Old houses

New Classic EZ400 is one of a number of films from small businesses today that is an existing emulsion with fresh branding and packaging. Sometimes the existing emulsion is commercially available and sometimes it’s not; either way, it’s fun to try these films and support these small businesses in the film community. In this case, someone else supported this small business, because two rolls of this film were a gift from a reader.

Pentax KM

I shot my first roll of EZ400 in my Pentax KM with the 50mm f/2 SMC Pentax-M lens attached. The 50/2 is the least loved of Pentax’s manual-focus 50s. I love to pull for the underdog, so I try to use this lens a couple times a year. I developed the film in HC-110, Dilution B, and scanned the negatives on my Plustek 8200i scanner.

As I shot the roll, I had some trouble with the shutter hanging up when I pressed the button. The shutter did eventually fire, and at the right speed as the resulting images (as below) were properly exposed. This happened eight times during the roll. I was worried that I’d need to send this body out for CLA again — I had it done just a couple years ago. But since I finished this roll, I’ve had no more trouble with the KM’s shutter.

Street light

New Classic EZ400 cartridges have no DX code, so this film isn’t a good choice for most point and shoot cameras. A 35mm SLR or a rangefinder are better choices, as very few of them won’t let you set ISO manually.

Old houses

Whenever I shoot one of these boutique films, I search the Internet to see if anyone knows what the original emulsion is. There’s little speculation about EZ400, but a couple people in forums wonder if this is Fomapan 400. These images do resemble my past results with that film, and the development times are similar. However, I’ve had trouble with lost shadow detail with Fomapan 400 at box speed, but not with this roll of EZ400.

Slippery Noodle

These negatives scanned extraordinarily well. I needed to do very little to them in Photoshop beyond boosting contrast, something I do with all of my scans.

Tiki Bob's

I experience EZ400 as having medium contrast with good tonality and a noticeable but not obtrusive classic grain.

Taurus

I got best results from this medium-contrast film on medium-contrast scenes.

Faucet

When I tried to shoot a higher-contrast scene, results were decidedly mixed. Here, the shadows are a little underexposed.

Receiving

Each film has its optimal conditions, and it’s up to us to either use film that works with the conditions, or accept the results we get when the conditions aren’t optimal for the film!

Slippery Noodle

I like New Classic EZ400 based on my results from this first roll. I’d use it again. It helps that it’s not expensive at about $7 for a 36-exposure roll. It also comes in a nifty lidded cardboard cylinder that ought to break down far faster than the usual plastic can.

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Comments

10 responses to “First roll impressions: New Classic EZ400”

  1. Andy Umbo Avatar
    Andy Umbo

    As an aside, back when I was a photographic enthusiast paper boy, and was paying 75 cents for a roll of 20 exposure Kodak (no 24 shot rolls back then), and $1.05 for a roll of 36 exposures, Kodak black and white 35 mm film came in a cardboard tube and a hermetically sealed overwrap similar to what 120 film comes in, and then in a box. 35 mm color came in a metal can. I wonder if the plastic can, for everything, was cheaper than the cardboard tube, or just cheaper in the long run to have one type of packing line? Glad to see someone is back to the easier to recycle, and easier to crush flat, cardboard packaging!

      1. Andy Umbo Avatar
        Andy Umbo

        Oh Yeah, that brings back the memories!

      2. tbm3fan Avatar
        tbm3fan

        I never shot 35mm until 1972 so never saw that. From 1960-1967 it was 620. Then from 1967-72 it was an Instamatic.126. I recall starting with the metal cans.

        1. Jim Grey Avatar

          Stay tuned – next week in this spot I review an Instamatic!

  2. bodegabayf2 Avatar

    Looks like you got some very nice results from this film!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      It’s a good film.

  3. Khürt Williams Avatar

    These came out great Jim.

    1. Kodachromeguy Avatar

      I agree. I think these are very nice negatives. Well done! I wonder who supplies the film to New Classic?

      1. Jim Grey Avatar

        People think this film is Fomapan 400. It sort of looks like it and the dev times are similar.

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