KONO! Color 400 Film

Several months ago I stopped by my local camera store, Ball Photo, in Asheville.  I purchased some different color films since they were there on the shelf, and of course, they were something that I’d not tried before.  One of the films was a two-pack of Kono! Color 400, which has been described by the manufacturer as:

“KONO Color 400 Color Negative Film is a modern interpretation of a classic German color negative film and provides excellent tonal range, as well as a wide exposure latitude. This versatile film has a nominal sensitivity of ISO 400/27° and can be developed in any lab using C-41 chemistry.”

I loaded a roll into my Chinon CS-4 and used a Vivitar 35-85/2.8 zoom, which is a rather rare lens these days.  It definitely weighs more than the camera, pictured above with a Yashinon DX 50mm/1.4 lens.  I spent a few hours over in the River Arts District of Asheville, photographing around the French Broad River, back in March.  A week ago I finally got around to developing all my exposed color films in an FPP color chemistry (ECN-2) kit.  So, now it’s time to discuss my results.  I scanned the negatives with my Epson V700 scanner.

The greenish film base looks like Orwo NC500

I-240 bridge

Waiting for the Kudzu to burst forth

railroad trestle over the French Broad

White Duck Taco remains closed since Hurricane Helene

I-240 bridge

any vertical surface seems to attract graffiti

the old Asheville Paper Recycling facility

Now, in the past, I’ve shot a couple of different Kono! labeled films and the current ones in their catalog are certainly interesting, due to their range of color implementations.  This film, however, is awfully similar to the Orwo Wolfen NC 500.  Since it’s stated that the film is made in Germany, I am pretty sure that’s what it is.  The greenish base of the film certainly looks the same. The muted colors are also obvious.  If you were expecting something like Kodacolor 400, this film isn’t it.  Much like Lomochrome Metropolis and NC 500, there is a muted look to most of the colors.  Now that’s not a bad thing.  In our current era of everything being super-saturated, maybe being somewhat muted is a good option.  The film isn’t exactly fine-grained, and that can be a plus with the right subject, but the grain isn’t bad, either.  

I think it’s a film worth trying out if you are looking for something different.  I’ll shoot the second roll this summer, with different colorful subjects and see what I get. I’ll know what to expect though, and that will affect my choice of what I shoot.

Hi-Wire Brewery

Hi-Wire loading dock

Building the covered pickleball courts at Hi-Wire

If you like the muted color palette of this film, then it certainly could be the film for you.

First Results from the Chinon CS-4

 As previously posted, this is my second Chinon CS-4.  Of course, there's more to testing it than knowing that the meter and shutter is working properly.  How does the camera feel in the hand when using it? How easy it is to use the stop-down metering button?  Does the film move easily through the camera? That's why film-testing a camera is important.  Too many cameras are sold on eBay that are not film-tested.  Many are sold as-is, or as "un-tested." Granted, there are a lot of sellers out there that don't know a damn thing about photography, let alone how a camera ought to perform.  Leaving all that behind for a moment, let's just see how THIS camera performed.

I started with a roll of Tasma NK-II from the Film Photography Project. The Tasma film is a panchromatic b&w film on a tough polyester base, with an ISO of 100.  I used it because it was a 24-exposure roll, and also because it was one of the rolls that I picked up in November. So, onward.  If I am trying out a camera for the first time, I often go into my Libre Office program and type up a description as shown below:

That gets photographed on the first frame or so of the roll so that I know exactly that information if I end up waiting some time to develop the film.  In this case though, I finished the roll of Feb. 6, and developed it the same day -- which is not usual for me.  I took a short trip to the River Arts District (RAD) of Asheville, which is a great place to test cameras and film.  The RAD is still recovering from the flood/Helene of September, 2024.  Some places have reopened after much restoration/renovation, and other are either erased, or in need of major repairs.  Some of these photos show that.

This mural is on the now closed French Broad Outfitters in Riverside Drive.

Alien landers or fermentation tanks? On Foundy Street.

This area was well-known for the street art. Most of it disappeared after Helene. Some is new.

Part of the building below.

I do not think this one will be rebuilt.

That Dell went to hell.

There will be more piles of bricks

Bad views from the inside and out.

Nature finds a way.  I've always been interested in nature reclaiming our abandoned places.

What is now a field used to be a series of low buildings used to store recycled materials. That place used to look like this image below, taken a few years before Helene.

