Ferrania P30 developed in Kodak HC-110, dilution E. In the sun (low sun).
Ferrania P30 was the favorite film stock of Frederico Fellini and other world renown filmmakers. Now an Italian start-up has recommenced the production of P30 under the original name - and also in the very same factory that once produced it for the italian cinematographers.
I am always on the search for films, that may give a special look, and just from reading about it, and seeing sample on the internet, I really really wanted to try this film. The word goes, thats it’s a demanding film to shoot: easily very contrasty, with blown highlights and dark areas going black. Light measurement and exposure settings have to be exact, not allowing for neither over nor underexpossure (and pull nor push developemt). In shadow, the film will brings lots of depths and life to the frames. Its also supposed to be very fine grain.
The second batch just came out, and is getting sold out as quickly as it hits the shelves of small select analog speciality stores around Europe, Luckily, my local filmpusher One of Many Cameras, har ordered 50 rolls, and I got a few. Here are a few shots from my test roll, for which I got my son to help out.
Tech info
The photos are taken late atternoon in April, when the sun was low. The shots in the park are in ful sunlight, the photos from the street is in the shadow, and the shot indoors is light falling in from the window (not direct sun). I shot it at box speed, ISO 80, meassuring exposure with an incident-light meter. I develop the film in a small tank with Kodak HC-110, dilution E (1+47) at 20 degrees celcius, for 9 minutes. Agitating first 30 seconds, then 5 seconds every half minut. Camera is myLeica M2 from 1965 with a Summicron 50mm from same era. The photos are digitalized with a DSLR photographing the negatives laying on a light board. After importing to my computer with Capture One, I adjusted exposure and levels very basically. No adjustment of “look”.
My test results of Ferrania P30
Indeed, I see both dark areas and highlights blocking, with very little detail, but I really really like the tonality iof the greytones n the middle register. I also see, that Ferrania P30 is more than usual sensitive to blue-light waves, and less to red light waves. I love that. Almost orthochromatic, although, by Ferrania, the film is a panchromatic film (equally sensitive to the whole register of visible light waves).
Ferrania P30 developed in Kodak HC-110, dilution E. Strong sunlight in the afternoon.
Ferrania P30 developed in Kodak HC-110, dilution E. In the sun (low sun).
Ferrania P30 developed in Kodak HC-110, dilution E. Very low light.
Ferrania P30 developed in Kodak HC-110, dilution E. Middle light, shadow.
Ferrania P30 developed in Kodak HC-110, dilution E. Low light, shadow.
Excerpt from the press release of Ferrania P30 reissue
A Jewel from the Age of the Italian Cinema Masters FERRANIA P30® ALPHA is an 80 ISO panchromatic black & white motion picture film for still photography, and reintroduces the legendary P30 film produced by Ferrania during the 1960s.
FERRANIA P30® ALPHA is coated on triacetate base and features an incredibly high silver content of 5 grams per square meter. Speaking about this silver-rich film, FILM Ferrania CEO Nicola Baldini states, “Each frame is like a piece of jewelry.”
Pasolini, Rossellini, Visconti and many other italian directors powered their masterpieces with P30 film. In 1961, Sophia Loren won the Academy Award for “La Ciociara” (Two Women) by Vittorio De Sica and the entire world started to appreciate the beauty of FERRANIA P30® . In 1963, the legendary film 8 ½ by Federico Fellini was shot on FERRANIA P30® stock, cementing its place in cinema history.