I bought this roll of T-Max 100 when I was going through a bit of a black and white phase, having recently shot a roll of Kentmere 100 and curious as to how the Kodak stock would compare. I spent a pretty penny on this roll, at 15,000 won almost double the price of the Kentmere, so I was curious to see how it would compare to the budget-bargain Ilford stock.
I set out shooting at night to see specifically how this stock would perform with flash. Unfortunately my Olympus mju ii didn’t do the best job of focusing, and so missed quite a few shots. The shots which it did get right, however, were sufficiently detailed and exposed with just the ambience that I was looking for.
The characteristics of the T-Max are quite far off from that of the Kentmere stocks. It’s a far contrastier film, with deeper, inky blacks which may conceal shadow details (if you’re worried about that). That said, it is sharper throughout the frame when paired with a decent lens – as the 35mm shooter on the Olympus mju ii definitely is. Is it worth almost double the asking price of the Kentmere stocks, though? Personally, I don’t think so, which means the next time I use this stock will have to be for a very special situation.
You might feel differently, so check out the gallery below and let me know.