2022, Nikon F4, Eastman 2374 film

Present day, waiting for reconstruction

Whodat?  

Using the Chinon CS-4 is a breeze.  The stop-down metering is not a problem, as it works much like a Pentax Spotmatic, except there are red/green LEDs that show up in your peripheral vision as you look through the view finder.  Pretty much like a +/- in the viewfinder.  The Tasma NK-2 was developed in HC-110B for 10 minutes, and it is a really sharp film with good tonality.    A successful outing, and just as I was pretty much done, a squall line came in and it started to rain.  

This camera is a keeper in my M42 arsenal, and I look forward to  using it more.  

Kodak's Signet 50 - 1950s retro

 

The OG Signet - Signet 35

Kodak's line of Signet-branded cameras began in 1951 with the introduction of the Signet 35, which replaced the ugly as hell Kodak 35 camera.  The Signet 35 was a stylish camera, with a nice 44mm f/3.5 Ektanar lens ins a Synchro 300 shutter. Compared to the Argus C3, the Signet 35 was far superior in aesthetics, size, and ease of use.  The only drawback of the Signet 35 was the tiny viewfinder.  It was a true rangefinder focus camera, and its compactness was its strength.  However, over time many examples of the Signet 35 have sticky shutters.  As do many lens-shutter cameras from over 60 years ago!

The follow-up camera, the Signet 40 (https://randomphoto.blogspot.com/2022/12/kodaks-signet-40-camera.html) appeared in 1956, with a more Art Moderne style, an Ektanon 44mm f/3.5 lens and a maximum shutter speed of 1/400 sec.  I think it's one of Kodak's most beautiful 35mm cameras.  The rangefinder patch is easy to see, and the camera is a real joy to use.

The Signet 50

The Signet 30 and Signet 50, introduced in 1957, feature a bottom-mounted film advance lever (single-stroke), A Kodak 44mm f/2.8 Ektanar lens, a bright-frame viewfinder, and alas, no rangefinder.  Quite different in appearance from the earlier models, they have that late 1950s "modern" design.  The body is largely Bakelite with aluminum fittings.  Both cameras use Exposure Values to set the shutter speeds/apertures. The Signet 30 lacks any meter, but the Signet 50 does have a Selenium meter.  The biggest change may be that the shutter is internally cocked (only when film is loaded) when you advance the film.  Earlier models required a separate operation to cock the shutter on the outside of the lens mount, just as the Kodak Pony models, which were the "low end" of Kodak's 35mm cameras line.

The Signet 50 is an attractive camera, and has a very nice, sharp lens.  After you press the shutter, a little "WIND" reminder pops up in the viewfinder.  The Selenium meter in my example reacts to light, but its not at all accurate.  Typically, one would set the EV number to what the needle points to on the meter that;s viewed on the top deck of the camera.  While I'm not a fan of the EV system, it's genius lies in the fact that once you select an EV, it locks in the combination of shutter speeds of apertures that give the same EV. So, say the EV is 14, which could be 1/250 sec at f/8 or 1/125 at f/11, or 1/60 at f/16, or 1/30 at f/22.  Hasselblad used this EV system on some of their lenses, and Kodak used it on some Retina models, too.  If your handheld meter has an EV reading, that's also helpful to use with this camera.  Of course, you can set the EV on the lens barrel to anything you want, but those speeds and apertures are locked into that EV number.  To an experienced photographer, it's a pain in the butt.

The Signet 30 and 50 models feature a slot on the back for Kodak's Exposure Cards. These are small laminated cards that feature EV numbers for a particular Kodak film with the light conditions shown.  They were also used on the Pony IV camera. 

In use, the Signet 50 is quite easy to work with, especially if the light isn't changing much in the course of using it. The viewfinder is big and a pleasure to use. I loaded the camera with a roll of Rollei Retro 80s, and shot with it one afternoon in September in the River Arts District of Asheville - my testing ground for cameras.  The zone focus on the Signet 50 is easy to work with, and if the Selenium meter were working, it would be sensitive from ASA 10-400.  Given that the maximum shutter speed is 1/250 sec, that's a decent range of sensitivity.  There is a cold shoe on the top of the camera, so you could use a small modern light meter there.   

