Welcome to the first of many film review blog posts! We’ve committed ourselves to trying and sharing the results of many different film stocks, both old and new, that photographers around the world use everyday. Some you’ll be familiar with, and some might be new to you (and us)! We’re thrilled to share our results with the Negative Supply community!

Our first film we tested was BERGGER Pancro 400.

BERGGER Pancro 400 Tech Details
Pancro 400 is a two emulsion film , composed with silver bromide and silver iodide. They differ by the size of their grain. These properties allow a wide exposure latitude.  Crystals are precipitated by a double-jet process guided under the control of a computer. The two emulsions are panchromatic, and are stabilized by high tech systems. BERGGER Pancro400 in 135 is coated on a 135 microns acetate base and includes DX Coding. It is designed with an undercoated anti-halation layer which clarifies during processing, and a anti-curling layer. Bergger Pancro was first released in 2016, the film was introduced in large format size 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, during the same year at Photokina they announced that they would be releasing the film in 35mm and 120.

Formats available now?

Bergger Pancro 400 is offered worldwide in 35mm, 120, 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 inch film! We’d like to tip our hats to the incredible team behind this film - offering such wide support for large format (and ultra large format photographers) in 2020 is nearly unheard of.

Leica M3 and 50mm Summicron DR, Pancro 400 rated at 320, scanned with Film Carrier MK1 © Brennan McKissick

Mamiya 7, Pancro 400 rated 400, scanned with Film Carrier 120 © Alan Escalante

Mamiya 7 with 80mm lens, Pancro 400 shot at 250 and developed at 400, scanned with Film Carrier 120 © AJ Holmes

Mamiya RZ67 II with 110mm lens, red 25a filter, Pancro 400 rated at 1000 and developed at 1600, scanned with Film Carrier 120 ©AJ Holmes

Canon AE-1 Program and Pentax 645, Pancro 400 rated at 400. Scanned with Film Carrier MK1 and Film Carrier 120 ©Chris Bartolucci

AJ’s thoughts on Pancro 400
“Pancro 400 is an astonishing film that lens based artists can use to effectively tell their story, regardless of the look or feeling the artist is attempting to obtain or elicit. Responding well to both pull and push processing, offering a wide tonal range, and boasting a unique medium level film grain, this is yet another wonderful option in the world of 400 speed panchromatic black and white films.”

Chris’ thoughts on Pancro 400:
"I’m not always a fan of grainy films right off the bat. However, I really enjoy Pancros larger grain structure. It gives is a very classic look and is a fun alternative to other black and white film stocks. I would shoot it again!”

Alan’s thoughts on Pancro
“Berger Pancro 400 is one of the most interesting black and white films I’ve ever used. I love the grain structure of the film. it’s much less fine than anything from kodak or Ilford. Before using it here at work I never considered shooting Pancro 400. Now I’m going to be shooting it a lot more often.”

Brennan’s thoughts on Pancro 400:
“I think Pancro 400 really sets itself apart from modern films from the bigger manufacturers because of the way it looks. Where Kodak and Ilford have moved towards films that are sharper with more contrast, less grain and more dynamic range, Bergger has created a film that’s got a way more classic look to it. It’s got lots of big grain, a slightly flatter profile and glowier highlights. It’s nice to have a black and white option that has a more classic look.”

Interested in purchasing Pancro 400 to try for yourself? Find an analog dealer near you today at this link: Find a Dealer

Interested in the tools used to scan the sample images for this blog post? Have a look!

 We’re very excited to feature photographer, podcaster and YouTuber, Billing Manning on this weeks spotlight! Bill does amazing things for the film photography community and has been an early and ofter supporter of Negative Supply. We are thrilled to be showcasing some of his amazing work and hear his thoughts on how the Film Carrier 120 has helped improved his workflow!

 Hi Bill! Introduce yourself to the Negative Supply community and give a brief biography!

“Hi there! I'm Bill Manning, and I am a photographer based in Atlanta, GA. I am also the creator of Studio C-41 and a cohost to the 1 Hour Photo Podcast with Jordana Dale and Steven Wallace. I have been a photographer for just over 10-years and the last five, including film in my workflow. While my workflow is primarily wedding and headshot photography, I've shifted my efforts into building Studio C-41 as a media-rich resource for analog photography.”

You can find us at studioc41.net! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Image 1: Fujfilm Pro 400H – Mamiya AF-D II, 55mm f/2.8, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning
Image 2: Ilford SFX 200 – Mamiya 7, 50mm f/4.5, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 © Bill Manning

 Q: How did you first discover your passion for photography, and when did you start making photos with film?

“I got into photography when I decided I wanted to get a 'good' camera for my honeymoon trip through Europe. My wife purchased the Nikon D90 as a wedding gift. From that day on, I was hooked. I got into film photography in 2015 when I raided my dad's closet and found his old Minolta x700. My dad said if I can get it working, I can keep it. It turned out it just needed a fresh set of batteries!”

