Since I returned to regular use of film, I have been keen to try different cameras and the films now available. KosmoFoto Mono 100 was a successful experiment and I now use this often. I have tried several films with low ISO, starting with ILFORD Pan F Plus and later their Ortho Plus, both with good results in my Hasselblad 500C/M. I also had a look at Rollei Ortho 25 Plus with less convincing results. I still have a roll in the fridge so will try again.
I recently saw an item online about the Fantôme Kino ISO 8 film from Lomography. How to resist? I bought 5 rolls. The only drawback was that this was 35mm only. I prefer 120 and had not used my 35mm cameras in a while. I keep my gear in a cupboard that protects from humidity. I tried the Mamiya-Sekor DTL1000 first. It produced some good images, but the electric meter is less trustworthy now.
The Nikon F3, that a group of former students (now all with PhDs) bought for me needed new batteries, but performed well. Its lowest setting is ISO 12. After advice from EM, I set the camera with +2 stops to work with the film. I also checked with the shop I use, but they had none of the recommended developers. Kodak D-96 was the closest and I was told they have D-76.
I took most of the first roll in central Bangkok, with a couple on my way to the BTS Skytrainmetro rail system. The 50mm lens the students also bought has a maximum aperture of f/1.4, which seems well suited to this film, but depth of field was affected. The results were mixed, perhaps due to the developer used, but were generally pleasing, giving me a sense of film noir. Contrast is high as expected, but some of the output suggests I need to expose a little more on the high side: time is of the essence. With 36 exposures, I had a few failures but put another roll in the camera right away. I have hopes (slight) that Lomo will come out with a 120 version of this film.
Thanks for reading,
~ Graham
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2 responses to “5 Frames… Of Fantôme Kino ISO 8 with a Nikon F3 (35mm Format / EI 8 / Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AI-S)”
I wonder if this will be a good substitute for TechPan??
Great!
Great Thailand.
Thank you so much.