Ilford Pan F ISO 6 (Originally 24) - Expired 1959

Shoot an authentic artifact from the post-war golden age of British photography. This is original Ilford Pan F—the legendary predecessor to modern Pan F Plus—expired in 1959 and meticulously hand-respooled from a bulk roll into a full 36-exposure 35mm cassette.

Originally rated at a modest ASA 24 back in the late 1950s, this ultra-fine-grain panchromatic stock has spent over six decades maturing. Because slow black and white emulsions age remarkably well compared to faster stocks, this roll offers an extraordinary opportunity to capture crisp, low-contrast, highly atmospheric vintage negatives with an unmistakable mid-century silver tonality.

The Highlights

• Historic 1950s Emulsion Science: Before the 1960 ASA speed standardisation and modern "+" emulsion updates, original Pan F was Ilford's flagship ultra-fine grain film. It was designed for maximum acutance, silky tonal transitions, and extreme detail resolution.

• Ultra-Slow ISO 6 Rating: Silver halide crystals lose sensitivity over time, but slow films degrade at a fraction of the rate of high-speed stocks. De-rated down to ISO 6, this batch has been tested to cut through decades of faint age fog, yielding smooth, luminous mid-tones and rich, silver-laden shadows.

• Hand-Respooled from Vintage Bulk Stock: Sourced from an original master bulk roll, this film has been carefully hand-loaded into a recycled 35mm metal cassette under strict darkroom conditions. You get a full 36 frames to experiment with tripod setups, long exposures, and wide-open aperture creative shooting.

• Unlocks Ultra-Wide Apertures in Daylight: Shooting at an ultra-slow ISO 6 allows you to open your lens wide (f/1.2, f/1.4, or f/1.8) in broad daylight without overexposing—giving you razor-thin depth of field and beautiful background bokeh under bright sunlight.

Quick Specs

• Format: 35mm / 36 Exposures (Hand-Respooled)

• Type: Traditional Panchromatic Black & White Negative

• Original Box Speed: ASA/ISO 24 (1959 Standard)

• Current Target Shooting Speed: ISO 6

• Expiration Date: 1959

• Processing: Standard Black & White Chemistry (Rodinal / Stand Development highly recommended)

• Best For: Long-exposure landscapes, bright daylight portraiture, historical reproduction, and experimental fine art.