Another new film from Lomo - Babylon 13

[mshchem]

I would get excited if Lomo graphics would re-create 122 film for all the still functioning Kodak 3A postcard cameras, assuming that it was spooled with FP4. That would be awesome.

 

[Huss]

OK, the pics. Lomo Babylon 13 (Orwo DN21) developed in Cinestill DF96 4 min @ 75 degrees, 30 second initial agitation, then 10 seconds on the minute with 1 turn @ 30 seconds.

Shot with a Leica M7 and Zeiss ZM 35 1.4. The anti-halation layer is not present, I guess, as you can see glow in the highlights. This can be used to effect for cinema noir feel etc etc.
Images are show in their entirety with no cropping. If I was going to print I would crop out the border and perhaps straighten some...

















And for pentaxuser who cannot understand why you'd want to use this instead of Ilford HP5, check out this image with the accompanying 1:1 crop:





Essentially grain free. That's what happens when you use an ISO 13 film vs an ISO 400 film.

This film is respooled ORWO DN21 but unless ORWO sells it in single 36exp rolls, it would be of no interest to those who don't want to deal with 100+ft of the stuff at a time.
I don't. I only want to buy a few rolls at a time and am happy to pay for the convenience. There are lots of other films I want to use too!

 

[Bormental]

I do not care about the grain, but the width of the characteristic curve is quite impressive. BTW, did you notice "develop as soon as possible" note in the data sheet?

 

[mshchem]

Very nice. The proof is in a print. Monochrome on a screen can be done easy as can be with most d****@l cameras. The images are very nice. I have amazing graffiti shots I shot on TMY-2 developed in XTOL 120, sunny 16 500th. TMX in XTOL requires 8X before you see grain. It's dandy work, to each their own way.
Peace

 

[Bormental]

Very nice. The proof is in a print. Monochrome on a screen can be done easy as can be with most d****@l cameras.

Not following. If something looks great on screen, of course it will look great on paper because of its abysmal contrast ratio. What "proof" are you looking for?

 

[mshchem]

Boring topic bye.

 

[MattKing]

Not following. If something looks great on screen, of course it will look great on paper because of its abysmal contrast ratio. What "proof" are you looking for?

"Proof" as in its historic and best meaning - "true test"

 

[Agulliver]

Yes these "new" low ISO B&W films are available elsewhere....but not in easy to buy 36 exposure cassettes. The posted photos has come close to convincing me to give Babylon a try. How do I do that with the original ORWO material? I'm not ever likely to want 100 feet of the stuff like I do Ilford and Foma films.

And again, this argument that we could all get more film elsewhere cheaper....who else is repackaging this specific film?

 

[AgX]

There is a dealer in the USA called Orwo NA who at least in the past offered some films from Filmotec as type 135, but likely only camera films.

 

[Willy T]

OK, the pics. Lomo Babylon 13 (Orwo DN21) developed in Cinestill DF96 4 min @ 75 degrees, 30 second initial agitation, then 10 seconds on the minute with 1 turn @ 30 seconds.

Thanks, Huss, for posting these nice sample shots - and all your experiences with this interesting film. Gotta at least try a roll; a little concerned about detail in the darks - have you tried pulling out a bit of detail in post?

 

[wyofilm]

Huss, thanks for taking the time to post your results. I would never have considered these films w/o your posts. I also appreciate seeing more results with the Cinistill DF96 mono.

 

[alter ego 6x9]

Huss,

it’s great to see those results - I was waiting for them on RFF...
I will be ordering some DN21 bulk for sure...
Valdas

OK, the pics. Lomo Babylon 13 (Orwo DN21) developed in Cinestill DF96 4 min @ 75 degrees, 30 second initial agitation, then 10 seconds on the minute with 1 turn @ 30 seconds.

Shot with a Leica M7 and Zeiss ZM 35 1.4. The anti-halation layer is not present, I guess, as you can see glow in the highlights. This can be used to effect for cinema noir feel etc etc.
Images are show in their entirety with no cropping. If I was going to print I would crop out the border and perhaps straighten some...

















And for pentaxuser who cannot understand why you'd want to use this instead of Ilford HP5, check out this image with the accompanying 1:1 crop:





Essentially grain free. That's what happens when you use an ISO 13 film vs an ISO 400 film.

This film is respooled ORWO DN21 but unless ORWO sells it in single 36exp rolls, it would be of no interest to those who don't want to deal with 100+ft of the stuff at a time.
I don't. I only want to buy a few rolls at a time and am happy to pay for the convenience. There are lots of other films I want to use too!

 

[Huss]

There is a dealer in the USA called Orwo NA who at least in the past offered some films from Filmotec as type 135, but likely only camera films.

Yes orwona.com carries it, but only in 100ft reels. $67.
This is great if you want 100ft of it, but not if you like to just buy a few rolls.

 

[Huss]

Thanks, Huss, for posting these nice sample shots - and all your experiences with this interesting film. Gotta at least try a roll; a little concerned about detail in the darks - have you tried pulling out a bit of detail in post?

