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I would think that most photographers going for the Black and White aesthetic would be using Ilford HP5; cost effective, forgiving and sharp. For myself I ventured out to see what the competition was and my first foray was very hit and miss.
I was certainly drawn to the atmospheric qualities that outline what this film stock is trying to do and admittedly, the subject matter may not have been the best for this. However I pushed on and did get some images that have since had a little work done in Lightroom.
Berlin 400 is not something I would choose over the rounded HP5, based on the subject matter Berlin 400 would be a great film stock for urban environments and not the landscapes I was going for. Despite this, I managed to get some moody images from the rock lined crescent front of the lake which were quite workable.
This film stock needs a good subject matter with lower light levels than I subjected it to. An urban metropolis, alleys or the moody environs of a light starved hotel room beg for this kind of film stock.
Perhaps Berlin Kino 400 is not ideal for what Lomography intended, that classic German cinematic look. Nevertheless, I find it highly suitable for a subject I love, namely abandoned villages. The samples were shot in Hong Kong.
I used this in various light conditions - prefers moderate brightness and contrast and sky starts to look grainy in dark weather. I used a Nikon FE2 and a Nikkor 50mm lens - all processed + scanned by SilverPan and straight out the camera. Overall A film I will use again because it is fairly flexible for subjects + lighting - I probably need to be more familiar with the camera too!
I found this film was consistently soft throughout my roll. More darker shades and tones, lacking contrast and highlights.
I'm afraid I have to echo other reviewers here, and say that my experience with this film is that it is rather dull. Not very contrasty, lots of greys and very visible grain. Honestly I'm a bit disappointed as the grain is rather distracting, and not as nice as Ilford HP5+ which is around the same price. Don't be sucked in by the lovely packaging and homage to New German Cinema as I was! However, maybe you could try being more creative (pushing or pulling the film) as my examples are shot at box speed.
