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Black-and-white reversal · Black & white

Fomapan R 100

Czech reversal film: the camera original is projected.

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Planned media

Black-and-white reversal, viewed directly. Original vs Ashigrain.

Fomapan R 100

stock
Fomapan R 100
mode
Reversal
film_format
35mm still (135)
Exposure index
100
Introduced
by 1980
In production
Process
R-100
Prints on
Reversal, viewed directly

About the film

Fomapan R 100 is a black-and-white reversal film from Foma in Hradec Králové, made both for slides and for movies; as a reversal film, the film that ran through the camera is the one that is projected.

By Foma's account the company was founded in 1921; the city's architecture guide traces it to a Prague maker of IBIS-brand photographic materials that moved to Plotiště nad Labem as Fotochema in the early 1920s and exported under the Foma name. The works came to make plates, papers, roll films and cine films, and the state enterprise was privatised in 1995 as FOMA BOHEMIA. Foma's January 2025 sheet rates the film ISO 100 in its own R-100 process, which uses the same Fomadon LQR developer for the first and second development at 20 °C. The full process takes about 100 minutes before drying, with a re-exposure to light or a reversal bath between the two developments, and the film must stay in total darkness or infrared light until that point. Foma makes it in 16 mm, in double 8 mm with standard or super perforation, and in 135-36 cartridges for 36 slides. A very efficient antihalation layer between base and emulsion clears in processing, and Foma credits it for the film's resolving power and edge sharpness. Foma describes the film as separating fine grey tones well in both highlights and shadows.

Sources for this history
  1. FOMAPAN R Black-and-white reversal film (technical data sheet, 01/2025), FOMA BOHEMIA
  2. O nás (Historie), FOMA BOHEMIA
  3. Fotochema, KAM Hradec Králové
  4. Seznam výrobků Foma (1980), Fotochema, n. p., Hradec Králové

The look

Fomapan R 100 is a panchromatic black-and-white reversal film from Foma in Hradec Králové. The processed camera film is itself the positive, shown directly with no print stage, and Foma tunes it for fine grey separation in both highlights and shadows.

Planned media

Home-movie black-and-white.

Fomapan R 100

stock
Fomapan R 100
mode
Reversal
film_format
35mm still (135)

Planned media

Contrasty reversal tones.

Fomapan R 100

stock
Fomapan R 100
mode
Reversal
film_format
35mm still (135)

Best for

  1. Double 8 and 16 mm home-movie footage
  2. Black-and-white slides for projection
  3. Daylight street scenes with strong shadows

Among the films

FilmSpeedGrain, RMS σD · lower is finerYears made
Technicolor Process IITechnicolor Process II−2⅔ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 16−2⅔ stops.0201922
DS-5MDS-5M−1⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 40−1⅓ stops.0051979
Kodak Aerochrome III 1443Kodak Aerochrome III 1443−1⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain coarserEI 40−1⅓ stops.0242001
Kodak Vision3 50DKodak Vision3 50DMade since 2011, in production · −1 stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 50−1 stop.0052011–
Fujifilm Velvia 50Fujifilm Velvia 50Made since 2007, in production · −1 stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 50−1 stop.0092007–
Agfa Agfacolor Ultra 50Agfa Agfacolor Ultra 50−1 stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 50−1 stop.0051995
Kodak Kodachrome 64Kodak Kodachrome 64Made 1974–2009 · −⅔ stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 64−⅔ stop.0121974–2009
Fujifilm Fujichrome 64T Type IIFujifilm Fujichrome 64T Type II−⅔ stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 64−⅔ stop.0102002
Ilford Ortho PlusIlford Ortho PlusMade since 1997, in production · −⅓ stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 80−⅓ stop.0151997–
Polaroid Type 669Polaroid Type 669−⅓ stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain coarserEI 80−⅓ stop.0241981
Svema LN-9Svema LN-9same speed vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 95same speed.0071988
Fujifilm Astia 100FFujifilm Astia 100FMade 2003–2012 · same speed vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0082003–12
Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 100Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 100same speed vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0121998
Agfa Agfacolor Optima II 100Agfa Agfacolor Optima II 100same speed vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0051998
Kodak Ektar 100Kodak Ektar 100Made since 2008, in production · same speed vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0052008–
Kodak Ektachrome 100DKodak Ektachrome 100DMade since 2018, in production · same speed vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0142018–
Fomapan R 100Fomapan R 100Made since 1980, in production · this filmEI 100this film.0221980–
NK-2NK-2same speed vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 100same speed.0131980
Fujifilm FP-100CFujifilm FP-100CMade 1992–2016 · same speed vs Fomapan R 100 · grain coarserEI 100same speed.0231992–2016
Eastman Color Negative 5247Eastman Color Negative 5247+⅓ stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 125+⅓ stop.0051983
Agfa Agfacolor Portrait XPS 160Agfa Agfacolor Portrait XPS 160+⅔ stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 160+⅔ stop.0071995
Kodak Vision3 200TKodak Vision3 200TMade since 2010, in production · +1 stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 200+1 stop.0072010–
Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266Made since 2003, in production · +1 stop vs Fomapan R 100 · grain coarserEI 200+1 stop.0252003–
Kodak Vision3 250DKodak Vision3 250DMade since 2009, in production · +1⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 250+1⅓ stops.0072009–
Fujifilm Eterna 250DFujifilm Eterna 250DMade 2005–2013 · +1⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 250+1⅓ stops.0042005–13
Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460Made since 2009, in production · +1⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 250+1⅓ stops.0132009–
Eastman Double-X 5222Eastman Double-X 5222Made since 1960, in production · +1⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 250+1⅓ stops.0151960–
Fujifilm Pro 400HFujifilm Pro 400HMade 2004–2021 · +2 stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 400+2 stops.0042004–21
Kodak Vision3 500TKodak Vision3 500TMade since 2007, in production · +2⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0072007–
Kodak Vision2 Expression 500TKodak Vision2 Expression 500T+2⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0092003
Fujifilm Eterna 500Fujifilm Eterna 500Made 2004–2013 · +2⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0042004–13
Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500Made 2009–2013 · +2⅓ stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 500+2⅓ stops.0042009–13
Kodak Portra 800Kodak Portra 800Made since 2000, in production · +3 stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 800+3 stops.0082000–
Kodak T-Max P3200Kodak T-Max P3200Made since 1988, in production · +3 stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain finerEI 800+3 stops.0191988–
Kodak Ektachrome P1600Kodak Ektachrome P1600+4 stops vs Fomapan R 100 · grain coarserEI 1600+4 stops.0381999

