The New Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8 Film at the Baltic Sea With Michaclimb

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Michael, aka Michaclimb grew up in East Berlin. Analogue photography, from taking pictures to developing them himself, was taken for granted in his youth, but with the rise of digital cameras, his interest was initially waning. It was only when he stumbled upon the pictures of a Holga by chance that the love of analogue was rekindled and Lomography was Michael's first stop in search of new analogue cameras. Now he likes to experiment with expired films, but experimental Lomography films also appeal to him. Michael has also been involved in several of our Kickstarter campaigns, thank you very much!

Our new Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8 film was shot by Michael on a weekend on Fischland-Darß to capture the unique charm of the Baltic Sea.

© Michaclimb

Which Equipment did you use with the Film?

I loaded my Nikon FA with the Fantôme Kino because I am more variable with my 'Neptune Art Lenses'. My Holga's have only one fixed lens and can't adapt to ISO 8. With the help of an adapter, I could also test my Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50 mm with two photos on the Nikon. I carried a tripod with a remote shutter release with me, shooting out of hand is not possible with the Fantôme Kino in dull weather.

What were your experiences with the Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8? What did you think of the Fantôme Kino in contrast to other B&W films?

What you can see immediately, the Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8 film is quite 'harsh'. It does not produce smooth pictures. Also, the contrast is quite steep, it doesn't give you many nuances. In some of my shots, it shows a certain graininess, which surprised me. Is it because of pushing or scanning? But everything fits with the motives very well and I am very satisfied!

"These pictures show the typical wide landscape at the northernmost tip of Fischland-Darß." © Michaclimb

Can you tell us a little bit about the creation process of this series?

When I was given the film, we happened to have booked a weekend on Darß. That was perfect, although I didn't know exactly which 'landscape' would await me and if there would be an extraordinary motif. So we set off and I just let myself drift. Actually I didn't want to take the usual photos of the sea, but that doesn't always work out. You need a lot of time and knowledge of the place. So I hoped that the film would bring its own character to the motif without knowing exactly which one it could be. I had no idea what the emulsion would do to the subject.

Have you experimented with different exposures?

Unfortunately, I only had a weekend to test, on these days the weather was also very cloudy. But in retrospect, I'm quite happy about it, because it additionally extended the exposure time. Either I closed the aperture as far as I could or I opened it completely. I had used AV and relied on the camera for the measurements. Since my FA only starts at ISO 12, the film had to be pushed there during development.

"The car with the tattered bonnet stood outside my window for weeks. I just couldn't resist taking that shot." © Michaclimb

Have you had experience with similar low ISO values before? How does the low ISO value of the film influence your approach and choice of motif?

I had never used such a low ISO film before and I couldn't imagine the character of the film. I just knew that the exposure times would be longer than usual, and I adjusted to that with the equipment.

"These two pictures of the beach go well together. From my point of view, they convey the special kind of winter by the sea, calming." © Michaclimb

Do you have a favourite picture from this series? Why do you like it especially?

I especially like the pictures of the sunken bunker and the fence that juts into the water. The movement of the water is hinted at and it shows the dynamics of the waves. The water does not yet fully show the foggy surface, which is often desired for long term shots.

© Michaclimb

Tips and tricks for future Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8 Film users? For what purposes would you recommend the film?

From my point of view, he is not an all-rounder, so you need a pretty good idea of how you want to design your shots and what you want to achieve. He is not a flatterer, he can arouse interest, draw attention. I can imagine exciting motifs in nature, in the city and also of people in special surroundings and as a series. The Fantôme Kino definitely delivers special results if you keep the ISO 8 value in mind.


Many thanks to Michael for these wonderful shots and his thoughts on the new Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8 Film. Check out his LomoHome and leave some love!

written by alinaxeniatroniarsky on 2020-05-18

5 Comments

  1. alexricht
    alexricht ·

    Great post!

  2. polaroidlove
    polaroidlove ·

    Great article and photos!

  3. michaclimb
    michaclimb ·

    Vielen Dank!

  4. lomodesbro
    lomodesbro ·

    Very informative with interesting gallery

  5. raulph
    raulph ·

    wow, great shots!! Which develop did you use?

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