Kentmere Pan 200 .
Kentmere Pan 200 is the newest addition to the Kentmere range. It’s a high contrast black and white film with modest grain. It launched in May 2025 to fill the gap between Pan 100 and Pan 400, and it's not just a split-the-difference compromise. It has its own character.
The contrast is the first thing you'll notice. This is a punchy film. Blacks are deep, highlights are bright, and there's a graphic quality to the images that you'd normally only get by pushing a lower-contrast stock. With Pan 200 you get that look straight out of the box at normal development. If you like bold black and white with strong tonal separation, this delivers it without extra work.
The grain is fine for 200 speed and the latitude is wider than the high contrast might suggest. Shadows stay clean and you've got room to be a stop over or under without losing the image. It's also forgiving in the darkroom — Harman designed it to tolerate less-than-perfect processing, which makes it a good choice if you're still learning to develop.
If you want a cheap roll this is a good choice. Kentmere has always been positioned as the affordable alternative to Ilford's main range, and Pan 200 continues that. If you're shooting a lot of black and white and want to keep costs down without sacrificing too much image quality, it's worth considering. Also available in bulk.
If you want a contrasty, fine-grained black and white film at a good price, Kentmere Pan 200 should be on your radar.
- + Landscapes when you want high contrast
- + Urban scenes when you have enough light
- + Shooting on a budget — one of the most affordable B&W films available
- − Street photography — choose Kentmere Pan 400
- − Low light — ISO 200 needs decent light, choose HP5 Plus or Tri-X 400
- − You want the finest grain in the range — choose Kentmere Pan 100
more from their film.
Kentmere Pan 200 is a medium-speed black and white film that delivers fine grain and strong, assertive contrast — not a neutral rendering but a deliberate high-contrast character. At ISO 200 in 35mm, grain is fine and well-controlled, noticeably finer than Kentmere 400 and appropriate for quality enlargements or high-resolution scans. The film holds shadow detail even in high-contrast scenes. The reciprocity formula (Ta = Tm^1.26) applies for exposures beyond one second, so long-exposure shooting will need compensation.
The development table includes a one-stop push to EI 400 with full published times across multiple developers, and a one-stop pull to EI 100. At EI 400, expect a further increase in already-high contrast with shadows and highlights retained. Beyond one stop either way, no manufacturer data exists — this film's design intent is confident performance at box speed rather than push versatility. The high-contrast character means underexposure amplifies contrast quickly; overexposure softens it.
Store unexposed film in a cool, dry environment (10–20°C). Fridge or freezer storage is fine — allow the cassette to return fully to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation on the film surface. Process exposed rolls promptly.