The Kentmere Pan 400 is a black and white film. The film is made by the same manufacturer as the Ilford films. It is a rebranding of the Kentmere 400.
The Kentmere Pan 400 is a classic high sensitivity black and white film that is characterized by its fine grain, good sharpness and pleasant contrast. With a nominal sensitivity of 400 ISO and excellent push properties, this film is one of the most versatile and forgiving options on the market.
Image aesthetics and technical details
The Kentmere Pan 400 delivers classic black and white images with a wide range of tones ideal for darkroom development and scanning. The film is suitable for everyday use and for a variety of subjects and lighting conditions. Its high sensitivity allows shooting in low light conditions or at faster shutter speeds, while the good sharpness ensures detailed results.
The film is manufactured by HARMAN technology, owner of the Kentmere brand, and follows the same quality standards as all ILFORD PHOTO films and papers. Kentmere Pan 400 is panchromatically sensitized and can be processed in a variety of developers using spiral and deep tanks and automatic processors.
Versatile application possibilities
The Kentmere Pan 400 is ideal for photographers new to the world of analog photography or looking for a cost-effective alternative. This film is also an excellent choice for students and budget-conscious photographers. Its wide exposure latitude makes it particularly beginner-friendly and enables satisfactory results even with imperfect exposures.
Film processing of the Pan 400
The Pan 400 is processed using a black and white developer. You can either have this development done at a photo lab or develop it yourself at home with the right equipment. Different developer chemicals have different properties that can affect the look of your photos.
| Developer | Dilution | ISO | Time | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-76 | Stock | ISO 400 | 9:30 min | 20 °C |
| D-76 | 1+1 | ISO 400 | 14 min | 20 °C |
| D-76 | 1+3 | ISO 400 | 28 min | 20 °C |
| ID-11 | Stock | ISO 400 | 9:30 min | 20 °C |
| ID-11 | 1+1 | ISO 400 | 16:30 min | 20 °C |
| ID-11 | 1+3 | ISO 400 | 25:30 min | 20 °C |
| Ilfotec DD-X | 1+4 | ISO 400 | 11:30 min | 20 °C |
| Ilfosol S | 1+9 | ISO 400 | 9 min | 20 °C |
| Ilfosol S | 1+14 | ISO 400 | 12 min | 20 °C |
| Ilfosol 3 | 1+9 | ISO 400 | 6:30 min | 20 °C |
| Ilfosol 3 | 1+14 | ISO 400 | 11 min | 20 °C |
| Ilfotec HC | 1+15 | ISO 400 | 4:30 min | 20 °C |
| Ilfotec HC | 1+31 | ISO 400 | 8 min | 20 °C |
| Microphen | Stock | ISO 400 | 8 min | 20 °C |
| Microphen | 1+1 | ISO 400 | 115 min | 20 °C |
| Rodinal | 1+25 | ISO 400 | 7:30 min | 20 °C |
| Rodinal | 1+50 | ISO 400 | 20 min | 20 °C |
Calculation of the development solution
| Dilution | Developer (ml) | Water (ml) |
|---|---|---|
| Stock | 500 | 0 |
| 1+1 | 250 | 250 |
| 1+3 | 125 | 375 |
| 1+4 | 100 | 400 |
| 1+9 | 50 | 450 |
| 1+14 | 33 | 467 |
| 1+15 | 31 | 469 |
| 1+31 | 16 | 484 |
| 1+25 | 19 | 481 |
| 1+50 | 10 | 490 |
If you can't find specific development times for your film-developer combination, you can use similar films as a reference or experiment. After development you will receive the film strips with your images. You can then either have these printed as prints or scan them for digital use. In addition to developing, most photo labs also offer prints in various sizes.
To use your negatives digitally, you can have them scanned. There are various devices for this, including document scanners. After digitization, you can further edit or print the images.
Available formats
The Kentmere Pan 400 is available as a 35mm film. Depending on the version, a roll of black and white film holds 24 or 36 exposures and the cartridge is equipped with a DX code. The film is also available by the meter.
You currently pay around 5.50 euros for a roll (36 images) in Germany.
There is a large selection of suitable cameras for the 35mm format from various manufacturers such as Lomography, Lomo and Fujifilm. For medium format cameras that can expose film, there are also many models from brands such as Mamiya, Lomography and Pentacon.
For photographers who prefer medium format, the Kentmere Pan 400 is also available as 120 roll film. This offers the same high sensitivity and versatility as the 35mm version, but with the larger recording format for even more detailed images. Here you pay around 7 euros for a roll.
