The B&W 100 ISO Club

I was recently looking through my film stash and picking out some rolls to bring along on a photo outing, when it struck me -- there are a lot of "medium" speed b&w 100 ISO films out there. Or are there? How many are merely the same film with a different name, repackaged for another outlet? So, began to tally up what I have here, and then I looked online to see what was available. Generally, speaking, I find 100 ISO to be that sweet spot for films that I can use for landscape photography, walking around photography, and any situation where I really don't need the extra speed. It's a good choice especially for older manual cameras that may not have a good range of faster shutter speeds, and for shooting under conditions where using a lens at wider apertures is desirable. In addition, 100 ISO films tend to be finer-grained than 400 ISO, but that is not always the case.

In this list, I have 27 names of 100 ISO film. You can be assured that the following companies make the film with their name on it: Adox, Astrum (Svema), Foma, Ilford (Harman), Kodak,Orwo, Tasma. More recently, Lucky Film in China released the Lucky SHD 100 in 2017, but it may have stopped production in 2019, so Lucky isn't on the current list of manufacturers. Likewise, the Shanghai brand was started again in 2019, but I cannot verify that they are making the film in China.

In alphabetical order:

Adox CHS 100 II - Have yet to try this Adox film. Alex Luyckx has a review of it. It's a classic, single layer panchromatic emulsion that is fine-grained. Since the actetate base is clear, it can be used for reversal processing. DataSheet

Adox Silvermax 100 - If you read Adox's description of its Silvermax 100, it discusses the special Silvermax developer used to achieve the fantastic tonality, and adds, "In conventional developers results will be close to those achievable with APX 100 (old version-Made in Germany)." That reinforces the claims that APX 100 is something else. DataSheet

Agfaphoto APX 100 - I loved the original Agfa APX 100, back when it truly was an Agfa film. Developed in Rodinal, APX 100 turned that developer a deep purple when poured out. This new APX 100 doesn't do that, and of course, since Agfa went out of business in 2005, the name Agfaphoto is owned by Lupus Imaging and Media GmbH & Co., which does not produce the film, but relabels another manufacturer's product. There's nothing wrong with this current film, as it's very likely Kentmere 100. However, you may as well buy the Kentmere and save money on buying something just because it says APX 100. This is NOT the same as the film that I used a decade ago. The last of the REAL APX 100 was made in 2005, and the film has held up well in storage, should you find some online. Data Sheet is here.

Arista 100 (= Fomapan 100). Arista is Freestyle Photo's brand, and it's a well-known name. Currently, I am 99.99% certain that Arista 100 is the same as Fomapan 100 Classic. The Arista bulk rolls are in the same packaging as the bulk rolls of Fomapan. Prices of Arista 100 and Fomapan 100 are pretty close. It's available in 35mm, 120, and sheet film. It's a great value, and Freestyle's been selling tons of it.


Astrum Foto 100 - From what I have been able to find, Astrum is the current company in Ukraine that bought out the Svema factory. The films that it sells under the Astrum name appear to be essentially the same as the old Svema products. The Astrum Photo 100 is on a mylar base, is a bit contrasty, and fine-grained, same as the Svema 100. As far as I know it is only available in 35mm. It is said to have near-IR sensitivity with a red filter and a few stops of overexposure. I have not tried using it with the red filter.

Derev Pan 100 - A film marketed by the Film Photography Project, Derev Pan 100 is a Ukraine-made panchromatic film on a tough mylar base. It was probably an aerial surveillance film, and exhibits very fine grain and wide latitude, producing a lovely tonal scale in landscape images. It definitely lies flat in the scanner. The mylar base means that you need to be careful in loading the film, so it is best to load under low light conditions. It is available only in 35mm.