I should add that there is a Series V filter ring on the front

Note, and this bears repeating, if you find one of these cameras, you need to have film in it to test the shutter! You can find the manual online at the usual place - https://www.butkus.org/chinon/ and don't forget to pay Mike for his valuable service.

Results

The Rollei Retro 80s is a contrasty film, and I was very happy with the results from the Signet 50.  The negatives were scanned on my Epson V700.

My favorite street art in the RAD.

If you find a nice working example of a Signet 30 or 50, it would certainly be worthwhile to buy it. Load it with a roll of Kodak Gold 200 and see what that 1950s technology does for you.

The French Broad River: Before Helene

The French Broad River, late May, 2025. Minolta X7A, RETO Amber T800

It's been almost exactly a year since Western North Carolina was battered by days of rain and then Hurricane Helene. That anniversary is this coming Saturday, Sept. 27.  The amount of destruction has been told by many, and still, it touched everyone differently. Some lost everything, including family members.  Others lost a job, their business, their home, a few trees, a lot of trees, their car, and a sense of security that they once had.  Many people, myself included, didn't suffer much damage, but we were impacted by no running water for nearly a month, and several weeks of no electricity, no internet, no cell service, and we were the lucky ones.  But beyond the comforts that we lost, the natural world was also torn asunder with flooding, landslides, widespread tree blow-downs and changes to watersheds from the walls of water that swept so much away.

Near Reems Creek

Barnardsville, along Ivy Creek

River Arts District

Since moving to Weaverville NC in 2019, I enjoyed photographing along the French Broad River, which is just about 2 miles from where I live.  Riversides can be many things, and the curves of the French Broad River created some beautiful scenes.  The lovely overhanging trees, stretches of River Cane, whitewater sections, and picturesque rocks and water were a creative tonic that drew me to the shores of the river. I had planned a lengthy time period to photograph along the French Broad and the tributaries that feed into it.  However, that all changed a year ago, and those plans were literally swept away.  

at my house

My little bit of recovery therapy from the storm was to do what I know - photograph my personal view of the aftermath, while also staying away from areas that were so destroyed that anyone there not involved in cleanup and rebuilding would be a hindrance. So I stayed away from Marshall, and certainly did not visit the areas near the Swannanoa River which looked like a post-apocalyptic scene.  I had been to Chimney Rock a week before the storm, and a lot of it, and the road to it were destroyed by the storm.  If you want to see something about that area, I highly recommend Peter Santenello's YouTube episode where he visited Bat Cave and Chimney Rock in May of this year.  It's very sobering - and that was 8 months after Helene.

River Arts District, November 2024

Water distribution point, October, 2024. Holga 135

Verizon mobile access, downtown Asheville, Oct. 2024
Holga 135

Riverside Drive, October 2024. Nikon FE, Acros 100

Lyman Street, River Arts District, October, 2024. Horizon 202

Most of the places that I liked to visit and photograph are forever changed, and while nature does heal, it often takes a different timeline than what humans experience.  So, knowing that my long-term project was kaput, I decided to make a zine showing my experiences with the French Broad River before Helene.  My zine measures 6x9 inches, is 52 pages including covers, and is perfect bound.  It shows my interpretation of the river, and in black and white.  It's a testament to what was lost, and hopefully may be again, long after I'm not around.  

You can purchase it at my Etsy store for $10 + postage (US only). - https://www.etsy.com/shop/mfophotos

A few sample pages

In some good news, the Blue Ridge Parkway opened up new sections, so a few days ago I visited the Craggy Gardens area. It felt good to be able to drive there once again from my house, which is 9 miles from the Parkway.  More businesses along the French Broad have reopened, including some breweries, such as Hi-Wire and Zillicoah. 

Ledges Whitewater Park, July, 2025. So much damage.

I see more work being done in the River Arts District to remove rubble and restore/rebuild what was there a year ago.  I'd prefer that some properties get let go to become greenspace and natural areas.  

Riverlink Office in the RAD

Hi-Wire is open again

Many places are still in need of restoration, Sept. 2025

That half-buried SUV is still there. Sept. 2025

Wilma Dykeman Greenway, Sept. 2025

Craggy Gardens Visitor Center, 09/17/25

Things can change in the blink of an eye, and it will take some time before the region gets back to whatever is considered normal.  If we have learned anything from Helene is we are in this together, and compassion, cooperation, and community are important.  

It's been over a year since I have had this view. So nice to experience it again.