EFKE KB 50 Review by Alexis Silvera

After doing several tests with staining developers with Ilford films, someone recommended I explore Efke films. I usually use and get good results from Ilford but wanted to try Efke. Efke films were introduced more than 50 years ago. They were manufactured in Croatia, contain a large amount of silver, and provide great clarity and great flexibility in exposure. The film is no longer manufactured but can be obtained on websites such as fotor3. The film I tested was very well preserved and cost 4 euros. It is worthwhile to see the film's characteristics and try it before it disappears from the market. I shot 100 and 50 speed film that expired on 9/2014. I found the Efke 50 developed in Finol amazing. Below are my results and notes:

Canon AE1 program, canon fd 28mm f3.5.

It is a film with a lot of presence; blacks are well marked in the lines and the grain is fine, good response in the shadows, contrast and white with texture to be revealed with finol.

Canon AE1 program, canon fd 28mm f3.5.

To be ready for anything that happens on the street, I always have my camera set at f / 8. With an iso of 50, it was not easy to capture the moment, but the results were interesting.

Canon AE1 program, canon fd 28mm f3.5.

Canon AE1 program, canon fd 50mm f/1.4.

In conclusion, I had a very good experience with Efke kb 50. My street photographs have a lot of character in the light of day. The film is physically a bit rebellious to work with in the dark room and in the scanner compared to others industrial reels but, overall, a very good experience.

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Alexis Silvera is from Uruguay and is currently living in Barcelona. Connect with Alexis on Instagram and Facebook