Science & sources

Fomapan R 100 calibration chart: OriginalFomapan R 100 calibration chart: Processed
Synthetic test chart (grey ramp, ColorChecker, hue sweep, point highlights) before and after the full Ashigrain pipeline: reversal branch, Super 35 4-perf, default controls, exposure +0.68 stops to match the original's mid-grey, frame 0.

A black-and-white reversal film with an exposure index of 100. Its positive image is shown directly, without a separate print stage. Its grain is borrowed from Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266.

Response curves and the evidence behind the model

Compare manufacturer data with the Ashigrain model on the same axes. This shows the calibration to source curves; comparison with photographed film is a separate question.

Characteristic response

Density against log H (lux-seconds) for channels N. R circles, G squares, B triangles, N diamonds; filled markers and solid lines are digitised, open markers and dashed lines are simulated: digitised and simulated.−1.00.01.02.03.0log H (lux-seconds)0.01.02.03.0Density

RMS granularity

RMS granularity (σD) against Density for channels N. R circles, G squares, B triangles, N diamonds; filled markers and solid lines are datasheet-based, open markers and dashed lines are simulated: datasheet-based and simulated.0.00.51.01.52.0Density0.00.010.020.030.040.05RMS granularity (σD)

Density variation (σD). Where the datasheet gives a single grain value, the response away from that point is an approximation.

ChannelDensityDatasheet-based σDModel σD
N0.30.0073450.007622
N0.60.0130910.013583
N10.0212610.022061
N1.50.0374890.0389
N20.0457960.04752

Model limits

These images show the film model in use. Spectral response, lighting and viewing conditions include approximations, while halation, bloom, grain size, weave and flicker are not fully measured for each film. A real film capture also depends on development and print timing.

  • Custom lighting spectra, camera metering and the spectral reflectance inferred from fixed-white-balance footage are modeled assumptions, not measurements of this film.
  • The source gives a daylight exposure index but no colour balance. Daylight calibration and spectrally neutral silver density are assumptions; the single-layer halation response is not measured.
  • The source gives RMS granularity 13.0 measured at gamma 1.1, with no aperture or density. Grain is proxied from Kodak Tri-X Reversal 7266, so the granularity values shown are that film's.
  • The spectral sensitivity chart has no printed scale; its shape is used relative to its own peak.
  • The curve uses a relative exposure axis; its normal-exposure point is assumed.
  • The text gives a gradation of 1.1, but the printed curve is steeper, about 1.6; the printed curve is used.
  • Push and pull have no published curves for this film and use a generic model.
  • Under custom lights the fast rendering path follows the full spectral calculation less closely for this film than for most others.
  • Characteristic response outside the published exposure range is an extrapolation, not measured film data.

Film guide: assumptions and practical choices

Sources

  1. Characteristic curves: FOMAPAN R 100 technical data sheet, FOMA 01/25, p. 1
  2. Diffuse RMS granularity: FOMAPAN R 100 technical data sheet, FOMA 01/25, p. 1
  3. Exposure index: FOMAPAN R 100 technical data sheet, FOMA 01/25, p. 1
  4. Process: FOMAPAN R 100 technical data sheet, FOMA 01/25, p. 1

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