Fomapan 400 in 35mm is known for the classic, bold grain, which can give photos a vintage feel. While some photographers love it for these qualities, others see it as nothing more than a cheap test roll for trying out a new camera. In this post, I’ll share my experience from shooting and developing over 15 rolls of Fomapan 400 in 35mm, and what I’ve learned about getting the best results from it.
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When I developed my first roll of film at a drugstore, I received both printed photos and a CD with digital scans of my images. While the prints turned out beautifully, the scans’ quality was awful: low resolution, and the colors were off. They charged me extra for those ugly scans. Shortly after buying my first non-disposable film camera, I ordered a dedicated film scanner, an Epson V600. Luckily, I received a faulty unit and was able to return it within a week, as I didn’t like it at all. Being a flatbed scanner, its optical resolution isn’t high enough for 35mm film. While it might work well with 120 film, the 35mm images came out soft and lacked details. Additionally, the scanner is huge, taking up about a quarter of my desk.
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While I always go to a concert if a band that I like is in town, I’m also happy to check out how my friends play when they invite me. Not long after getting the X-Pro 3 with a little 23mm F2 lens, a friend of mine invited me to a gig of the band he joined. I thought that it would be cool to document this event, despite them playing in a small bar that fits only about 40 people.
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Back in 2020, during the pandemic, I learned about Mortimer (keirinberlin), who travels around the world on a fixed-gear bike, documenting his journey with a film camera. Some of his photos were taken on disposable cameras. Until then, I hadn’t realized that disposable cameras were still a thing. I went to a drugstore and bought a Kodak disposable camera to give it a try. It was my first time shooting film. I was impressed by the prints I received, especially considering they came from a 10-euro camera with a plastic lens. Curious about analog photography, I started reading about different types of cameras and discovered rangefinders. Their compact size and unique focusing technique intrigued me. After some research, I purchased an Olympus 35RC on eBay. Unfortunately, it arrived with a smudge on the lens, but aside from that, it was in fully working condition. I shot a couple of rolls with it, but whenever the sun was bright, the smudge caused a dark spot on the photos. After unsuccessfully trying to clean it, I decided to order another camera, its big brother, the Olympus 35SP.
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