Ilford Pan F Plus 50 is the slowest, finest-grained film in Harman’s range and, since May 2026, it’s finally available as 4×5 and 8×10 sheet film. We think that makes this the best moment in decades to give the old emulsion a go – especially if you have a large-format camera on a tripod and the patience to match.

A short history of Ilford Pan F Plus

Pan F has been around for a very long time. PetaPixel dates the original Pan F to 1948, while Ilford’s own history page lists Pan F Plus as introduced in 1992. Harman describes it as one of the oldest continuously manufactured black-and-white emulsions in the world, and Giles Branthwaite, Sales & Marketing Director at Harman Technology, calls it “our oldest emulsion”.

For most of that time, though, it has been a 35mm and 120 film only. On 7 May 2026 Ilford announced Pan F Plus in 4×5 and 8×10 sheets for the first time, in 25-sheet boxes, joining HP5 Plus, FP4 Plus, Delta 100 and Ortho Plus in the large-format line-up. Branthwaite described sheet Pan F as “possibly the single most requested product we have”.

Why Ilford Pan F Plus still matters

The look is the main reason. Pan F Plus has exceptionally fine grain, high sharpness and a punchy, high-contrast character with a wide tonal range, which is why it’s so popular for landscapes, portraits and fashion work where you control the light. On a 4×5 negative, grain effectively disappears.

The flip side is speed. At ISO 50 you’ll be on a tripod in most UK light from now until spring, and Ilford’s product page and data sheet are clear that it gives its best at EI 50, with good results at EI 25. Underexposure below EI 25 or overexposure beyond EI 64 can still give usable negatives, but not the same quality, so this isn’t a film to push. Reciprocity kicks in beyond half a second, with Ilford’s correction of Ta = Tm1.33 – handy to know when you’re stopped down for depth of field on a large-format camera.

One practical darkroom note for anyone coming from Ortho Plus: Pan F Plus is panchromatic, so there’s no safelight. Loading sheet film holders and developing must be done in total darkness. Ilford also advises processing exposed film as soon as practical, ideally within three months.

Ali runs a Tuesday night darkroom evening course, and the college’s Sinar cameras are where Pan F Plus sheet film makes the most sense. Students already slow down to compose on the ground glass, and an ISO 50 film rewards exactly that kind of careful, metered, tripod-bound shooting. The college also has Pentax K1000s, a Hasselblad 500C and Mamiya RB67s, so the roll versions fit in too – and Ali’s own Canon AE-1, F-1, T90, EOS-1N and A-1 bodies all take 35mm Pan F happily.

Our darkroom notes

Ilford’s recommendations for Pan F Plus at EI 50 include ID-11 stock for 6½ minutes or 1+1 for 8½ minutes at 20°C, Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 for 8 minutes and Perceptol stock for 14 minutes for the finest grain. Ilford’s sheet film page lists the same times and says the film suits spiral tanks, deep tanks and automatic processors.

Is Ilford Pan F Plus still worth buying in 2026?

Yes, if you shoot in good light or from a tripod and want the cleanest black-and-white negatives Harman makes. The roll film versions remain affordable, and the arrival of sheet film turns Pan F Plus into a serious option for large-format landscape and still-life work. It’s not the film for dark winter evenings or handheld street shooting – for those, HP5 Plus or Delta 3200 make more sense – but for a carefully lit portrait or a long-exposure landscape on a Sinar, it’s hard to beat.

Ilford Pan F Plus specifications

Ilford Pan F Plus price and availability

When we checked UK film retailers on 29 October 2026, First Call Photographic listed Pan F Plus 4×5 (25 sheets) at £65.50 and 8×10 (25 sheets) at £229, both reduced, though stock status was unclear. Analogue Wonderland had 4×5 at £64.95 as a special order. For roll film, Parallax Photographic listed 120 at £8.70 (out of stock) and 35mm 36 exposures at £10.70, while The Flash Centre had 120 at £8.81.