Pentax A3 with Ilford PANF Plus 50

I wanted to try a film with a reportedly fine grain.  From various reports, I had read that an Ilford PANF Plus 50 would be the answer.

I have used this film before on the Voigtlander in a 120 roll.  Even though I was very happy with those results although, at the time, I did not consider that the grain was any finer than some ISO 100 films I had used.  I thought that perhaps, if I used it in 35mm, there may be a difference.  Another reason for choosing this film is that I wanted a slower ISO film for some long exposure experiments.

I put this film into my Pentax A3. The A3 is an AV mode 35mm camera; set aperture on lens and camera calculates the shutter speed.  The lenses I use for this camera are 58mm diameter and so I can use the Cokin filters I purchased for my Canon DSLR lenses!

I did get some long exposure shots and I guess they didn't turn out 'too bad' but... I think I am spoiled by the long exposures I get from my DSLR because they have a higher dynamic range in colour and contrast.  I have some more experimenting to do in that department I think.  

Here is one of the long exposures I took whilst down at Snapper Rocks in the Munmorah State Recreation Park.  This photo was exposed for the waves on the rocks.  When developed, the white foam created as the waves crashed against the rocks, came out as a bright white which underexposed the rest of the detail.  A little adjustment in the Dodge and Burn department and histogram adjustment in PSE has resulted in this outcome.

Wybung Heads and Frazers Beach from Snapper Rocks.  Munmorah State Recreation Park, Moonee, Australia.

Anyway, as with all my film photography, I wanted to go out on safari and capture the things that surround me in my daily life; people, places, buildings etc. 

I started at Wheeler Place in Newcastle.  Wheeler Place is a public square off Hunter Street surrounded by shops, cafe and, the Newcastle City Council and City Hall buildings.  It is a great place to catch people transiting through as well as those who just sit and take in their surroundings and those who sit and are glued to their smart phones!  

Wheeler Place Square, Newcastle, Australia.

Wheeler Place, Newcastle, Australia - the round building on the right is the City Council Building.

There is no escape! - People glued to their smartphones ignore the beauty
of the day as it passes them by.  Wheeler Place, Newcastle, Australia.

From there I wandered to the park in Christie Place that sits between the beautiful City Hall building and the lovely art deco style of University House.  Just across the road from City Hall in King Street is the beautiful Civic Park; always a great location for a photograph thanks to the differing architecture styles surrounding it and the large fountain on the southern side of the park.  Over the bridge to Stockton for some shots of their small mooring area on the Hunter River and back again to Merewether and the Ocean Baths at Newcastle.

The Shortland Centenary Fountain- Christie Place, Newcastle, Australia.

Fun in the Sun - Civic Park, Newcastle, Australia.

Stockton mooring on the Hunter River - Newcastle, Australia.

Ocean Baths - Newcastle, Australia.

Waiting for a wave - Merewether Beach, Newcastle, Australia

I do have some more from this roll; land and seascapes from the Munmorah State Recreation Park.  But I think they will have to wait for another post!  I also just finished another roll of  this film in my Konica-Minolta Dynax 40 camera.  Still going through them and editing a  little here and there but they will be on here hopefully in the next week.

As I said at the start of this post, I wanted to try a slower film for a finer grain.  These photos have turned out great but I think that I get a finer grain out of a Fuji NEOPAN Across 100.  You can compare the results here and see what you think.

I stayed with the same lens for all of these photos - Pentax SMC F 35-105mm zoom.

For my next film project, I have opted for a colour film - a Fuji PRO 160C.  

Hope you are all well.

Jordy