Right off the bat, I’ll admit: I have a bad habit of buying as many different film stocks as I can.
Sure it’s great to have go-to film stocks for professional use. These are the kind that are consistent, highly predictable, and overall familiar to the user.
BUT! How could I overlook something like CATLABS? First of all, great name. Second, They make their film for so many formats! I purchased the x 80 (ISO 80, big surprise there) for 120 film, but they also make this film for 4×5 and 8×10 cameras as well.
I’m the kind of shooter who will shoot then let it sit for a while before I develop it. In that waiting period, a buddy of mine sent me a second roll of CatLabs x 80 for 120.
The Alvord Desert and Steen Mountains in Southeast Oregon: A 6×6 Story
The first roll went through my Mamiya C330f back in September of 2020, and the fresh roll from my friend made its way into my Mamiya Press Universal 6×9 back.
Being the ecstatic Mamiya fanboy that I am, I rolled out in excitement to make some stuff happen with my full loaded cameras. I took the C330f to the Alvord Desert on a camping trip.
The landscape was not super colorful, so I didn’t have high hopes. The views were cool, and oh man am I glad I loaded black and white film for part of the trip.
The 6×6 shots I got from this trip are just absolutely lovely. There’s little more I can add.
One of my favorite parts about shooting with CatLabs film was the way it captured the punchy contrast. Films that end up in the harsh contrast were some of my favorites coming out of either roll.
It felt like the perfect film to take to a bright desert.
Oceanside California and All the Way to Portland Oregon: 6×9 Wide Shot Time
The Mamiya Press Universal is not exactly a carry around camera, but it is one of the coolest portrait cameras I have ever owned. Nevertheless, I did carry it around for a few miles and got some of my favorite portraits in black and white that I’ve taken so far.
Good old Josiah was there to model for me. He grew up in Portland and it shows. Lucky for me, he doesn’t mind a camera following him.
The day was nice and bright, pretty warm too, so we were shadow hunting to stay cool. This brought some harsh contrast and I love it!
Most of the shots on this roll were taken in Portland, wandering around near Laurelhurst Park. A few of the early photos were from my last days living in Southern California, back in April.
Shooting 6×9 was a different game, since I had to find ways to make use of the whole frame. I enjoyed it though because it felt a little more like story telling and less like portraiture. Any of the group shots were easy enough, but individual portraits took some creativity.
The CatLabs Film I’ve Quickly Fallen in Love With
I don’t know how it took me so long to finally shoot and develop this film. I know for sure that I will be stocking this stuff.
Here’s what I love about this film:
Pros
It’s CHEAP!
For being 120 film (or 35mm, 4×5, or 8×10), it has amazing results and is low cost. Since I develop at home, this is the ultimate money saver without going ultra cheap in dollar amount and quality.
It’s SHARP!
Oh. My. Goodness. This is some fine-grain film. I do have to admit that I’ve recently learned my love for very fast or very slow speed films. With the slow films, like CatLabs x 80, the grain is fairly minimal. The smooth, crisp photos have such a clean feel to them.
It’s Available in SO MANY FORMATS!
Like I mentioned before, you can enjoy CatLabs in 35mm and 120 roll film, and 4×5 and 8×10 sheet film.
The 120, 4×5, and 8×10 options are the CatLabs x 80 Film, ready and available today! This is the film I shot each of the provided photos with. For 35mm, you have the lovely CatLabs x 320 Film. After Such great results with the medium format film, I’m keen to get my hands on some 35mm.
Cons
Slow Speed film is not incredibly versatile. It needs the light. A lot of light. If you find yourself in too dark of a setting, you’ll need a tripod. For those who don’t mind, this is an exceptional film!
Not very scratch resistant. If you home develop, I would strongly advise against using a squeegee or using the finger-squeegee process to help your film dry. I did squeegee my film, so next time around I’ll be careful not to.
The scratches were not always horrible though, but if they end up on something important, like a face, they are especially noticeable.
Final Remarks on CatLabs Film
If you’re in the market for some low-cost film, I would put CatLabs high up on the list. If you always stick with big names like Kodak and Fujifilm, then your work will never dramatically stand out from everyone else’s.
If that isn’t enough of a selling point for you, then consider their large format film. The CatLabs x 80 for 4×5 and 8×10 cameras is among the cheapest black and white large format film you can find.
You should be sold by now, but even if you aren’t consider this: CatLabs Film is one of the major companies working to keep large format photography alive. This effort includes everything from film to cameras.
Not to mention, they recognize and address the gender pay gap. They commented on the male dominated world of Large Format Photography. In an effort to bring some diversity into Large Format, they offer a 10% discount on some of their gear, including cameras to anyone non-male. For more information and the full details, you can read about it on their About Us Page.
They are a great company to support!
Cameras I’ve Sent CatLabs Film Through
I’m a big believer in trying as many films and cameras as possible. Over the recent years, I’ve found a few low-cost films that have made my favorites list. When in doubt, CatLabs has been a great film to toss in new cameras.
Here are the Cameras I’ve sent CatLabs film through:
Mamiya Press Universal
Mamiya C330f
Voigtländer Bessa
If you have an experience and want to share your photos, let’s chat!
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