Kentmere 400 - B&W 35mm Film
The affordable one that goes anywhere.
Same family, more speed. Kentmere 400 takes everything that makes its slower sibling worth shooting and adds the ISO for when the light gets difficult.
Kentmere 400 35mm Film is a high speed, ISO 400 black and white film manufactured by Harman Technology, the company behind Ilford Photo. Like Kentmere 100, it is made to the same production standards as the Ilford range, which means Harman quality at a price that makes it easy to shoot freely and often. Fine grain for its speed, good sharpness and a broad tonal range make it a capable all-rounder, processed in standard black and white chemistry.
What Makes Kentmere 400 35mm Film Habit-Forming
ISO 400: The Useful Speed ISO 400 is where film becomes genuinely versatile. It handles bright outdoor conditions without complaint and keeps working as the light drops, indoors, under cloud cover, or in the kind of unpredictable mixed lighting that slower films struggle with. If you only shoot one speed of black and white film, 400 is the practical answer.
Fine Grain for the Speed ISO 400 films carry more grain than their slower counterparts by definition, but Kentmere 400 manages it well. The grain structure is fine enough that enlargements hold up, and the sharpness is good enough that you won't find yourself wishing you'd loaded something else. For a film at this price, the technical performance is solid.
Broad Tonal Range Medium contrast with a wide tonal range, giving it composure across highlights and shadows. It won't produce the drama of a pushed film, but shot at box speed it renders scenes with balance. The panchromatic sensitisation keeps tonal response across colours natural and even.
Wide Exposure Latitude Like its sibling, Kentmere 400 is forgiving when exposure isn't perfect. That makes it a sensible choice for photographers still refining their metering, or for fast-moving situations where you don't always have time to be precise. It absorbs reasonable mistakes without drama, which is what a workhorse film should do.
Harman Heritage Kentmere is manufactured by Harman Technology, the same company that makes Ilford films and papers, on the same equipment and to the same standards. The Kentmere range exists at a lower price point, not a lower standard of manufacture. Worth repeating because it's worth knowing.
Versatile Processing Compatible with a wide range of developers and works in spiral tanks, deep tanks and automatic processors. Standard times, standard chemistry, no unusual requirements. Develop it yourself if you like, or send it our way and we will develop, scan and print it for you. On fine matte, Kentmere's grain reads particularly well.
36 Exposures, 35mm Format A full roll of 36 frames, compatible with any 35mm camera.
Best For The film to reach for when conditions are unpredictable or the light is less than ideal. It suits street photography, travel, indoor available light, portraiture and general everyday shooting where you want a film that can handle whatever the day produces. The speed, grain and latitude also make it an excellent learning film, and the price means you can afford to shoot more and worry less about wasting frames.
Perfect for: Street and travel photographers, beginners building their black and white habit, available light and indoor work, and anyone who wants a dependable fast film from a trusted manufacturer without paying premium prices for the privilege.
Kentmere 400 won't win awards for mystique. What it will do is turn up, perform consistently, and leave enough money in your pocket to keep the habit going. In a market full of films that trade on heritage, sometimes the most sensible dependency is the one that gets the job done.