Fomapan 100 Classic - An all-around good film, inexpensive, and available in bulk rolls. Also repackaged by Kosmo Foto, Freestyle, and Lomography (Earl Grey). 120 and 35mm versions. I have shot Fomapan 100 labeled as such, as well as the rebranded versions from Freestyle, etc. This is a dependable film that delivers results that are consistent and to my liking. I have to wonder why people spend a few more $$/roll to buy a "boutique" film, when the Fomapan 100 is what they are shooting. Buy it in bulk and respool it yourself and add your own label, such as "KickAss 100." Available in 35mm, 120, and sheet film. Data Sheet


Fomapan R100 BW - This intended as a reversal film, to produce postive b&w images on a clear base. The film is intended to give a proper spectral repsonse as gray scale, and it is a replacement for the Agfa Scala film. You'll need to specially develop to get a positive, and the film is also available in Double-8mm and 16mm reels to produce movies. The Foma Black and White Reversal Processing Kit for Fomapan R100 is necessary for the b&w positives, and can also be used with Adox SilverMax and Agfa Scala film. Data Sheet

Fujifilm Neopan Acros II 100 - This is not the Fujifilm Neopan Acros that we knew and loved. This new film isn't manufactured in Japan by Fujifilm, but in the EU - perhaps by Harman for Fujifilm. It does not appear to be repackaged Kentmere 100, but an emulsion coated by Harman to Fujifilm's specifications. Data Sheet

Ilford Delta 100 Professional - A T-grain film, much like TMax 100, Ilford Delta 100 is excellent. For some reason, I don't use it all that much, probably because it is more expensive than Kentmere 100. It delivers excellent results and is available in 35mm, 120, and sheet films. DataSheet

Ilford FP4 Plus – While this is advertised as an ISO 125 film, you can shoot it easily at 100. The heir apparent at ISO 125 after Plus-X was discontinued by Kodak. Seriously there is nothing wrong this film. It's a great b&w film that is available in 35mm, 120, and sheet film. Data Sheet

Kentmere 100 - This film is one of my favorite 100 ISO b&w films, period. It's also repackaged as Ultrafine Extreme 100, and possibly, Agfaphoto APX 100. I reviewed the film in 2016, and it really is a great all-purpose film. It's been renamed by Harman as Kentmere Pan 100 (2018). Kentmere 100 is available only in 35mm . Data Sheet

Kodak Tmax 100 - When Kodak discontinued Plus-X Pan, I was not too sad about it. Plus-X was an okay film, but I really loved Verichrome Pan a lot more. However, TMax 100 is an excellent, fine-grained film that delivers consistent results, has excellent tonal range, and I especially like it in 120. It does well with common developers, too. TMX100 is available in 35mm and 120, and of course, sheet films. DataSheet

Kosmo Foto Mono 100 (=Fomapan 100) - I reviewed Kosmo Foto Mono in 2018. Any comments on Fomapan 100 apply here. I love the packaging, and I give kudos to Steve Dowling for coming up with this branding. Available in 35mm and 120.

Lomography Earl Grey 100 - I reviewed this film in 2011, and at the time, I believed it was Fomapan 100. I have not inspected any recent rolls of this film , so do not know if the source has changed. It makes sense to stick with what works, and I hope that the Fomapan 100 is still the source for the Earl Grey.

Lomography Potsdam Kino 100 (= Orwo UN54) - I recently reviewed this film and since it is ORWO UN54, the review applies to the Orwo and Lomography films. I think it's a very good film with moderate grain. It's good to see these Lomography films from Orwo in general use, as they probably would not get much attention otherwise.

Lucky SHD 100 - This film was released in 2017, and it's apparently not the old Lucky 100 (which I shot over 15 years ago, and it lacked an antihalation layer). This new film seems like it was discontinued in 2019, but I don't have much information on it. Made in China, and likely a very limited distribution. Check eBay for it.

Oriental Seagull 100 - Manufactured by Harman, it is probably Kentmere 100, packaged exclusively for the Japanese market. Here is one review.

ORWO UN54 - Orwo's branding leaves something to be desired, but it is a good 100 ISO film. See my review under the Lomo Kino Potsdam 100. Available only in 35mm. DataSheet

Rollei Blackbird Creative 100 - This is a strange film that I have yet to test. It can be shot at ISO 25-100, it's orthopanchromatic, and is supposed to have extremely high resolution. It's coated on a Mylar base, and is said to have deep mid-tones and rich blacks. It appears that light piping is a problem, so keep the film in a black canister and load in dim light. There is little information available about this film, typical for Maco/Rollei branding.

