Analogue Wonderland will launch WonderPan 400, a limited edition 35mm black and white film, to celebrate its fifth anniversary. Based on a best-selling black-and-white emulsion but modified to have a different ISO, WonderPan 400 has been crafted to ‘encourage experimentation and play’ and is said to produce images with strong contrast, dark blacks and moderate grain in the midrange tones.
WonderPan 400 is expected to launch in late June and is available exclusively on Analogue Wonderland’s online store, priced at £8 per roll if bought individually, and only 1,000 rolls will ever be produced. There will be discounts available for Club AW members as well as a discounted development package for processing and scanning the film with the WonderLab.
Credit: Analogue Wonderland.
With WonderPan’s 400-speed film, Analogue Wonderland is looking to initiate a conversation about pushing film, as well as explore the pros and cons of shooting a film at higher ISO, the aesthetic output, and what it means when you get to development and scanning the roll.
Paul McKay, co-founder of Analogue Wonderland, said that the idea behind WonderPan was to ‘bring a technical technique (pushing) that is traditionally thought of as ‘advanced’, and package it in a way that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This will allow us to demystify the process for folks, and hopefully unlock another creative option for a new generation of film pushers!’
Photo credit: Karen Freer
From Analogue Wonderland:
[High Wycombe, May 2023] — Analogue Wonderland, a leading one-stop shop for UK film photography enthusiasts, is releasing a limited edition 35mm black and white film to mark their 5th Birthday. Produced in partnership with one of their top film manufacturers, WonderPan 400 has been specially crafted to encourage experimentation and play.
Based on a best-selling black-and-white emulsion – but with a change in ISO rendering different results to the original box speed – WonderPan 400 produces monochrome images with strong contrast, dark blacks, and moderate grain in the midrange tones.
Credit: Analogue Wonderland.
The emulsion’s original product name is confidential – a matter with the manufacturer – but this film is most commonly shot around 100 ISO. We have chosen to release WonderPan as a 400-speed film because we love the look when shot in this way, and we want to initiate a conversation about pushing film with folks who might not have considered it before. We want to explore the pros and
cons of shooting a film at higher ISO, the aesthetic output, and what it means when you get to development and scanning the roll.
“Analogue Wonderland was created with the idea that film photography should be fun and accessible for everyone” says Paul McKay, co-founder of Analogue Wonderland. “What we wanted to do with WonderPan is bring a technical technique (pushing) that is traditionally thought of as ‘advanced’, and package it in a way that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This will allow us to demystify the process for folks, and hopefully unlock another creative option for a new generation of film pushers!”
Photo credit: Alex Cole
The design of WonderPan is based on a story of Chef Ambrosia, a fictional masterchef who embraces the challenge of taking familiar ingredients to craft something new with the tagline ‘Grain Never Tasted So Good’. That backstory is available on the Analogue Wonderland blog here and takes inspiration from the Nintendo classic ‘Cooking Mama’!
WonderPan 400 is exclusively available through Analogue Wonderland’s online store, and only 1,000 rolls will ever be produced, making it a truly coveted collector’s item. Customers will be able to purchase WonderPan 400 directly from Analogue Wonderland’s website, with a 10 roll limit per customer. Expected launch date is late June, but you can sign up for stock notifications HERE
Photo credit: Karen Freer
It will be priced at £8 per roll if bought individually, but there will be discounts available at launch, including for Club AW members – as well as a discounted development package for processing and scanning the film with the WonderLab.
About Analogue Wonderland: Analogue Wonderland began in 2018 when mother-and-son combo Mary and Paul teamed up to
share their passion for film with the world. The company’s mission is to make film photography as fun and accessible as possible for everyone. To that end they have built a thriving community of film enthusiasts and offer an unbeatable range of film; a selection of cameras, darkroom kit, merchandise and chemicals; and an in-house film lab (WonderLab) for developing, scanning and printing.
Photo credit: Alex Cole
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