Ultrafine Extreme 100 film - Excellent Value!

Bulk roll packaging (courtesy of Photo Warehouse)

Photo Warehouse, aka Ultrafine Online, has been delivering great film choices for many years, and while I have shot Ultrafine Extreme 100  (UXF 100) quite a few times in the past, I never reviewed it.  I did review its sister film, Ultrafine Extreme 400 in 2018.  That film continues to be my go-to 400 ISO b&w film, and just as COVID hit, I stocked up on several bulk rolls.  I also bought a bulk roll of the UXF 100, and started shooting with it again after a long hiatus.  It hasn't been that long, really, as I have been shooting Kentmere 100, which is what I think the UXF 100 actually is.  Why? I'm 99.9% certain the UXF 400 is Kentmere 400, and after looking at recent negatives and processing times, I'm quite certain that UXF 100 is re-branded Kentmere 100.  That's a good thing, because I have also been happy with my results from Kentmere 100, and the Ultrafine prices for their re-branded films is one of the best film deals out there.  I typically buy Ultrafine-branded b&w film in 100 ft rolls and spool it myself.  If you don't want to buy 100 ft rolls, this film is also extremely affordable at less than $4 per 36 exp. roll!  There is no plastic core with the bulk roll, but I have not experienced any problems while using my Alden film loader.

UXF 100 is a "medium" speed fine-grained panchromatic film that works well in a variety of developers.  My favorite developer for this film is D-76, diluted 1:1, for 11.5 minutes at 20°C.  The film lies extremely flat for scanning, with no curling or warping.  It scans beautifully.  At 100 ISO, it covers a broad array of situations, and has the kind of contrast that I like in a film.  Others have reviewed this film, and they are mostly quite positive.  Alex Luyckx pushed the film to 200 with great results, which is good news for those that like shooting outside the box. 

Ultrafine Extreme 100 is also available in 120, and that has become my preferred 100 ISO film for medium format.  Check out the two quite diverse images below - one from a pinhole camera, and the other from my YashicaMat 124.  In short, this is a budget film that yields excellent results without any quirks, weird developers, or special treatment.  For those that are looking for a film to use in photo classes, I highly recommend  Ultrafine Extreme 100.  The COVID-19 situation has affected the supply chain, so you may want to make sure the film is in stock before your order.

Reems Creek Falls, April 2020, Pinbox Pinhole. UXF 100, 120 size

Flat Iron, Asheville, March 2020, YashicaMat 124, 120 UXF 100

All of the following images were made with a Pentax Spotmatic-F on UXF 100 film.