6 Cheap Film Stocks You’ve Never Heard Of
Venturing beyond the mainstream lanes of film photography can be an unexpectedly rewarding journey. Delving into lesser-known film stocks offers photographers a treasure trove of unique aesthetics, unpredictable characteristics, and uncharted creative territories. These unconventional films can inject a distinctive personality into one's work, showcasing colors, grains, and textures that stand out from the usual. Furthermore, they challenge the artist to think outside the box, adapting to the film's quirks and surprises. If you're well-versed in popular film stocks, then you've likely heard of brands like Kodak and Ilford. Here are six lesser-known cheap 35mm film stocks you may not be aware of.
1. Berger Pancro 400
ISO: 400
Type: Black and White
Format: 35mm film and 120
Average Price: $6 (per roll)
Why you might want to use it: This is a two-emulsion cheap 35mm film that combines both silver bromide and silver iodide. It provides a broad tonal range, fine grain, and good sharpness. It's an excellent option for those wanting a distinctive look, especially for portrait photography. I’ve heard some people compare it to the quailty of charcol. Plus, as far as far as film stocks go, can’t beat that price point!
2. Rollei Vario Chrome
ISO: 200-400 (it's a variable ISO film)
Type: Color slide film
Format: 35mm film
Average Price: $10
Why you might want to use it: With its variable ISO, this cheap 35mm film is versatile and can be pushed or pulled in development. This film has a decent exposure latitude, also thanks to its to its variable ISO. This flexibility allows photographers to either slightly overexpose or underexpose their shots to achieve various effects. Overexposing can produce brighter, more vivid colors, while underexposing might give a moodier, richer look. Its high saturation and contrast make it a good choice for landscapes, especially during golden hour or in autumn when natural colors are already vibrant. This is a great film stock to use if you’re trying to emulate and older more “vintage” look.
3. KONO! Donau II
ISO: 8 (Yes, eight!)
Type: Color negative
Format: 35mm film
Average Price: $16
Why you might want to use it: This ultra-low ISO 35mm film has extremly rich blue tones. It provides images with a smooth, almost painting-like quality. It's perfect for capturing scenes in bright daylight with a unique, dreamy atmosphere. Think slow shutter speeds, movement blurs, or the stillness of a bright day. I would use this film stock if I was trying to make a project highlighting an imagined alternate reality or dream state.
4. Adox Silvermax 100
ISO: 100
Type: Black and White
Format: 35mm film
Average Price: $10
Why you might want to use it: Silvermax has an increased silver content compared to other black and white film stocks, giving it a unique tonal range and increased latitude. It can render deep blacks and glowing whites, making it perfect for dramatic landscapes and portraiture. Adox also produces a special developer designed specifically for Silvermax 100, known as Adox Silvermax Developer. When used together, the 35mm film and developer combination maximizes the silver content's potential, producing an even broader tonal range and better contrast control.
5. Rollei Digibase CN 200 Pro
ISO: 200
Type: Color Negative
Format: 35mm film and 120
Average Price: $9
Why you might want to use it: This film stock is known for having no orange mask, which is quite unusual for color negatives. This can simplify and improve the scanning process, resulting in cleaner digitized images with potentially better color reproduction. This film stock is also known for rendering colors in a neutral and true-to-life manner, without overly vibrant or saturated hues. This makes it great for capturing scenes as they appear to the naked eye. While it's a C-41 film (standard for color negatives), the Digibase CN 200 Pro development kits come with separate bleach and fix steps instead of the combined bleach/fix (blix) that many other C-41 kits use. This can offer more controlled results and potentially increase the archival longevity of the 35mm negatives.
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6. Film Washi "Z":
ISO: 400
Type: Black and White
Format: 35mm film
Average Price: $13
Why you might want to use it: Film Washi is known for producing the world's smallest film production line, and "Z" is their near infrared sensitive film, offering nice contrast and green shades separation. What makes this cheap 35mm film so unique compared to any other film stocks I’ve talked about is that it was originally formatted for aerial vegetation mapping. It’s best to use this film stock for landscape, but straying even further from the film’s intended use could make it all the more interesting.
