KONO! Delight Art Film Review

Kono! Delight Art Film in 120 (from Kono)

KONO Manufaktur is a Germany-based company that reimagines current film stocks - or "upgrades" them according to their literature.  Typically, they have sold various 35mm color emulsions that are tinted in some way by pre-flashing them to create different color streaks and wash effects.  They call this "reanimated film".  The various 35mm color emulsions are certainly attractive for people wanting to try something a bit more esoteric. Each of the brands - Monsoon, Moonstruck, Sunstroke, Galaxy, Mirage, and Candy evoke different moods with the color palettes and effects that Kono has implemented with their "reanimation."  However, the Delight Art film is something a bit different, and is sold in 35mm and 120 rolls.

Earlier this year, I was given a roll of the Kono! Delight Art film in 120, and I finally had the chance to use it somewhere special when I was visiting Tucson, Arizona in October.  I really didn't know what to expect, but upon opening the package I could see that it was Kodak Ektar 100 with a Kono sticker on it.  I loaded my Yashicamat 124 with the roll and shot it.  I sent it to The Darkroom to be developed, and a within a week, I had my film back.  After scanning the negatives on my Epson V700 scanner, I was able to really see how the film differed from standard Ektar 100.  The images look like a warming filter was placed over the lens, as the effect tamed the bluish tendencies of Ektar 100, and colors were more yellow and warmer.  That's not a bad thing, given where and what I was shooting. However, given that the cost of a roll of the Kono Delight Art film in 120 is $25.00 and the cost of a roll of Ektar 100 is 9.70 (in a 5-roll pack), I think that if you just attach an 81A warming filter over the lens, or an 85B for a more pronounced effect, you'll get similar results and save yourself some money.

The altered colors of the Kono films are not for everyone and every situation.  Some people like the effects and others see them as gimmicky.  They do offer something different to try out, and go for it if you are so inclined.  However, the Delight Art film is priced such that you may as well experiment with color filters on regular Ektar (or any other color film) and se where that takes you.

Here are a few images from the roll that I shot in Tucson.  The effect was a good choice for the scenes there.

There's a lot of stucco/adobe in the SW, and you can find
a pleasing composition in just a doorway.

I love the way this cactus becomes the focal point

The yellow tint is more obvious with a white object

In plain Ektar, this sky would be really blue.

definitely warm