Rollei RPX 100 - I have just started shooting with this film. RPX 100 may be the "same" as the old APX 100, but Rollei of course, does not make film, and neither does Maco, who bought the rights to use the Rollei branding. What's the film's origin? I really don't have an answer to that question. It is purported to have extended red sensitivity, and is available in 35mm and 120. After I finish shooting the couple of rolls, I will have a review here. Data sheet

Revolog Snovlox 100 - Revolog, infamous for its crazy color-treated films, has a b&w 100 ISO film, from their description - "Snovlox is a black and white film. The effect of this film is similar to the Volvox film, but due to their white colour the effect reminds of snowflakes. Want to magically transform your beach pictures into a winter-wonderland? Then this film is perfect for you!" This film is Kodak TMax 100 that's been treated (pre-flashed?) to have a snow-like effect. If this is your thing, it's worth a try.

Shanghai Film GP3 100 - From China, this film is currently available in 35mm and 120. The 35mm is in plastic cassettes, which makes it a pain in the butt to open in the dark. A leader retriever should be used to pull the film out of the cassette in the dark to load it into the developing tank. The film isn't exactly cheap, and costs 2x as much as Fomapan. The 35mm is apparently coated by ORWO, but it's not readily available in the US. The 120 GP3 is being carried by a few US sellers, but you can buy it cheaper on eBay direct from China. If the film was noted for high quality, I'd say go for it, but I have yet to try it.

Svema Foto 100 - The FPP sells this film, and it's a fairly good film on a thin mylar base. Light-piping may occur, so keep the film in a dark container, and in general, load in subdued light. To me, the mylar base is so thin that it's a problem to put into the negative sheet protectors. In my opinion, there are better 100 ISO films, but this is an interesting film. It can be somewhat contrasty, and I find it to be a good film for landscapes with clouds.

Tasma NK-II 100 – I really wanted to like this film, but many of my negatives had a band of dark grain running across the frame that showed up in skies and less dense parts of the image. It's on a thin Mylar base, like the Svema 100. While the tonality was very nice, and I liked my overall results, the odd dark specks really changed my mind from my initial review. It's nothing to do with my developing technique – it's either a coating flaw or a bad batch from the factory. Perhaps it was only a few bad rolls, but I have seen it several times. Only available in 35mm.

Ultrafine Extreme 100 (=Kentmere 100)- I reviewed this film recently, and it's a great film. Kentmere 100, at a great price. I think the 120 film is especially a great bargain, and it's the one I buy for my medium-format cameras. The Ultrafine films are available from Photowarehouse, AKA Ultrafine Online.

Washi F Flourographic X-ray film – This is a unique film that may appeal to those that like to experiment with oddball films. It's an orthochromatic film lacking an anti-halation layer, and noticeable grain. You'll get some nice ”glow” where there is any reflectance of the sun or other specular highlights. I consider it to be an interesting film if you are looking for some atmospheric effect in your shots. Available in 35mm and 120, it should be loaded under subdued light. Film Washi is a small producer and repackager of interesting films, some of them handmade. If you are looking for something different and a creative spark, their film lineup is definitely worth consideration. I did a quick review of the Film Washi S and F films in 2019. The data sheet is here.

My advice on 100 ISO b&w films

In looking through all the different emulsions currently available, it's obvious that there are a few films that have a great cost/result attribute, and that would be Kentmere 100 and Fomapan 100. Apart from them being readily available either as the manufacturer's brand, or in a re-branded label, they have dependable results, a great track record, and can be developed with just about any developer. In the end, I recommend finding one emulsion that does what you want and stick to it. Regularly shooting the same film and developing with the same developer will give you better, repeatable results, and confidence that you'll get the shot. You get to know the quirks of a film and can bend it to your will via a developer or how you expose it. However, as these films do vary in their characteristics – grain structure, spectral sensitivity, latitude, contrast, and the physical attributes of whether they curl, cup, or lie flat, there may be a film to try so see if it's “right for you.” There lies the beauty of film – so many variables, and so many ways to mess up. There are a lot of reviews on many of these films - and its obvious that people will have differing views of the same film. If you find a film that really sticks with you, it makes sense to buy it in bulk rolls and reload your own cassettes. In doing so, you'll save money. 

My favorite developers tend to be HC110 and Rodinal, followed by D-96 and D-76. 100 ISO film is pretty much my go-to for average shooting, and I tend to use Kentmere 100 for the bulk of those shots.