Ansco Plenachrome -- ASA?

[Thorpelyon]

I just picked up a few triple-packs of 127 format Ansco Plenachrome. There's no expiration date, but I'm guessing late 40's or early 50's. Does anyone have any idea what speed this film was originally rated at?

Thanks,
James

 

[BrianShaw]

From a googled source: In 1952, Plenachrome was rated at Daylight: 50 and Tungsten: 25. It was recommended for use outdoors, especially on dull days. The "Rollei Photography" handbook says it is "characteristically a snappier emulsion." Sometime in the 1950's film speed rating techniques were changed, leading to "higher" ASA speeds.The same book has Verichrome Pan and Plus X Pan rated at 50.

 

[Thorpelyon]

From a googled source: In 1952, Plenachrome was rated at Daylight: 50 and Tungsten: 25. It was recommended for use outdoors, especially on dull days. The "Rollei Photography" handbook says it is "characteristically a snappier emulsion." Sometime in the 1950's film speed rating techniques were changed, leading to "higher" ASA speeds.The same book has Verichrome Pan and Plus X Pan rated at 50.

Okay then, so I guess I'm looking at a present-day ISO of somewhere between 0.5 - 0.75. Thanks for the info.

 

[Arklatexian]

Okay then, so I guess I'm looking at a present-day ISO of somewhere between 0.5 - 0.75. Thanks for the info.

As I remember when ASA numbers were changed, they simply doubled the film speed thereby eliminating the so-called "safety factor" which was there to keep the user from under-exposing the film so I would rate that film at 100. A better fate for the film, however, would be to leave it sealed in its box as a collecter's item. There probably aren't many of those still around...Regards! By the way, about the time that film was manufactured, before and after, our uncle in Washington, D.C. still owned Ansco after taking over Agfa/Ansco as an enemy alien property during WW2. I don't remember when they tried to sell/give it back to its previous owners who had gone their own way when the war ended and were not interested.

 

[BrianShaw]

I concur with the "better fate"!

 

[Thorpelyon]

As I remember when ASA numbers were changed, they simply doubled the film speed thereby eliminating the so-called "safety factor" which was there to keep the user from under-exposing the film so I would rate that film at 100. A better fate for the film, however, would be to leave it sealed in its box as a collecter's item. There probably aren't many of those still around...Regards! By the way, about the time that film was manufactured, before and after, our uncle in Washington, D.C. still owned Ansco after taking over Agfa/Ansco as an enemy alien property during WW2. I don't remember when they tried to sell/give it back to its previous owners who had gone their own way when the war ended and were not interested.

What a wonderful family legacy. I have a few old Ansco cameras, and regularly put them through their paces. Whenever I pull out the beautiful Anscoflex, I always stop traffic.