Foma 8x10

[rich caramadre]

Anyone using Foma 8x10 film? I'm looking for a new film since t-max is gone. I have tried illford and just don't like the look I get with it. I see freestyle has Foma in 100 and 400, and Fotokemika Kfke 100. Any thoughs on these films? I shoot only outdoors, natural light, landscape type images. Thanks. Rich

[Jim Noel]

I use Foma, Arista EDU Ultra, FP4+ and HP5+ depending on the subject matter and image desired.
How do you print? If you make platinum or palladium prints you are going to have to do some extensive testing with developers to find one which will produce sufficient HL density. If you make salt or carbon prints Foma will not produce sufficient HL density in any developer I have tried.

If you make silver gelatin prints, you may like Foma. It will not produce the same image as T-Max because the crystal structure is different and the characteristic curve is significantly different. It, as well as FP4+, will produce better separation in the mid-tones than T-Max.

[jp]

I use Foma 100 in 8x10. You see lots of fomapan100 landscape stuff here if you check the image sharing forum, especially the waters edge. I use TMY2 in the other formats (35,120,4x5) and have some TMY2 8x10 in the freezer and on order with Canham for after the foma gets used up. I have no problem with Fomapan 100, but I am more apt to get the results I want by minimizing the film variety.

I only contact print or scan 8x10 negatives. I shoot fomapan 100 at iso 64 and develop in PMK or Xtol 1+2 depending on the scene and the desired outcome. The foma makes awesome silver contact prints and can make awesome cyanotypes depending on the subject. Ilford can make nice results too, but you can't cross it off till you've tried it with multiple developers.

[Michael Kadillak]

I'm looking for a new film since t-max is gone. Rich

T Max is not gone. It is alive and doing exceptionally well. Unfortunately, if you missed the 8x10 TMY Special Order from KB Canham that was discussed extensively here in the weeks past you will have to wait until the end of the year for the next offering. We are working on ULF in TMY as we speak.

[Jiri Vasina]

I use Fomapan 100 in 13x18cm size, and find it to be a very good film. Nice separation in the midtones, good tonality, negligible grain (I develop in Rodinal). It has bad reciprocity failure (kicking in at a mere 1s of exposure), but it's tolerable. I expose at EI 64, and am going to try exposing at EI 50.

I haven't used the Foma 400 in sheets, only in rolls. And I did not like it at all. But personal experience may differ...

Jiri

[rich caramadre]

Jim, I only pint on silver gelatin paper. Contacts or enlarge on to 11x14 paper. You say it has good mid-toes. What about the shadow detial? I've been shoting some tri-x 320 and it has a longish toe, so I need to give a bit more exposure. I really like the shadow detail I get with tmax 100, and the 400 has been quite good also. Maybe I should that I develope my negs in D76 1:1.
Thanks everyone for your input. I know this is a very subjective topic. But it helps to get others input to figure out a starting point.

Rich

[Vlad Soare]

Shadow detail is a matter of exposure. Rate it at ASA 50 and you'll get plenty of shadow detail.
Keep in mind that in 8x10" you'll probably use small apertures, which means that at ASA 50 your metered exposure times will be seconds and will become minutes after you account for the reciprocity failure. And correcting for reciprocity failure will make its inherently high contrast go even higher.
I used to like Fomapan 100 a lot, and I still do. It's great for its price, very consistent from batch to batch, no manufacturing defects. But in 4x5", where apertures of f/22-f/32 were the rule rather than the exception, its low speed and awful reciprocity behaviour made me switch to TMY. In 8x10", where f/64 is not uncommon, I expect the problem to be worse. I still use Fomapan 100 from time to time in medium format, because in medium format I shoot at larger apertures, so the speed and Schwarzshild effect are non-issues.

It's a good film. If price is an issue for you, then by all means give Foma a try.

[Michael Kadillak]

I use Fomapan 100 in 13x18cm size, and find it to be a very good film. Nice separation in the midtones, good tonality, negligible grain (I develop in Rodinal). It has bad reciprocity failure (kicking in at a mere 1s of exposure), but it's tolerable. I expose at EI 64, and am going to try exposing at EI 50.

I haven't used the Foma 400 in sheets, only in rolls. And I did not like it at all. But personal experience may differ...

Jiri

Can you comment on the quality control you have experienced with Foma 100 Jiri? Have you found it to not have any emulsion defects or other manufacturing issues that would cause a photographer to expose another sheet just to "be sure"?

Do you know if Foma 100 come in sizes larger than 8x10 such as 11x14 and 8x20?

Thanks

[cdholden]

Can you comment on the quality control you have experienced with Foma 100 Jiri? Have you found it to not have any emulsion defects or other manufacturing issues that would cause a photographer to expose another sheet just to "be sure"?

Do you know if Foma 100 come in sizes larger than 8x10 such as 11x14 and 8x20?

Thanks

Michael,
Yes. In larger sizes, it was rebadged as Wephota last I knew. Wephota specialized in cutting, not manufacturing.
For awhile Geert was selling sheets in various sizes up to ULF (16x20 or 20x24, I forget). I got some 7x17 when it was available, but they also did 8x20/12x20... not sure if they still do though. I know sheetfilm.be hasn't been selling it for some time now.
Chris

[Michael Graves]

I use Fomapan 100 in 13x18cm size, and find it to be a very good film. Nice separation in the midtones, good tonality, negligible grain (I develop in Rodinal). It has bad reciprocity failure (kicking in at a mere 1s of exposure), but it's tolerable. I expose at EI 64, and am going to try exposing at EI 50.

I haven't used the Foma 400 in sheets, only in rolls. And I did not like it at all. But personal experience may differ...

Jiri

Jiri's experience mirrors mine identically. I acquired a collection of 13x18 holders and Freestyle was able to get a few boxes of Foma 100 for me. I'm finding I like that film better than my old standby HP5 if I have the light for it. At this time, I'm still taking 5x7 in HP5 and Foma in 13x18 and shooting whatever the subject dictates.

Foma roll film was inexcusably bad. A minor change in developing time skewed contrast, the film curls up into tight little coils when dry and it's a bitch to print. I gave away about fifteen rolls of it just to get it out of my hair. But when I run out of the sheet film, I'll order another few boxes if it's still possible.