Month: August 2020

Monochrome Monday… Mercia Marina on Kentmere Pan 400

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From Friday’s film disappointment (Foma Retropan 320) to a film I’m really beginning to love… Kentmere Pan 400.

Mercia Marina, January 2020Mercia Marina, January 2020
Nikon FE, Zoom-NIKKOR 43˜86mm f/3.5 AI at 43mm, 1/250s, f8½ – Kentmere 400
Developed in Ilford DDX at 1:4, 11½ mins at 20°c.

Mercia Marina (off the Trent & Mersey Canal in South Derbyshire) is an odd mix of old boats and new buildings and it made for an interesting ‘Photography Friday’ outing back in January.

I was testing a (new to me) Nikon FE and shooting an inexpensive black & white film made sense as I’d just started home developing again.

Kentmere Pan 400 is certainly more contrasty than the Retropan and whilst still grainy, it’s a more ‘crisp’ grain that I rather like.

I’ve just bought some Kentmere Pan 100… let’s see what that’s like?

Single frame… Chimneys, Long Eaton

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Chimneys, Long Eaton, April 2019Chimneys, Long Eaton, April 2019
Olympus OM-20, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8, 1/250s, f11 – Foma Retropan 320
Developed in Ilford DDX at 1:4, 10 mins at 20°c.

It’s taken me over a year to finish this roll of Foma Retropan 320 and although the results are better than the roll I shot in Norfolk last year (in the then on loan Fujica GW 690) I still don’t think I’ll be rushing to buy any more…

This roll only had one damaged frame but the lack of contrast and ‘fluffy’ grain still aren’t to my taste. If anyone has any tips for exposing and/or developing this film to get the best out of it then please let me know…

Throwback Thursday… Royal Albert Bridge, August 2014

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Royal Albert Bridge, August 2014Royal Albert Bridge, August 2014
Fujifilm X20, Fujinon Super EBC 7.1-28.4mm f2~2.8 at 12.7mm, 1/280s, f8, ISO 100

What was I photographing on this day in previous years?

Six years ago I was travelling from Liskeard to Exeter by train and couldn’t resist poking the lens of my Fujifilm X20 out of an open window to capture the Royal Albert Bridge.

The bridge spans the River Tamar and also the border between Cornwall and Devon. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, construction commenced in 1854 with the bridge opening on 2 May 1859.

For the rail enthusiasts amongst you the train was ‘The Royal Duchy’, the 14.00 First Great Western service from Penzance to London Paddington, powered by High Speed Train power cars 43151 and 43195.

Single frame… Peacock butterfly (Inachis io)

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Peacock butterfly (Inachis io)Peacock butterfly (Inachis io)
Fujifilm X-T2, Fujinon XF 55-200mm f3.5~4.8 R LM OIS at 200mm + Fujifilm MCEX-11 Extension Tube, 1/250s, f8, ISO 800

A rescheduled ‘Photography Friday’ outing this week saw Rachel and I exploring a local nature reserve on Wednesday…

Apart from a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) the only visible wildlife was butterflies and I spent quite a bit of time photographing them.

This Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) was captured with the aid of an 11mm extension tube placed between camera and lens, allowing the XF 55-200mm lens to focus much closer than its normal 1.1m whilst maintaining both auto-exposure and autofocus functions, it’s an accessory I find myself using more and more.