1980's Agfa SuperPan 200 -- developing time(s) in reference book?

[Trask]

I've got five/six rolls of Agfa SuperPan -- not the currently available SuperPan, but the original (?) Agfa film from 25 years ago. I've developed half a roll in 510-Pyro, but want to try the other half in ID-11. I imagine that one of the larger Photo-Lab-like reference books might list a suggested developing time in D-76 or other standard developer. If you have such a reference and find a time, please let me know.

In point of fact, I'm shooting the film at ISO100, as if it were APX100, given its age. I'm getting some base fog but nothing that would hamper printing. I do see some mottling to some frames, so I'm unlikely to use my stock for any photos that are very important to me. But it's a joy to see how well made the Agfa cassettes are, and those orange boxes... Is it just a coincidence that I like orange and black Harleys?

 

[AgX]

Was there ever such film in the 80's?
All Agfa Superpan films I know of are 50 years older than that.

 

[Trask]

I'll take a picture tomorrow evening and post it.

 

[Brac]

There was such a film in the early 1980's but it was called, according to my notes, Agfa Superpan 24 (Schneider speed?), and it definitely had a speed of 200ASA (as it was then). It was packaged in orange boxes (not the silver ones used for their professional lines). I bought a 10 pack of this product in 36exposure 35mm cassettes from a UK dealer. I was using it in 1982. I never saw any other references to it, so I guess it was on the market for a short time. By the time I had used my supply up it seemed to have disappeared from the market. I never saw it listed by anyone again. Unfortunately at present I can't find any developing times.

 

[dynachrome]

There was indeed a 200 speed b&w film called Agfa Superpan. When I worked at the Camera Barn stores in NY during my college summers we sold it. In those years (second half of the 1970s) Camera Barn always seemed to have loads of Agfa products on hand. Mostly it was paper but there was some chemistry too. The Superpan did not come with any instructions. If I can remember what I used, one of the developers was Edwal FG-7 1:15 diluted with plain water (not 9% sodium sulfite solution). I shot some of the film on a weekend at the South Street Seaport and brought in 8X10 prints the following Monday. They were put up on the wall behnd the film counter at the 198 Broadway store along with suggested time/temperature starting points. After I did that the film quickly sold out. My recollection was that the D-MAX of the film was somewhat lower than that of Plus-X or Tri-X but it still worked fine. If you can spare a few frames for a test strip then the usual suggestion for a atarting point is D-76 1:1 for 10 minutes at 68F. You can adjust from there. I'm not sure Superpan was officially imported into the U.S. In those years many photo products not officially imported made their way into the country one way or another. From the time I started taking pictures in 1971 I remember Agfa facing stiff competition from Kodak and others for most of their products. In the b&w area their paper was probably the most successful product line. Even at 14 I could see that Agfa Brovira was much better than Kodabromide.

 

[Trask]

OK, here's some photos -- of the film itself, and pictures I've taken with the film. The picture of the violinists was taken with a Topcor LTM lens and developed in Ilford ID-11 1:1 while the bread picture was taken with an early 5cm Nippon Kogaku F-mount lens and developed in Obsidian Aqua. I rated the film at ASA 100, given its age.