I test my new-to-me Mamiya 645 1000s medium format film camera loaded with Kentmere 400 black and white 120 film shot at box speed. I also have the perfect lens for this location in the Mamiya 55-110mm f/4.5 zoom. It offers crisp, sharp images at any focal length and is perfect for walk-around photography.

I loaded a roll of Kentmere 100 black and white 120 film, already my favorite brand, into my Mamiya M645 manual camera with the 55-110mm very sharp Mamiya C zoom lens and headed out to specifically shoot an old car on display on a rural property not too far from my home on nice, sunny late afternoon.

The light could not have been better or more suited for photos of the interior of the vehicle through the windows, which always makes a nice image. But a bonus for this day was a second car, an old Biscayne that was sitting along the road with a for sale sign in the window.

I'll admit the cool name attracted me to this film, but so did the incredibly low price of just $6.90 per roll. The only film cheaper in cost at my local shop is the Kentmere at just under $6.00 per roll.
So before even loading the film, this brand had already scored two positive points. It could only get better from here ... right? Well, maybe not.

A little more grain than I would expect with 100 speed film, but that could be due to the development in Cinestill DF96. I'm only basing my opinions and decisions on using the film in this developer, as it's my developer of choice. I'm fully aware (for the skeptics) that there are much better developers out there, but I choose to shoot the film I like, using the cameras I like, and the developer I like ... regardless of popular opinions or thoughts of others. It's my hobby, and the idea is to use the film/developer that works for me, not someone else.

A day of moody fog photography is the best use of black and white film I can think of! Gloomy days offer an excellent pallet for any kind of black and white shooting. Regardless of whether you using digital or film, a day of mood photography is always good for the soul!

For this outing, I chose Kentmere 400 speed medium format film in my Mamiya M645 camera with an incredibly sharp 55-110mm Mamiya C zoom lens. I hand-developed the film in Cinestill DF96 Monobath developer (no fixer needed).

Today was a good day of medium format photography. It's a been a long time that I've wanted to be able to say that, and now I can, thanks to my low-budget Mamiya M645 and Mamiya 55-110mm f/4.5 zoom. The camera is a basic model, and easy to operate. Fortunately, the levers, buttons, latches, crank and shutter all work as expected, and the lens is tact sharp.

I shot two rolls of Kentmere 100 on a day featuring dull, grey skies. This didn't stop me, however, as I had the urge to burn through these rolls and test the camera and film, and get them developed all in the same day in Cinestill DF96 Mono Bath (no fixer required). This, regardless of the actual photos, was a success.