Fujifilm Acros 100 II .
Acros II is the last remaining black and white film Fujifilm makes. It was first released in 2000 and was widely available until 2018, when Fujifilm discontinued it because of decreased demand and difficulty sourcing the raw materials. It came back soon after with revised materials, because of increased demand from younger shooters.
Fujifilm says the new version is an improvement: finer grain, more sharpness and better highlight gradation. It does this without losing what sets Acros apart from other black and white film: low reciprocity failure. In plain language: no correction to exposure times is needed on exposures up to two minutes. Up to 16 minutes it needs half a stop. That is remarkable. A 15-minute exposure with Acros requires 21 minutes with compensation; other films would need between 80 minutes and nearly five hours. For exposures over ten minutes it really is the only choice.
That said, it’s not a one-trick pony. It’s a wonderful film for architecture, portraiture and studio work with strobes. Bright sunny days? Tick. Long night exposures? Tick. Its grain and contrast are comparable to T-Max/Ektapan 100 and Delta 100.
It’s a film every photographer should try at least once. There’s nothing like it.
- + Long exposures due to its low reciprocity failure
- + Architecture with good light or a tripod
- + Studio work with strobes
- − Fast moving objects — choose Delta 400 or 3200
- − You want more contrast or grain — choose Tri-X
- − Pushing more than two stops — choose HP5 Plus or Tri-X
more from their film.
Fujifilm claims the finest grain of any ISO 100 black-and-white film. In 35mm it stays smooth even in big enlargements, and in 120, with less enlargement needed, grain is a non-issue at normal print sizes. Rate it at ISO 100. Fujifilm describes its exposure latitude as wide. Reciprocity is the standout: exposures up to 2 minutes need no correction, and from 2 to about 16 minutes they need only half a stop more. Fujifilm recommends it for night scenes, astrophotography and architecture.
Contrast is medium at box speed, with smooth tonal gradation and very high sharpness, which suits subjects with fine texture. Fujifilm documents a one-stop push to EI 200. Two stops, to EI 400, also works, though contrast rises and shadows turn muddy in poor light.
Keep unexposed film cool. If it has been refrigerated, let it reach room temperature in its sealed packaging before opening, so condensation doesn't form on the emulsion. Process soon after exposure.