A personal review of Lomography Lady Grey 400 shot across two locations — Witney in Oxfordshire and Charlestown in Cornwall. Shot on Canon EOS 300V and Canon AE-1 Program with 28mm lens. All images in this post are mine, made on this film in these conditions.
Lomography Lady Grey 400 is a film that thrives on atmosphere, texture, and restraint. It doesn’t announce itself. It suits subjects that reward close attention — historic streets, weathered surfaces, coastal light — and it handles both with a consistency that earns it a place in the regular rotation alongside better-known stocks.
I shot Lady Grey 400 across two very different English settings: the historic market town of Witney in Oxfordshire and the rugged harbour at Charlestown in Cornwall. Two rolls, two cameras, two completely different moods — and a film that proved equally at home in both.
Film Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Film type | Black and white negative (D-76 / ID-11 / C-41 compatible) |
| ISO | 400 (box speed) |
| Format | 35mm — 36 exposure rolls |
| Grain | Fine — finer than expected for ISO 400 |
| Contrast | Balanced — suitable for both street and landscape |
| Exposure latitude | Wide — forgiving in mixed or changing light |
| Cameras used | Canon EOS 300V · Canon AE-1 Program with 28mm lens |
| Locations | Witney, Oxfordshire · Charlestown, Cornwall |
| Price (UK, 2026) | Approximately £6–£9 per roll |
Two Locations — Two Moods
| Location | What I Was Shooting |
|---|---|
| Witney, Oxfordshire | Spring street photography — market squares, cobbled streets, architectural detail, everyday moments. Soft spring light with areas of deeper shadow in narrow lanes. |
| Charlestown, Cornwall | Coastal landscape and harbour — stone quays, traditional sailing vessels, rippling water, worn wood, shifting coastal light from bright afternoon sun to softer evening tones. |
Witney — Spring Street Photography
As spring unfolded across Oxfordshire, Witney offered the right conditions for slow, observational street photography — sunlight washing over cobbled streets, market squares, and the architectural details that define the town’s character. With Lady Grey 400 in the Canon EOS 300V, I moved through the town looking for quiet human moments rather than dramatic compositions.
What stood out immediately was how the film handled the contrast between open sunlit spaces and deeper shadow in narrow lanes. From soft highlights on stone buildings to the shadow under archways and doorways, Lady Grey maintained detail without losing its tonal balance. It’s a film that rewards looking closely — at wrought iron gates, stained glass, and the way light moves across weathered stone.
Green space in Witney, Oxfordshire — Canon EOS 300V, Lomography Lady Grey 400
Street scene and bicycles, Witney — Canon EOS 300V, Lomography Lady Grey 400
“Lady Grey rendered ordinary moments with a sense of depth and timelessness that suits slow, observational street work.”
Charlestown, Cornwall — Coastal Harbour Photography
Charlestown offered a completely different mood. The salty air, historic harbour, and dramatic coastline created a setting rich in texture and movement — and one that suits black and white film particularly well. Without the distraction of colour, the focus shifts entirely to form, contrast, and atmosphere.
Shot on the Canon AE-1 Program with a 28mm lens, I worked the harbour quayside — stone walls, traditional sailing vessels, rippling water, worn wood, and the rigging of tall ships against a shifting coastal sky. Lady Grey 400’s ISO 400 rating made it flexible enough to handle the changing coastal light from bright afternoon sun to softer evening tones without needing to adjust exposure approach dramatically.
Charlestown Harbour, Cornwall — Canon AE-1 Program, Lomography Lady Grey 400
Boat and rigging, Charlestown — Canon AE-1 Program, Lomography Lady Grey 400
Charlestown Harbour — Canon AE-1 Program, Lomography Lady Grey 400
What Lady Grey 400 Actually Does
Across both locations, Lady Grey 400 showed a consistent character. It’s a film that rewards patience — slowing you down in the way all film photography does, but with an aesthetic that particularly suits the kind of slow, observational work both locations demanded.
Strengths
- Fine grain for ISO 400 — finer than Fomapan or HP5+
- Wide exposure latitude — forgiving in mixed light
- Balanced contrast — drama without harshness
- Handles both street and coastal subjects well
- Classic monochrome aesthetic — timeless feel
- Affordable relative to HP5+ and Tri-X
Limitations
- Less widely available than Ilford or Kodak stocks
- Slightly higher price than Fomapan or Kentmere
- Less predictable in very high contrast conditions
- Not the first choice for extreme push processing
Lady Grey in Context — My Film Rotation
Lady Grey 400 is not the film I reach for when shooting my regular North Hampshire landscape work — the Roman walls at Calleva Atrebatum, the chalk ridge of Watership Down, or the winter fog of the Between Fog and Light project. For that work I use Fomapan 400 or Ilford HP5+ — films I know intimately across different conditions.
But for travel — a day in a historic town, a coastal trip, a location I’m visiting once rather than returning to repeatedly — Lady Grey 400 earns its place. It has a consistent aesthetic that suits both street and coastal subjects, and a fine grain that gives the results a quality above what you’d expect from its price point.
Looking for a more affordable alternative?
Fomapan 400 is the budget B&W film used most regularly here — available from the FineArtPics film shop.
Visit the film shop →Compare B&W film stocks
How Lady Grey compares to Fomapan, Kentmere, Lucky SHD400 and HP5+ — the complete affordable B&W guide.
Read the guide →Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lomography Lady Grey 400?
Lomography Lady Grey 400 is a black and white 35mm film made by Lomography, rated at ISO 400. It is known for its fine grain, wide exposure latitude, and balanced contrast — producing a classic monochrome look that suits street, travel, and coastal photography. It is typically priced around £6–£9 per roll in the UK, making it more affordable than Ilford HP5+ or Kodak Tri-X while delivering quality above its price point.
Is Lomography Lady Grey 400 good for street photography?
Yes — Lady Grey 400 is an excellent street photography film. Its ISO 400 speed gives flexibility in changing urban light, the fine grain preserves detail in faces and surfaces, and the balanced contrast handles the mix of highlights and shadows typical of street scenes well. Shot through Witney in Oxfordshire, it handled spring street light with natural tonal rendering and a timeless aesthetic that suits the subject.
How does Lady Grey 400 compare to Ilford HP5+?
Both are ISO 400 black and white films with wide exposure latitude, but they have a slightly different character. Ilford HP5+ is more forgiving in extreme conditions and pushes more cleanly to higher ISOs. Lady Grey has a slightly finer grain and a subtler, more restrained contrast that suits quieter subjects. HP5+ is the more versatile all-rounder; Lady Grey has a more distinctive aesthetic that suits the right subjects very well.
Is Lomography Lady Grey 400 good for landscape photography?
Yes — particularly for coastal and travel landscape work where balanced contrast and fine grain matter. The Charlestown harbour images in this review show what it does well in a coastal landscape context. For fine art landscape work that requires very specific tonal control, Fomapan 400 or HP5+ are more predictable choices.
Where can I buy Lomography Lady Grey 400 in the UK?
Lomography Lady Grey 400 is available from Analogue Wonderland and the Lomography online store. It is less widely stocked than Ilford or Kodak films so availability can vary. Prices typically sit at £6–£9 per roll. See the affordable B&W film guide for current UK buying options.
Can you push Lomography Lady Grey 400?
Yes, though it is not the first choice for push processing. Pushing to ISO 800 is possible and increases contrast and grain noticeably. For regular push processing work, Ilford HP5+ or Kodak Tri-X handle higher ISOs more cleanly. Lady Grey is best shot at box speed where its fine grain and balanced contrast are most apparent.
