Kentmere 400 - GFX Recipe

Fujifilm GFX 50R + Contax 45mm f2.8 Tessar

Introduction - Why create a Kentmere 400 Recipe?

This film recipe came to be as a tool to help compare potential film cameras I’m interested in against my Fujifilm GFX 50R. It’s a film recipe that delivers beautiful and gentle looks for a huge range of subjects.

Now that I’ve created this Kentemere 400 recipe I can take relatively similar shots on the Fujifilm to compare against the images that cameras such as Mamiya’s, Fuji’s, Hassleblads, etc can put out when using Kentmere Pan 400. As Kentmere is a budget film, this is an affordable way for me to assess camera quality.

Note: I’m aware that the “resolution” of a 120mm negative is higher than what the GFX system puts out so the comparisons will never truly be 1:1.

Fujifilm GFX 50R + Contax 45mm f2.8 Tessar

Where I Ended Up:

Despite this recipe coming to fruition as a tool and already having a reliable black and white film recipe that I already use, I have grown somewhat attached to this Kentmere Pan 400 clone.

Probably because it’s the first recipe that I have come up with from scratch. Or maybe it’s because the images that come out of this recipe have the soft quality I love in film photos.

Either way, the images this recipe puts out have brought me joy regardless of whether the subject is macro floral photography, texture shots of concrete or asphalt or snapshots of the small things in life that I stop to admire.

GFX 50R + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f1.5 II

Recipe:

• Simulation: Monochrome + G

• Color Chrome: Off

• Grain: Strong

• Dynamic Range: DR400

• White Balance: Daylight (R: 0, B: 0)

• Highlights: -2

• Shadows: +2

• Sharpness: -2

• Noise Reduction: -4

• Long Exposure NR: Off

• ISO: AUTO, 400-6400

• Exposure Compensation: 0-1EV

Sample Gallery:

Note: Images are straight out of camera

A Little Editing Magic:

Being that Kentmere Pan 400 is known to be a softer film stock with high latitude, one of the nice things about shooting the Kentemere Pan 400 film stock is that by over or under exposing the film, you can adjust the look of the film to be more contrasty or softer.

This recipe was designed from the ground up to also be able to support that.

Straight out of camera

Auto adjustments via iPhone Photo App

In the images above you can see the before and after. All I did was use auto adjustments and then tweak the contrast in the Apple Photo app.

“I’m shooting on a real camera, a GFX no less! Why would I use a phone’s photo app!?”

I’m sure this is the thought you just had. And I can explain.

I wanted this film to be something that anyone can use. I don’t want Lightroom and it’s dehaze, clarity, contrast, texture, etc. dials to be necessary to tweak these images to get a specific look out of them.

In fact, I would say the ideal workflow for this recipe is

1. Shoot and get an image you like

2. Wirelessly send the image to your phone

3. Review the image and then either

   1. Post the image

   2. Quickly modify the contrast in a basic app so you can then post it.

It should be that simple.

Fun, quick and friction-less photography that’s ready to be shared.

Closing Thoughts:

At the end of the day, I have doubt that many people have been thinking to themselves,

“Boy I should would like the emulate one of the cheapest film stocks on a camera that is hundreds of times more expensive.”

Much less those who choose to shoot on GFX systems where the real magic comes from shooting RAW and getting unparalleled medium format quality from their photography.

And yet, I did think that.

I did pick up the GFX system to shoot JPG’s instead of RAW’s.

So while there may not be many people who wanted this, who will look for this or will use this, I’ll be sure to.

Also, nothing says this recipe can’t be used on X-Trans cameras such as the X100 system or any of the interchangeable lens Fujifilm cameras. I intend to put this on my X-E1 and X100VI and when I do, I’ll be sure to share how that goes