Is CatLabs 80 II, Repackaged Fomapan 100?

[Andrew O'Neill]

I don't think it is...

 

[retina_restoration]

Whatever it is, you can be sure CatLabs is not "making it themselves".

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Whatever it is, you can be sure CatLabs is not "making it themselves".

Correct. They are not making it themselves. Whatever it is, I'm glad it's around, because it's an affordable option to 8x10, for me. It works very well in all the Alt. processes that I use.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Very close, but no cigar! Looks like a person could use either one or the other and get results very close to the same. Growing up on a produce farm I must say I like my tomatoes on the dark(red) side . I rather like Foma 100 sheet film since I can get it in 9X12cm size for my older plate cameras. Of all the Foma 100 sheet film I've used, 9X12cm and 4X5, I have yet to find a flawed sheet like some folks here do. I haven't tried it in 8X10 since I still have a stash of Tri-X and Tmax 100/TMY2 in the freezer. I think if I had to pick between Catlabs 80 and Foma 100 it might come down to whichever is the cheapest. To be honest Andy, I probably would not have ever tried Catlabs 80 if I hadn't watched your video, but now I just might. Looks like Catlabs 80 is one juicy red tomato to me.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Very close, but no cigar! Looks like a person could use either one or the other and get results very close to the same. Growing up on a produce farm I must say I like my tomatoes on the dark(red) side . I rather like Foma 100 sheet film since I can get it in 9X12cm size for my older plate cameras. Of all the Foma 100 sheet film I've used, 9X12cm and 4X5, I have yet to find a flawed sheet like some folks here do. I haven't tried it in 8X10 since I still have a stash of Tri-X and Tmax 100/TMY2 in the freezer. I think if I had to pick between Catlabs 80 and Foma 100 it might come down to whichever is the cheapest. To be honest Andy, I probably would not have ever tried Catlabs 80 if I hadn't watched your video, but now I just might. Looks like Catlabs 80 is one juicy red tomato to me.

Can't beat that price, either. Be aware though, that it's packaging doesn't leave much to be desired...but I guess that helps keep costs down.

 

[AnselMortensen]

I have used the CatLabs in 8x10, and it works well for me.
I agree about the packaging, but it just takes a few minutes to transfer it into a 3-part box when I get it.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I have used the CatLabs in 8x10, and it works well for me.
I agree about the packaging, but it just takes a few minutes to transfer it into a 3-part box when I get it.

That is exactly what I've been doing, too. Have you been making use of the stickers that come with it? My wife hogs them all...

 

[mshchem]

That is exactly what I've been doing, too. Have you been making use of the stickers that come with it? My wife hogs them all...

It comes with stickers!!? I'm in! I once received a sizable order from Omer without stickers, I sent him an email, I received an envelope in a few days

 

[AnselMortensen]

That is exactly what I've been doing, too. Have you been making use of the stickers that come with it? My wife hogs them all...

I have a few, some have been strategically placed on the rock-climbing helmets I used at work for attic adventures.

 

[mshchem]

I have to say Fomapan in any speed has left me disappointed.

Right now for a conventional film that's affordable (hopefully in sheets soon) it's Kentmere 200. I'm still devoted to Kodak TMY-2 and TMX but I've been shooting the Kentmere 200 lately almost exclusively in 120.

I need to try the Catlabs 80 II in sheets (unless Ilford makes a run of the 200 in sheets)

I can't afford Kodak sheet film. If the freaking tariffs were supposed to give Kodak an edge in the US hasn't changed a thing. Oh well.

Analogue Andy, thanks for the good video.

The weird clipped corner and rub marks on the Catlabs begs the question who and where is this being finished?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I have to say Fomapan in any speed has left me disappointed.

Right now for a conventional film that's affordable (hopefully in sheets soon) it's Kentmere 200. I'm still devoted to Kodak TMY-2 and TMX but I've been shooting the Kentmere 200 lately almost exclusively in 120.

I need to try the Catlabs 80 II in sheets (unless Ilford makes a run of the 200 in sheets)

I can't afford Kodak sheet film. If the freaking tariffs were supposed to give Kodak an edge in the US hasn't changed a thing. Oh well.

Analogue Andy, thanks for the good video.

The weird clipped corner and rub marks on the Catlabs begs the question who and where is this being finished?

It certainly comes across as a "ma and pa" operation. I feel like the cut and notched film is coming in bulk from where ever (could be from Foma), and CatLabs is packaging it in-house. Oh well, I'm happy as long as there remains a cheap, continuous supply, into the future...

 

[braxus]

I did a video 5 years ago comparing Catlabs X80 (version 1) against Panatomic X. Results showed they weren't the same. But I smell another comparison for a video, since you also have some Pan X.

This new Catlabs will be the first film I buy getting back into 8x10. Unfortunately I dont have a box to transfer it into for better storage.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I did a video 5 years ago comparing Catlabs X80 (version 1) against Panatomic X. Results showed they weren't the same. But I smell another comparison for a video, since you also have some Pan X.

This new Catlabs will be the first film I buy getting back into 8x10. Unfortunately I dont have a box to transfer it into for better storage.

