Does all Black and White look the same? ( Kodak, Ilford, Harman)
Kodak T-MAX 400, Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford HP5 Plus, and Kentmere Pan 400 — four of the most popular black and white film stocks — shot side by side to answer the question nobody wants to admit is complicated: can you actually tell the difference?
I tested all four films in real shooting conditions using four Nikon bodies — the FA, F3, F2, and FM3a — all shot at native ISO 400 and developed and scanned the same way at a standard lab. No fancy developing techniques, no obscure dilutions — just the results most shooters will actually get.
We cover grain structure, highlight retention, dynamic range, portrait performance, and exposure latitude across all four stocks. T-MAX's T-grain technology gives it a sharpness and highlight control advantage that's hard to argue with. Tri-X is the classic choice but shows its weaknesses in dynamic range. HP5 is the most forgiving if you mess up your exposure. And Kentmere — the cheapest film on the list — might surprise you more than any of them.
If you shoot black and white film and have ever wondered whether the brand on the box actually matters, this one's for you.
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🎞️ Films tested: Kodak T-MAX 400 · Kodak Tri-X 400 · Ilford HP5 Plus · Kentmere Pan 400
📷 Cameras used: Nikon FA · Nikon F3 · Nikon F2 · Nikon FM3a
💡 All rolls developed and scanned at a standard lab · Shot at native ISO 400
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📹 Cameras:
Nikon FA ~ Nikon F3 ~ Nikon F2 ~ Nikon FM3a
🎞️ Film: Kodak TMAX 400 ~ Kodak Tri-X ~ Ilford HP5 ~ Kentmere Pan 400
📙Chapters:
00:00 | Intro
02:05 | First Frames
04:50 | Exposure Test
06:49 | Skin Tones
07:15 | Diving into highlights
09:01 | Grain Check!
10:51 | The Darkroom - Sponsor
12:09 | Color Chart exposure test
12:57 | Final Thoughts
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