Actualité industrie · 2026-09-10

Kentmere Pan 200: the Ilford-made film stock that punches well above its price

Kentmere has always carried a reputation as Ilford's budget line, the film you grab when you're a student counting pennies or when you don't want to burn a roll of HP5+ on something uncertain. The Pan 200, released in May 2025, shifts that perception a bit. It's not just a gap-filler in the catalog; it's the missing step between the Pan 100 and Pan 400, and early real-world results suggest it deserves serious attention, even from photographers who don't buy on price alone.

What Harman actually did here

Kentmere is a sub-brand of Harman Technology, the same company behind Ilford. Both lines come out of the same facility in England, made to the same manufacturing standards. The difference between a Kentmere and an Ilford film isn't quality control; it's emulsion formulation and, at the end of the day, price.

For the Pan 200, Harman went with a low-density acetate base 0.125mm thick, the same base type used across most of their 135-format emulsions. The film is available in 24 and 36-exposure DX-coded cassettes, a 30.5-meter (100-foot) bulk roll, and 120. Current pricing is around $7.95 USD or £5.50 for a 36-exposure roll, noticeably less than HP5+, which typically runs $9 to $11 USD depending on where you're buying.

Harman has also invested heavily in new production machinery to double their 35mm cassette output. The Pan 200 launch is part of that broader push: more capacity, a fuller range, accessible pricing. It's a clear signal that the company is betting on sustained growth in the analog market, not a short-term spike.

ISO 200: the speed that got forgotten

The glaring gap in the Kentmere lineup until now was ISO 200. Which is a strange omission, because 200 ISO is genuinely useful day to day: more headroom in low light than ISO 100, finer grain than ISO 400, reasonable latitude across changing natural light conditions. The Pan 100 is excellent in bright sun or under controlled studio lighting, but it struggles quickly once the light drops. The Pan 400 handles low light better but brings noticeably more grain with it.

The Pan 200 fills that middle ground honestly. In diffused natural light, late afternoon, or a reasonably lit interior, it handles itself without requiring exposure compensation to keep things on track. Photographers who've put it through its paces outdoors in variable conditions report a wider dynamic range than you'd expect at this price point, with solid blacks that don't completely collapse in the shadows.

What's more surprising is the contrast. The Pan 200 is formulated to have more contrast than either the Pan 100 or the Pan 400. In practice that means brighter whites and denser blacks, a more dramatic look than either sibling delivers at box speed. For street work, portraiture in hard light, or landscapes with a red or orange filter, that contrast profile is genuinely welcome.

Qualitative trends only — the Pan 200 sits higher in contrast than either sibling; grain increases steadily with ISO. Values are illustrative, not measured.

How it stacks up against HP5+ and FP4+

The question comes up every time a Kentmere film is released: do you give something up compared to an Ilford?

Honestly, a little. HP5+ remains one of the most forgiving emulsions out there; you can push it to 1600 or even 3200 ISO with the right developer and still pull usable negatives. Its exposure latitude is generous in both directions. FP4+ delivers finer grain than anything in the Kentmere range, with a level of fine detail that shows up at the enlarger, particularly beyond 12x16 inches (about 30x40cm).

The Pan 200 isn't competing with HP5+ on pushing. Exposing it at 400 ISO is manageable, but beyond that the results get less predictable. And it doesn't replace FP4+ if ultra-fine grain at low sensitivity is the priority.

For ordinary outdoor or natural-light shooting, though, the Pan 200 holds up well in comparison. The grain difference between a properly exposed Pan 200 and an FP4+ isn't huge in normal use; you really see it under a loupe or in very large prints. And over a long run of film, the price difference on the Pan 200 adds up to real savings.

Film	ISO	Push headroom	Grain	Contrast	Approx. price (36 exp.)
Kentmere Pan 100	100	Limited	Very fine	Moderate	~$6–7 USD
Kentmere Pan 200	200	Moderate (to ~400)	Fine	Higher	~$7.95 USD / £5.50
Kentmere Pan 400	400	Moderate	Noticeable	Moderate	~$7–8 USD
Ilford FP4+	125	Moderate	Very fine	Moderate	~$9–10 USD
Ilford HP5+	400	Excellent (to 3200)	Moderate	Moderate	~$9–11 USD

Development: what the data sheet says, and what people are finding

Harman's official data sheet (available on the Ilford Photo website, dated March 2025) gives the ISO rating at 20°C (68°F) in ID-11, intermittent agitation in a spiral tank. That's the standard starting point. For specific times by developer, go straight to that sheet rather than relying on times posted around the internet; figures sometimes shift between the initial announcement and the final published document.

In Rodinal, the Pan 200 behaves interestingly. At 1+50 dilution and 20°C, micro-contrast goes up and the grain becomes a bit more pronounced, which depending on your subject is either exactly what you want or something to avoid. For street photography where a grainier look fits, it works well. For a soft-light portrait, you'd probably prefer a finer-grain developer. At 1+25 the results are more conventional. Community times for Rodinal aren't fully settled yet for this film; the Massive Dev Chart (digitaltruth.com) is accumulating useful real-world data as photographers share their results.

Studio and artificial light

The Pan 200 does well here too. Under controlled studio lighting, whether flash or continuous, the film's contrast profile works in its favor: the transitions between bright and dark areas are clean, and shadow regions retain detail. For portrait or product work in a budget studio setup, it's a solid option, as long as you're not after the very soft, gentle rendering of FP4+.

Who this film is for

The Pan 200 has a fairly specific profile, and it makes more sense to work with that than to treat it as a universal substitute for whatever Ilford film you'd otherwise reach for.

It's a good fit if you're shooting a lot of rolls outdoors in variable natural light and don't want to pay HP5+ or FP4+ prices every time you go out. For photographers getting started with home developing, it's also a good compromise: affordable, tolerant enough to survive a few development errors without completely falling apart, and the results are often pleasing even without dialing everything in.

If you push film regularly, often find yourself in low light, or print very large, HP5+ remains the more versatile tool. And if fine grain is the main goal, FP4+ or even the Pan 100 will serve you better.

In 120, the Pan 200 is particularly interesting. The grain naturally appears finer in the larger format, bringing the rendering closer to a mid-range emulsion at a price that stays very competitive. If you shoot medium format and have been hesitant to try affordable black-and-white, this is worth a serious look.

Quick decision guide — Pan 200 works well for outdoor and everyday shooting; specialist needs point toward Ilford siblings.

Going further

If you want a direct comparison between the Pan 200 and what Ilford offers, the simplest approach is to shoot a roll of each under identical conditions: same camera, same light, same developer. The difference in rendering becomes clear at the enlarger or scanning them side by side. Kentmere Pan 200 in 36 exposures is now available from most online analog retailers. Ilford HP5+ is the natural comparison point, and FP4+ for anyone wanting to step up in grain refinement without going to the top of the range.

For development, Harman's official data sheet on ilfordphoto.com is the starting point for all Ilford developers. The Massive Dev Chart (digitaltruth.com) is building up community data for Rodinal and less common developers quickly, and it's worth checking once times stabilize after a few more months of real-world use.

If you're developing in Rodinal and want a starting point before the official data settles in, use the times listed for Kentmere Pan 400 at the equivalent ISO and adjust downward. Several photographers have found that the Pan 200 develops a bit faster.