To be completely honest, I am a bit of a sucker for weird films, unusual development chemistries, and oddball photographic processes. So, when I read about an ISO 1 black and white reversal film, I was unable to resist the temptation to pick up a couple of rolls to experiment with. Before the advent of digital imaging and the renaissance of film photography, a film stock with an ISO rating of 1 (yes, one) was not something I would generally ever reach for. These were specialized emulsions for specific applications. But these days, some of these old stocks are being sold as what you might call 'boutique' films.
In bright sunlight, you'll need a shutter speed of 1 sec at f/16, meaning that you'll need to work on a tripod or use a wide aperture lens. I decided to load up a roll of this film for a relaxing photowalk on a sunny day. I gave a little extra exposure, working at f/1.2 and 1/30 sec, and used whatever was nearby to steady the camera. The film was developed in standard b/w chemistry and yielded a positive image. The smokey character and cool tones of the emulsion is pretty typical of the results you'll see. A downside is that the film backing is a dust magnet. The image was shot on 35 mm film in the Canon F-1 with the 50 mm f/1.2 L lens, and cropped square. Exploring the obscure corners of the medium is fun, like finding a great neighborhood restaurant way off the beaten path.
Bon appetit...