Moving the shadow slider does pull out more detail. Surprisingly more actually but then it looks HDR-ish to me. So adjust to taste!

 

[Huss]

Huss,

it’s great to see those results - I was waiting for them on RFF...
I will be ordering some DN21 bulk for sure...
Valdas

You're welcome Valdas, yeah I was banned for not toeing the line over there and praising everything that the site owner is peddling...

of note... this film, like Lomo Fantome, curls like crazy. I had it dry for just under a day by hanging it with a weighted end (as I do with all films), but when I cut it into strips it curls up like it is in a canister!
Really annoying, as it even curls up the negative sleeves! Anyway, just deal with it, makes it a bit tricky putting into a film holder.

 

[Huss]

I do not care about the grain, but the width of the characteristic curve is quite impressive. BTW, did you notice "develop as soon as possible" note in the data sheet?

No because I didn't pay any attention to a data sheet! I shoot, I develop. I don't let any film I use sit around because I'm eager to see how I messed things up!

Don't most/all films say develop as soon as possible after exposure?

 

[Huss]

Huss, thanks for taking the time to post your results. I would never have considered these films w/o your posts. I also appreciate seeing more results with the Cinistill DF96 mono.

No problem! I actually started a thread here when I had bad results with Silberra Orto in DF96, and it just became a thread where I posted all different types of film I used in DF96:

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...rra-orta50-in-cinestill-df96-monobath.174699/

It would be nice if I could change the title of that thread to something like "Experiences with DF96"..

 

[alter ego 6x9]

You're welcome Valdas, yeah I was banned for not toeing the line over there and praising everything that the site owner is peddling...

of note... this film, like Lomo Fantome, curls like crazy. I had it dry for just under a day by hanging it with a weighted end (as I do with all films), but when I cut it into strips it curls up like it is in a canister!
Really annoying, as it even curls up the negative sleeves! Anyway, just deal with it, makes it a bit tricky putting into a film holder.

regarding the curling - how do you dry the film? High temperature and lack of humidity usually “helps“ film to curl. I have no issues with Orwo (so far used N75+ and TF12) - they dry flat.

 

[Kino]

DN21 is ORWO Panchromatic Dupe negative stock for making dupe negs from motion picture interpositives or prints. It is the ORWO version of Kodak 2234. I have used hundreds of thousands of feet of both and find the ORWO to be a bit more contrasty, with the Kodak 2234 being more forgiving.

As for D76 VS D96, in continuous motion picture processors with massive turbulation jets (agitation for still photogs) , the D76 would produce bullet-proof highlights; hence the modified D96.

 

[MattKing]

It would be nice if I could change the title of that thread to something like "Experiences with DF96"..

Go to your first post in your thread, Report the Post using the associated link at the bottom left and make your request to change the title on your own thread to the moderators in your "Report".
They can edit threads and thread titles.

 

[Huss]

regarding the curling - how do you dry the film? High temperature and lack of humidity usually “helps“ film to curl. I have no issues with Orwo (so far used N75+ and TF12) - they dry flat.

I just hang it in my shower. 75-78 degrees maybe. Low humidity where I am at the moment. Other films - Ilford etc, dry flat. It's only these two Lomo films - Fantome and Babylon - that I have had issues with curl.

 

[Huss]

Go to your first post in your thread, Report the Post using the associated link at the bottom left and make your request to change the title on your own thread to the moderators in your "Report".
They can edit threads and thread titles.

Thanks Matt, will do!

 

[Kino]

regarding the curling - how do you dry the film? High temperature and lack of humidity usually “helps“ film to curl. I have no issues with Orwo (so far used N75+ and TF12) - they dry flat.

It's a polyester base that has been tightly wound onto a tiny spool for still film use; not it's original purpose. You could probably subject the base to a gentle heating under weighted clips and let it totally cool to minimize curling.

This is what we call being "core set" and when we run into it on motion picture film, we simply wind it opposite side and end out, (i.e., from heads out with emulsion out to tails out with emulsion in) and give a few days to relax.

You could try reloading it into a clean, dry processing reel in the OPPOSITE direction of the curl and store it in a warm place, maybe in a ziplock bag, to see if it will relax and straighten out...

 

[PFGS]

Yes orwona.com carries it, but only in 100ft reels. $67.
This is great if you want 100ft of it, but not if you like to just buy a few rolls.

I just went to orwona.com and bought 100 ft, because I think this looks like a great film for some of the stuff I like to do. Maybe not a fully rational move for a film I've never used, but I only have to shoot less than half of it to break even with the Lomography price, and I've shot enough Fuji Eterna ERS at ~ISO 3 to know that my part of NC provides plenty of light for the slow stuff. Thanks Huss for bringing this stuff to my attention, looking forward to seeing more.

 

[Huss]

You're welcome PF. To me the most interesting thing about it is the glow that is created in back lit subjects, and from highlights. This lack of anti-halation makes it a stand out for uses where this is desirable.

Crop from one of the images above showing that glow/halation: