Just got done shooting a roll of Ilford Pan F Plus 50. This film can be a bit contrasty, so development has to be adjusted depending on use. For portraiture, the contrast has to be tamed a bit, as well as the grain (even for an ISO 50 film). That means Xtol, HC110 or Rodinal stand among other options.
I went with Rodinal 1:100 stand, one hour at 20ºC. I kept the tank semi-submerged in cold water to maintain the temperature. I did this to avoid the gradient you sometimes get when developing via stand. The following shot was done handheld at f/2, I believe at 1/30. Canon EOS 1V-HS and Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens.
love this - great shot. I've had a roll of pan f waiting for awhile but not loaded it yet.
Thank you! You should definitely try it.
any tips on how to shoot it? I've got a olympus OM10, what sort of lighting etc do you need for it? I've never shot as low an ISO film before...
I tool a risk shooting this with very little light, but normally you should try to get as much light as possible. Make sure you meter properly. In full daylight outdoors you're looking at 1/60 at f/16 as a starting point (Sunny 16 rule), so if you're doing landscapes, bring a tripod.
It's a slow film, but not as slow as shooting Adox CMS II 20. Fast glass for most shooting situations is recommended. I didn't use filters because this film is sufficiently contrasty, unless you're going for that kind of look. Go for the slowest developing time with the chemistry you have.
Nice shot! I love pan F 50 and that contrast although I've never tried it in 35mm only in 120, and with ilfosol 3 or D-76.
Thank you! I have a Yashica Mat-124G 6x6 loaded with Pan F 50 waiting for a shoot.