Ferrania P30 35mm Film - B&W ISO 80
Description
P30 is the first film to emerge from the new life of Film Ferrania! A brand new panchromatic ISO 80 B&W emulsion based on the historic cinema formula from the mid-20th Century. It has gone through extensive original testing and is now ready for the wider world!
Expect rich contrast and detailed highlights for a strong final image - delivered by the high silver content and cinematic heritage. Please note that P30 has a narrower exposure latitude versus many black and white films, so spending time to get an accurate exposure will reap serious rewards.
Specification
| Format: | 35mm |
| Colour: | B&W |
| Type: | Negative |
| ISO: | 80 |
| Exposures: | 36 |
| Pack size: | 1 |
Sample pics in order (c) Andrea Ulivi, Jason Little, Aaron Mitchell, Andrea Ulivi, and Massimiliano Terzi
Best Practices: Shooting and Developing P30
Film Ferrania have compiled their top hints and tips for getting the best out of P30 35mm film in a useful document that is available for free download here: P30 Best Practices
Unboxing Video
About Film Ferrania
The Ferrania brand has a long and illustrious history. Starting life as an explosives factory in the late 19th Century, the Italian plant was turned to producing cinema film in the 1920s. Riding the wave of analogue photography they quickly added consumer formats to their range but kept cinema as their core business.
The commercial success of films shot on Ferrania (including P30!) like the Oscar-winning movie 'Two Women' kept momentum throughout the later part of the 20th Century - with many Italian and European film-makers choosing to shoot with the Italian stock. The company also produced many films and film-chemicals for other brands.
The turn of the century brought the rise of digital and the inevitable pressure on financial security. The plant continued to operate in a reduced capacity until finally closing in 2010....until Nicola Baldini came to visit in 2012 and decided to restart the operation! A 2014 successful Kickstarter followed, along with many years of gathering the team and resources to deliver their goal of 'fundamentally changing the way you buy, use and process film in the 21st Century'.
P30 is now in continuous production, proudly Made In Italy, and is HERE TO STAY!
Read more about Ferrania in our launch blog here
You need to get the exposure right and strong sunlight it struggles with but it is a unique film. Maybe just me but it took a while to get the scan right. It is silky smooth with deep blacks and the silver appearance it is famed for. Its not a film for every day but definitely one to have in the fridge.......
I was excited to try this high silver content, high contrast film, and, in the right conditions, it delivered. Exposure is quite critical and I used a hand held meter, exposing at box speed. I developed it in Ilford DD-X 1:6 dilution for 15 minutes at 20.5 deg C.
Some negs looked really 'rich' whereas others much lighter, but the latter had some detail in the blacks. Difficult to assess the negs prior to scanning. The emulsion is possibly more scratch prone than some, so care in direct contact. It dries reasonably flat.
It gave high contrast which was pleasing with the right sort of images. Definitely better for graphic pictures with bold shapes and composition, less so for general landscape though I have included a couple of those in my samples. Fine grained. Not an everyday film, especially with its low ISO, that requires a tripod all the time on my M3. I have another roll which I will try pulling by 1 stop.
Wow! I had heard great reviews for this film and it did not disappoint. Super contrasty, fine grain, sharp and with a beautiful filmic quality. Everything I was hoping it would be. Will definitely be ordering more.
I think I will have another go at this film.
I think I used it in the wrong light and did not get the best out of it. Very high contrast which is my thing but not convinced. If you want that classic film look this is it.
Obviously, as we all know this film is contrasty. The image here was shot, developed, scanned and posted today. I used Kodak HC110 (B). I didn't even use a filter and still got a big pop on my son's freckles. He actually stood still! Amazing...
