Observations: After having shot one roll of Bergger Panchro 400 over the course of a few late springtime days, I can’t say many good things about this film stock. It managed to hit all of the negative sides of the various evaluation criteria I use. This film failed to preserve much shadow detail when exposed for highlights, it was heavy on the grain, and grey tones were on the disppointing side. If one’s subject matter calls for these qualities, Bergger Panchro 400 will suit it well. But for my purposes, I don’t think I will try another roll of Bergger Panchro 400 again.
Nikon F with Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 lens, Bergger Panchro 400 film, 1/500 sec., f/4.
This is perhaps the best image I got out of the single roll of Bergger Panchro 400 that I shot.
There is a moodiness to this image that I like, but the grain is a bit too heavy for my tastes, and I would have liked grey tones to match the softness that I remember seeing under the partly cloudy conditions I made this exposure under.
Left: Nikon F with Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 lens, Bergger Panchro 400 film, 1/500 sec., f/11.
This film stock handled the predominant highlights in this image decently, but shadow detail is a bit too dark for me.
Right: Nikon F with Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 lens, Bergger Panchro 400 film, 1/500 sec., f/8.
With its poor tonality, this shadow selfie image demonstrates how highlights (top edge) can tend to look overexposed and grainy.Nikon F with Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 lens, Bergger Panchro 400 film, 1/500 sec., f/11.
When I made this image, I exposed for the gravestone on the left, but I did not expect shadow detail to become as lost as it became on the right.
