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Film and Darkroom

163 Stories, Experiments, Workflows, Reviews

Ilford Delta 100 Film Review
Smooth or Crispy, Edited or Plain, It Works Exceptionally Well
October 8, 2026
Ilford Delta 100 is a high-resolution medium-speed black-and-white film that features tabular grain in its emulsion (a Core-Shell™ technology). Launched in 1992, it was the response to Kodak’s T-Max film series and the tech that promised more detail without having to resort to slow ISO values. In this review, I’ll explain what tabular grain is and why it’s important for films like Delta 100, talk about this film’s key properties, such as resolution and dynamic range, share lots of samples, explain why I like working with this particular film in challenging lighting conditions, and offer tips to avoid mistakes I made while shooting it over the past six years.
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Ilford Delta 3200 Review
A Long-Term Review With Tons of Samples, and Developer Tests
September 17, 2026
This film can look very different, depending on how or what you develop it with. I spent six years and countless rolls with this emulsion as a go-to. In this in-depth review, I share samples developed in various recipes and discuss what makes this film shine, as well as its weak points.
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Lucky C400 Colour-Negative Film Review
Read This to Avoid Immense Disappointment
September 10, 2026
Lucky C400 is a highly anticipated follow-up to the successful launch of China’s first colour-negative film in over a decade. However, this film is neither what it promised to be nor what many would have expected. In this in-depth film review, I test several rolls with a variety of development processes (C-41, C-41 stand, ECN-2) and various lens filters to find a technique that fixes the weird yellow, green, and blue colour casts.
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Fujifilm Fujicolor 100 (Japan Only) Colour-Negative Film Review
Outstanding Grain & Colour Stability
August 31, 2026
Fujifilm Fujicolor 100 is made in Japan — but this film is not available anywhere else in the world, unless you’re willing to import it. This is not a respool of any Kodak film: it looks unlike anything made in the ‘States — I’ve checked ! — and the edge markings on this inconspicuous roll, when developed, bear unmistakable Fujifilm design and typography. In this review, I’ll explain why you may want to pay a little extra to try this film or pick up a roll at a good price if you see one.
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Comparing All (7) ISO 100 Colour-Negative Films
Aerocolor, Fuji (JP), Ektacolor Pro, Ektar, Kodacolor, Pro Image, Lomo
August 18, 2026
This article systematically compares seven ISO 100 colour-negative films, which should cover all fresh film manufactured today. Did you know that Fujifilm still makes Fujicolor 100 in Japan? — I’ve imported a roll just to compare it to the Kodak-made films, including Aerocolor (sold under various names), Ektar, Ektacolor Pro (formerly Portra 160), Kodacolor, Pro Image, and Lomography’s Color Negative. This comparison is the most rigorous and comprehensive study of the ISO 100 films, with full control over development, scanning, inversion, and numerous visualizations that highlight even the slightest differences with minimal or no bias.
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Kodak High-Speed Infrared Film User Guide & Review
It’s Grainy, It’s Expired, and It’s EXTREMELY SENSITIVE ⚠️
August 11, 2026
Kodak High-Speed Infrared Film (HIE) is a discontinued & expired film known for its extreme infrared sensitivity — up to 900nm! A specialist, expired ultra-sensitive infrared film, Kodak HIE, requires more consideration and preparation than other films, including IR. In this guide and review, I’ll cover the precautions, tools needed, metering, and whether this film is worth the money for your next project.
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38 Things I Learned From a Roll of Rollei Infrared
Discovery Through Self-Critique
July 31, 2026
Join me as I examine this roll in its entirety and discuss my mistakes and successes within each frame (along with a few new things I’ve learned about the nuances of shooting infrared film)!
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Optik Oldschool SantaColor 800 Film Review
Christmas in July?
July 21, 2026
Optik Oldschool SantaColor 800 is a new high-speed colour-negative film, sold in delightful packaging. In this review, I present my version of why the name, share lots of samples and technical data, compare SantaColor 800 with other films in its range, and briefly discuss its origins.
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What Happens if You Shake a Polaroid Picture?
An Experiment 🎞️
July 16, 2026
Polaroid says don’t — many people do. Yet until now, no one has run an experiment to show exactly what happens when you “shake a Polaroid picture.”In this article, I’m correcting this record: I sacrificed a pack of Polaroid integrated film, Polaroid Go, and Instax Mini to show you what would happen to the same picture — shaken vs. not shaken. I’ll also talk about why we do it and why it may still be OK to do today, despite Polaroid’s pleas not to.
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Kodak FunSaver ISO 800 Colour-Negative Film Review
How Good Is This Cheap Disposable Camera Film?
