Kentmere and I – Musings on recent film choices

Firstly the cover shot. Having picked up on a comment recently, the cover shot was also on film. A Voigtlander Vito B and a roll of Kodak Gold that had just come out of two other cameras. Ten frames in each, but that’ll be the subject of another article.

Bemuses my partner

There are ‘go to’ suppliers I use for film, but until recently, there hasn’t been a ‘go to’ monochrome film particularly. I buy small amounts of film with a frequency that bemuses my partner and ought to alarm the bank. Some films will be for testing a camera, some films because they were mentioned here on 35mmc and very occasionally something purchased with a particular project in mind.

Planning a shoot is of course the right thing to do, however, often I don’t, do you? Between weather and work, time and light are often very limited. The net effect is that a good all round film, in a camera that can travel with me, is often the necessity.

Testing cameras

Harman’s Kentmere Pan 100 and 400 tend to be some of the least expensive options with suppliers I use and for testing a camera, that has to be a consideration. Initially only purchasing Kentmere for function tests, I perhaps wasn’t giving these films a fair chance. Some of the cameras the Kentmere products went in, were indeed a let down and some certainly were not. Testing a camera often meant pointing it at some scenes, in almost any conditions and getting the film processed as soon as possible.  This would often be driven by the irrational desire to get the camera sold quickly. Actually, probably not irrational; it would often be to make space for an another new arrival. All this is far from ideal for seeing what a film can do.

Typical of my Kentmere film use, was a messy looking shutter curtain repair on a Fed 5. Everything seemed to function well before the first roll of Kentmere went in. Had I bothered to take the lens off and shine a torch with the back open, I would have seen the tea strainer effect in the middle of the curtain. Some gentle application of Liquid Electrical Tape later and then a second roll of Kentmere 400. The results were better than expected; the Fed stayed as its not worth much and being able to adjust the viewfinder to my eye sight is a plus, even if the adjusting ring is designed to cut eyelids. Very dubious about calling the Fed ‘the Soviet Leica’, but it’s as close as I’ll ever get to the big L.

Open fridge door, choose film

Preparing for a rare few hours out with the Mamiya C220 saw my usual routine; open fridge door,  choose a film. There was a roll of Kentmere 100 that had been intended for a Minolta Autocord, still waiting to be fixed. If you aren’t familiar with Kentmere 100, this film is a panchromatic monochrome (sensitive across a wide part of the spectrum).  Many years ago, before the digital revolution, I occasionally passed the Ilford factory in Mobberley, Cheshire.  Harman acquired the site and manufacture their films there. A tenuous link, but I also originate from Cheshire, so somehow there is a kind of affinity with Ilford and Harman films.

The Mamiya back swung open, empty reel transferred to the top and the Kentmere roll clicked into place in the bottom. Any film is a pleasure to load in the Mamiya; it just works without any fuss. So off we went the Mamiya and I and soon after, that roll was processed in Xtol at stock. There were a couple of frames I quite liked.

What sort of guy does that?

Some more Kentmere 100 duly arrived from a supplier and the chunky TLR didn’t get a rest. What sort of guy goes to work and takes a Mamiya C220, 3 lenses, a parallax converter, cable release and a tripod? My lovely partner teases me about it frequently. On the way back from work one evening, I took a quick detour. Driving to a remote beach and managing to catch some quite nice light with no one else around. That was another roll done in about three days and once again, more images that I found quite pleasing.

Feeling adventurous

After the next two, the batch of Xtol was finished. Feeling adventurous, semi stand developing in 510 Pyro seemed like a good idea.  Well, it was and it wasn’t. The outcome seemed to be good sharpness, but some muddy shadows. I had pushed the time a little further than the recipe, but maybe it needed more. Time to experiment with a variety of developers.

Kentmere stands up well

Film costs to have to be considered and Kentmere stands up well in this regard. There are films that many would consider superior of course. For me, something about Kentmere 100 just works and it’s not just in the 120 format that it is easy to get on with. I have bracketed a small number of shots where I might have been more reluctant with a more costly film. A frame that wasn’t good, isn’t somehow quite so upsetting. Say for example, someone forgets to make the parallax adjustment before pressing the shutter release; not saying I would, but it could happen.

The Mobberley factory

Much of the Mobberley factory’s output can be rewarding. A stable with names such as Ilford FP4, HP5, Pan F, Ortho and the Deltas is quite something. There are at least three other assorted Ilford 120 rolls waiting in my fridge at the time of writing. Fomapan also has monochrome fridge space, and in fact I have got to try to love it, as there is a second box of their 5×4 sheet sat chilling.

Sometimes Kentmere 100 has cost a few pennies more than the Fomapan 100, though recently that price relationship seems to have reversed.  Kentmere goes into a Paterson reel easily, where sometimes I find Fomapan just seems a little thin for getting started smoothly. Ham-fisted on my part clearly. I seem to be clumsy when it comes in the plastic Fomapan 35mm cassettes too. Then there’s flatness. Maybe it’s just the conditions in my bathroom, but in both 35mm and 120, the Kentmere dries reasonably well without curling like an 80s perm. That in turn leads to easier scanning.

Earned a place

Conditioning through regular use is probably what has been going on. Perhaps getting to know a less than perfect film well, might be more beneficial than the occasional use of a ‘superior’ product. Knowing what a film can handle through your own trial and error I suppose.

Regularly using a film with a noticeable edge over the Kentmere, would be rewarding, but some of those films just aren’t always in stock. Kentmere Pan 100 always seems to be available and that is an important consideration for me. Perhaps better to have the Kentmere in a camera ready to go, than waiting for something more exotic to show in stock. Dabbling in more specialised films isn’t something I want to give up, but Kentmere has earned a place at the core of my monochrome stock in the fridge. There will be another order soon.

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