Ferrania P30

Ferrania’s revival of the old Italian cinema stock, the one Fellini shot on. Slow, contrasty, silver-rich black and white. The stock has a real pedigree.

How it behaves

It is contrasty by design, so soft light flatters it. Rate it at 80 and develop gently. The negatives carry almost no visible grain, with deep shadows and punchy highlights. It is based on Ferrania’s 1960s P30 cinema formula, recreated with modern production in Italy. It is not rebranded stock. Slow speed and strong contrast make exposure and development choices matter more than with forgiving 400-speed films.

Questions people ask

Is Ferrania P30 forgiving?

It is slow and natively high contrast, so exposure and development choices matter more than on a 400-speed stock.

What light suits Ferrania P30 best?

Soft light flatters it. In hard light it is at its best on bright-daylight street work, architecture, and portraits with bold light and dark separation.