June 12, 2026
Kodak FunSaver is a common disposable camera from a familiar brand. In this article, I’ll review the core reason these bits of funky plastic cost so much — the film. I’ll also discuss whether the ISO 800 colour-negative film inside FunSavers is worth extracting for daily use in a nicer camera (which is what I did: shot in Nikon F2 + Nikon AI-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8).
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Kodak Pro Image 100 Pulled -1 Stop, Overexposed +1
With Snapic A1
June 10, 2026
I’m never shy about praising Kodak Pro Image 100. This film is an underrated emulsion with impressive climate stability and colours akin to the premium Portra / Ektacolor Pro films — but much easier to scan. Pull-processing can extend the exposure latitude and make images appear smoother and more detailed. I decided to combine pull processing (-1 stop, from the box speed of ISO 100 to EI 50) with overexposure.
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Rollei Infrared Film Review
Samples, Tips, and a Short Guide on How to Shoot This Film for Best Results
June 9, 2026
Rollei Infrared ISO 400 film can create a range of looks, from medium-speed, medium-contrast black-and-white exposures to surreal scenes with glowing foliage. In this review, I’ll briefly explain the basics of infrared photography and the requirements for shooting this film, list the technical specifications, share my opinion on the overall quality, and offer tips for better results.
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Candido 800 Colour Negative Film Review
June 1, 2026
Candido 800 Colour Negative Film is a new, affordable high-speed colour-negative film product from a UK brand — available worldwide In this review, I’ll talk about the advantages and the drawbacks of this new film, share my insights on how to make the best of it, and give you my thoughts on whether it’s worth the price — along with lots of samples in both tricky and basic lighting.
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Shooting Fujifilm Fujicolor 800 QuickSnap Camera Film
Extracted and Exposed in a Much Nicer Camera
May 24, 2026
In this article, I’ll show you how I took this twenty-year-old disposable camera apart, recycled its components, and the photos I got on the very expired Fujifilm Fujicolor QuickSnap 800 film.
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Polaroid Reclaimed Purple 600 Film Review
Review, Shooting Tips, the Original Blue Comarison, and How to "Make" One Yourself
May 19, 2026
Polaroid Reclaimed Purple 600 is an instant film made with “leftover” materials to produce a truly unique look — this time with added Acid Red dye. The film’s purple colour effect is both creatively and technically fascinating — I’ve enjoyed shooting it — but there are some things you should know before you expose your limited-edition frames. Read on for my detailed overview of these stark new Polaroid frames, samples, a few extras (including that one time I created a similar purple effect accidentally on Instax Square), and tips for getting better exposures.
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Comparing All (8) ISO 800 Colour-Negative Films
Amber, Candido, CineStill, FunSaver, Lomo, Portra/Ektacolor Pro, QuickSnap, SantaColor
May 14, 2026
Just one factory in the entire world makes ISO 800 colour-negative film: Kodak. Yet you can find it in many types of packaging, sold at various price points. This article compares eight of the most popular brands, including rolls in disposable cameras, to see if there’s a difference.
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Fujifilm Superia Premium 400 Film Review
A Rare & Wonderful Made-in-Japan Colour-Negative Film — Still in Production!
May 12, 2026
Fujifilm Superia Premium 400 is one of the last colour-negative films still manufactured by Fujifilm in Japan. In this article, I’ll reveal the colours, contrast, and resolution properties of this elusive emulsion and answer the question I had looking at my eBay total: Is it worth importing from Japan?
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Harman Switch Azure Film Review
Blue Halation
April 10, 2026
Harman Switch Azure 125 is a colour-negative film with reversed blue and red channels. In this review, I’ll demystify this film’s properties and origins, share lots of high-res samples, and offer a few tips for making better photos.
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Harman Switch Azure vs. Lomochrome Turquoise
March 12, 2026
Harman Switch Azure and Lomography Lomochrome Turquoise photographic effect films switch blue and red colours, making faces appear blue and skies orange while keeping greens green. Up until last week , Lomography was the only maker of this type of product. But a few days prior, leaked photos of Switch Azure made a few readers and me wonder if Lomochrome Turquoise will finally have an alternative. And so as soon as it dropped, I ordered a few rolls and focused on the shiny new thing for the entirety of the past few days. In this article, I will compare both films in my small home studio using a daylight-balanced light, a calibrated colour chart, and a few props. These films look very different — and one of them is much harder to use than the other. Can you tell which is which?
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Kentmere Pan 200 Film Review
Possibly the Best Everyday Black-and-White Film
February 23, 2026
Kentmere Pan 200 is a new medium-speed black-and-white film from the same company that makes Ilford and Harman¹ photochemical products. Wherever it’s found, this film is one of the cheapest options. In this review, I share my *corrected development times for Rodinal*, along with the technical overview of dynamic range, resolution, tonality, scanning, and more. Lastly, I’ll explain why there’s little reason to pay more for anything other than Kentmere Pan 200.
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