Svema Type 42, a black and white isopanchromatic aerial film, was produced at the ‘Svema’ factory (Shostka, Ukrainian SSR) in 1980-1990s. The last known batches are marked with 1991 production year.

Like other special-purpose films, Type 42 is favored by enthusiasts for its pronounced contrast, definition, good resolution, and grain. The uniform spectrum and sensitivity to the infrared light is beneficial for portraits.

The emulsion contains a lot of silver, making it a versatile canvas. With the appropriate recipe and developing conditions, the sensitivity ranges from 100 to 1400 ISO, and the contrast changes significantly as well.

You can try it yourself with the Push/Pull slider in Dehancer.

The coating quality and film condition of Type 42 varies from batch to batch. Nevertheless, we managed to obtain a roll in great condition (just a bit of fogging). After some experiments with developing and printing, we got an interesting profile that faithfully reproduces this film.

For printing we used the legendary Slavich Bromportrait photo paper, which has a nice warm tone and is a perfect match for Type 42.

Examples of Svema Type-42 (Exp. 1991) film emulation in Dehancer.