Today’s Post by Joe Farace
Joe’s Film Box is different from other subscription boxes because you don’t have to subscribe and it’s free. Each month I’ll select two different rolls of 35mm film from a single dealer/vendor. Since most monthly domestic subscription boxes sell for around $25 plus shipping. My goal is to keep the total film cost around that number.
You can treat Joe’s Film Box like Oprah’s Book Club and purchase the film, shoot it and share your results. I’ll purchase the film and shoot it then have it processed and scanned and write a review about each film stock or include them in a podcast. That way if you haven’t already purchased the film, you can decide if you would like to try one or both of the rolls in Joe’s Film Box…or not.
Here’s what’s in Joe’s Film Box for June
This continues a recent theme of including one black & white and one color negative film. I’ve picked film stock that is typically available from several sources but ordered mine from B&H Photo because, when I ordered, it was the only place where the first film was available at the time:
Lomography’s Lomochrome Metropolis 35mm Film – 36 exp ($13.90) is a multi-speed experimental emulsion. LomoChrome Metropolis features punchy contrast and muted tones with intense color pops. It’s noted for having a “color film noir” look with muted, unsaturated colors with deep shadows and high contrast. It can be rated anywhere between ISO 100 to ISO 400 but based on my experience with Lomo’s Redscale film, I plan to shoot it at ISO 200.
Lomo says their “unique chemical formulas set our LomoChrome color negative films apart” but they are not what is normally considered a “chrome”—aka transparency—film and can be processed in standard C-41 chemistry. Lomo says it’s great for gritty street scenes and punchy portraits” with an “unmistakable aesthetic with characteristic grain.” I haven’t received my film yet, the shipping schedule B&H quoted was the longest of any previous film box order. If I receive the film in time, I plan to shoot Metropolis at the June Cars & Coffee event, like I did with Lomo’s Redscale film.
Fomapan 100 35mm Film – 36 Exposures ($6.29) is a panchromatic black and white negative film that’s manufactured by Foma Bohemia in the Czech Republich. It is known for its low price, classic (and grainy) look, deep shadows, and “temperamental” exposure latitude. It’s a high resolution film for photographers on a budget and “has a charm all its own when it comes to rendering images.” Yet it is said to have a “wide exposure latitude and fine grain.” So it’s grainy” and “has fine grain” and a wide exposure but temperamental latitude. I guess we’ll see about that. The film is available in roll film 120, sheet films, perforated 35mm including long rolls.
My reason for selecting Fomapan 100 is that in my May Film Box I featured Lomography’s Earl Grey black & while film that according to Blue Moon Camera’s website is “possibly the exact same as” Fomapan 100 and Kentmere 100.” So I’ll be shooting Fomapan 100 in June and shooting Kentmere 100 in July and doing a video for my YouTube channel comparing all three films. In the meantime look for a two-part review/field test of Lomography’s Earl Grey on this and my car photography blog.
When I ordered this month’s film from B&H Photo its total cost was $25.19 including DHL shipping. Have you ordered yours yet?
If you would like to send me another kind of film to review or any other stuff that could be used for these posts and my videos you can mail it to: Joe Farace, PO BOX 2081, PARKER, CO 80134