Last Updated on 11/06/2024 by Feroz Khan
There aren’t too many films in the market that can make ISO 100 films feel incredibly fast, even by traditional standards. That’s because KONO manufactures film stock that’s anything but standard. That’s even what the tagline on most of their film canisters implies – “Don’t You Dare Call It Standard.” And kudos to them for bringing out film that challenges even the most seasoned analog photographers to crawl out of their comfort zones. The new Kono Slow B&W film is an incredibly slow ISO 6. Yes, 6; not 600 or even 60.
When Slow Means Really Slow
I’ve been shooting medium format for some months now, and the prices of high ISO film are currently keeping fast film stock (ISO 400 and above) out of reach for me. It’s mostly ISO 100 film that has been going through the film back on my Hasselblad 500cm. There’s no magical knob like there is on my digital cameras to bump up the ISO when I need to. I often find myself holding my breath and steadying myself to get somewhat crisp shots at 1/15s handheld. After all, there’s only so much that can be done with such low ISO film. While such rolls have been teaching me a fine lesson in patience while shooting analog frames, I didn’t think I would or even could shoot any slower for now. Until I saw the press release about the Kono Slow Black and White ISO 6 film.
Yes, It Really Is ISO 6
I had to read the email more than once to actually understand that it was a supremely slow-speed film. While it won’t quite take you to pinhole photography durations of shutter speeds, it’s enough to make you want to invest in a very steady tripod for the duration of its usage. Kono is no stranger to extremely low ISO films. The limited edition Kono Danau was another ISO 6 film released back in 2015; however, it was a color film. ISO 6 in dwindling light could be great for ultra-long light trail photos. In strong sunlight (loads of that here in Dubai), it could allow you to shoot really shallow depth of field portraits, something that has me reaching out for an ND filter often during the day.
A Steal At Under $10
At just €8.90 (USD 9.7) for a 35mm canister, the Kono Slow B&W ISO film is very affordable. Their sustainability angle allows them to keep costs low by loading “film into refurbished metal cartridges and refurbished plastic containers whenever possible.” But I think you’ll find yourself using up more than one canister to familiarise yourself with the unforgiving nature of the slow ISO. I’d say I’d probably need at least 3 before I’m able to tame this beauty that helps showcase your frames with deep blacks and immensely rich contrast, should you nail the exposure. Should you wish to experiment with this, I highly recommend investing in a sturdy tripod. Check out our tripod buyers’ guide for some advice on this.
Made and packaged in Germany, you can pre-order right now and expect delivery after 8th November in Europe. I know many of you reading this will be hoping for a 120 version as well, but we don’t have any information on that at the moment. If and when this does come out, I might just give it a try
All images seen in this article are screenshots from the Kono Slow ISO 6 B&W film pages on the Kono website
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