Don't worry about not having a proper film box to store the CatLabs in. It's double-bagged, in light tight plastic bags.

 

[Disconnekt]

It may not be Foma 100, but I do feel Foma has a hand in it somehow/to a degree due to so many similarities between the films in your video.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

It may not be Foma 100, but I do feel Foma has a hand in it somehow/to a degree due to so many similarities between the films in your video.

I completely agree with you. It could very well be a tweaked version of Fomapan 100. One thing I should have tested was anti-halation characteristics... It could be identical to Fomapan 100, but with a dumbed-down AH layer...

 

[SNewman]

I have to say Fomapan in any speed has left me disappointed.

Right now for a conventional film that's affordable (hopefully in sheets soon) it's Kentmere 200. I'm still devoted to Kodak TMY-2 and TMX but I've been shooting the Kentmere 200 lately almost exclusively in 120.

I need to try the Catlabs 80 II in sheets (unless Ilford makes a run of the 200 in sheets)

I can't afford Kodak sheet film. If the freaking tariffs were supposed to give Kodak an edge in the US hasn't changed a thing. Oh well.

Analogue Andy, thanks for the good video.

The weird clipped corner and rub marks on the Catlabs begs the question who and where is this being finished?

Have you tried Fomapan 100 for 35mm? I've had pretty good luck with that one myself. I'm not as fond of Fomapan 400, though....

 

[Paul Howell]

What it is worth the box for the one roll of Cat Labs 80 in 120 says "designed in Boston, manufactured in the E.U." So not U.K, that leaves a few makers who could have custom coated. I have yet shot my roll still in my Kowa so I have not looked at the processed negatives, does it have the blue anti halogen dye as Foma?

 

[Craig]

I thought the cat labs stuff was Agfa Aviphot?

 

[OrientPoint]

I thought the cat labs stuff was Agfa Aviphot?

It has been pretty much whatever they have available to stuff the box at the moment. Their 80 & 320 products have been different stocks over the years. It's affordable and sometimes it's good. Maybe not the most consistent film, both in terms of behaviour and finishing (I've gotten sheets that are a few mil too large or too small, which was a pain), but there's a place for it given constantly escalating prices from the major brands.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

@Craig I believe that would be for CatLabs 320 film. Repackaged Aviphot 200.

 

[mshchem]

What's the green stuff for? Is it anti-halation, sensitizing dye??? Might be interesting to save a solution and do some further investigation. Whatever it is it's pretty!

 

[John Wiegerink]

It certainly comes across as a "ma and pa" operation. I feel like the cut and notched film is coming in bulk from where ever (could be from Foma), and CatLabs is packaging it in-house. Oh well, I'm happy as long as there remains a cheap, continuous supply, into the future...

Andy,
In your last sentence you point toward a problem I see happening with a lot of these "spin off" films and that is the "continuous supply" problem. You go through the problem of testing, tweaking, more testing and after you finally come to grips with a film or paper, it's gone forever. I've been running tests on Adox HR-50 using many different developers since I really like this film. I have two more developers to try and then my testing will be done, and I'll post the results here. I'm just a little worried that my testing might just be in vain since it looks like HR-50 stock is drying up. It doesn't look good for HR-50. Maybe it will be different for Catlabs 80? I checked Freestyle and Catlabs 80 is the same price as Foma 100, which isn't too bad.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

@John Wiegerink I hope HR-50 sticks around! It's a do-all film. I wish I could get it in sheet sizes, or at least 120!

 

[retina_restoration]

Andy,
In your last sentence you point toward a problem I see happening with a lot of these "spin off" films and that is the "continuous supply" problem. You go through the problem of testing, tweaking, more testing and after you finally come to grips with a film or paper, it's gone forever. I've been running tests on Adox HR-50 using many different developers since I really like this film. I have two more developers to try and then my testing will be done, and I'll post the results here. I'm just a little worried that my testing might just be in vain since it looks like HR-50 stock is drying up. It doesn't look good for HR-50. Maybe it will be different for Catlabs 80? I checked Freestyle and Catlabs 80 is the same price as Foma 100, which isn't too bad.

I get that.

I used Bergger Pancro 400 for several years and was heavily invested in it, but then about 6 years ago, the sheet film sizes vanished and are rarely seen now. The 120 rolls are also very sporadic in the marketplace. I was moving towards using Adox CHS 100 II in both 120 and sheet film sizes, but just like Pancro 400, it seems to have dwindled away and it's been at least 3 years since I was able to buy CHS 100 II in 5x7 and 8x10.

I've decided I'm not going to invest my time and energy into testing films and establishing an exposure/development protocol for a film if I have reason to expect that it will periodically vanish for years at a time. That leaves Ilford, Foma and sometimes the various rebranding of Aviphot. (Kodak sheet films are far, far out of my budget, but I do buy T-Max and Tri-X in 120)

 

[MTGseattle]

I have a few, some have been strategically placed on the rock-climbing helmets I used at work for attic adventures.

You don't enjoy the feel of a roofing nail in your scalp or shoulder?