B&W film out there and I love it. Thanks Ilford for keeping the prices low!