Fujifilm Pro 400H – Pentax 67, 55mm f/4, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning

Q: What do you enjoy most about shooting film?

“I enjoy the process of creating a photograph. We live in an age where we get instant feedback, and for me, I feel like it devalues the artistic process. For workflow purposes, digital makes sense, and I embrace it entirely. However, there is a sense of pride in crafting an image from visually seeing it in your mind to taking the shot, developing it, scanning it, and printing.”

Image 1:: CineStill Film 800T – Pentax 67, 105mm f/2.4, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning

Image 2: CineStill Film 800T – Pentax 67, 55mm f/4, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 @Bill Manning

Kodak Professional Portra 800 – Pentax 67, 105mm f/2, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning

 Q: What are some of your favorite film stocks? Color or black and white, and why?

My heart is with Portra 800. There is a natural look and feel that feels more organic than Portra 160 and 400. While those stocks are fantastic, Portra 800 offers a different look. Generally, it is my go-to film with my Pentax 67.

“I have been into the new EKTACHROME E100 with the CineStill Film D9 developer kit. Initially, I hated how slide film scanned. You could never really get what you see in the scan. For some reason, slide just never interpreted well in a digital format. However, using my camera scanning set up with the Film Carrier 120, I had to bracket three stops to take advantage of this film's insane dynamic range, and developer combo has to offer.”

“I enjoy shooting black and white, quite a bit. Tri-X 400 is a personal favorite. It offers a grain structure that provides a look that is just timeless.”

“I can't say I prefer color over black and white. I think it comes down to the decision, as an artist, of your photograph's final look.”

Kodak Professional Ektachrome E100 – Hasselblad 500 C/M, 50mm f/4, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning

Image 1: CineStill Film 800T – Mamiya 7, 150mm f/4.5,scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning

Image 2:Fujifilm Velvia 100 – Mamiya 7, 50mm f/4.5, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning

Q: Do you develop yourself?

“I used to have it done at the lab. However, with new product offerings for simple developing, like the CineStill Film E6 and C-41 kits, I find myself developing more and more at home.”

CineStill Film 50D – Mamiya 7, 150mm f/4.5, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning

Q: Are you working on any longterm body of work or photographic series you'd like to discuss?  

“My ongoing project is not exactly a photographic project. Since starting Studio C-41 Podcast in 2017, I continue to put my efforts into growing the podcast into a media-rich resource for film photographers. With a new home base studio in Atlanta, I plan to build my YouTube and Podcast channels. Additionally, I intend to host live workshops to teach those interested in analog stills photography (and maybe motion picture!)”

Image 1 Kodak Professional Ektar 100 – Pentax 67, 105mm f/2.4, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 © Bill Manning
Image 2 Kodak Professional Portra 800 – Pentax 67, 105mm f/2.4, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 © Bill Manning

 Q: What Negative Supply tools do you use, and how have they changed your workflow?

“I currently use the Film Carrier Mk I and the Film Carrier 120 on the pro mount. When I purchased the 35mm carrier, I knew this was a total game-changer. When I had the privilege to beta test the prototype, I did not doubt I would include it in my lineup. I backed it because I knew this was going to be critical to my scanning workflow.”

Kodak Professional Ektachrome E100 – Hasselblad 500 C/M, 50mm f/4, scanned with the Film Carrier 120 ©Bill Manning

We would like to thank Bill for allowing us to feature his phenomenal work, and for using Negative Supply tools when scanning his images. His Ektachrome images were developed with Cinestill”s CS6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath Kits for color-timing chrome, reversal and e-6 film.

If you’re interested in being featured on our blog, please send us an email via contact@negativesupply.co We can’t wait to see and share work from more of the Negative Supply community! Click the link below to learn more about the 120 Film Carrier Bill is using to digitize his work, and feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!

Warmly,
The Negative Supply Team

We made a long awaited update to our very own Negative Supply YouTube Channel! First up? A how-to guide for using our Film Carrier 120!

In this video, we will show you how to use the new Film Carrier 120 in a few simple steps! With this tool, you can scan an entire roll of 120 film in under a minute, either as cut strips or an uncut roll. Our newly designed magnetic hinge mechanism ensures film flatness while scanning, and assists in attaining the sharpest results from your scans. Our new masks allow you to reduce the amount of light that spills through the edges of your frame, and also works to further guarantee absolute film flatness.

Top-down view of the tools featured and used in our Film Carrier 120 video

Our host, Chris Bartolucci, on the set of this video

Top-down view of film loading and advancement with our Film Carrier 120

Detailed view of the magnetic hinge mechanism on our Film Carrier 120

Final full resolution scans shot AJ Holmes using a Mamiya 7, Kodak Portra 400, and Film Lab Desktop for conversion

We’ll be regularly creating and sharing new content on our YouTube channel on all things analog photography, thanks to the team of talented creatives at Negative Supply who are committed to making film photography accessible to photographers everywhere! Interested in watching our latest videos or subscribing to our channel? Click the button below to do so now!