Anyone develop Agfa Scala 200x 4x5 in XTOL?

[Trevor Little]

I found a box of Agfa Scala 200x 4x5 film in my freezer, I've seen some examples online where people have developed scala as a negative with nice results and I figured I would give it a go as I don't see myself paying the money to ship it out to have is processed as a positive.

Anyways I was wondering if anyone has done this and has some developing times? I checked digitaltruth.com but they don't seem to have times for sheet film or Xtol for this film, and Xtol is the only developer I have at this moment.

Thanks,

Trevor

 

[Bob Carnie]

We just processed scala 200 in d76 at the old agfa 100 time. film is ok.

 

[brucemuir]

Why not try reversing it?

It's not difficult but you will need more than just xtol

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

I agree with Bob's advice. I used to develop Scala in Rodinal Special (which is completely different from Rodinal), but now use FX39, and it was pretty good at the APX 100 time. I rate it at ISO 100.

 

[Bob Carnie]

When Scala was introduced, my rep in Canada told me Scala was basically agfa 100 negative time.

Therefore I started exposing 11x14 FP4 and sending to Scala Lab here in town, asked for a 1/2 stop drop and got very nice positives. I then used these for making contact negs for platinum negs.

The positive could be masked for some dodge burn effects and really worked well.

I agree with Bob's advice. I used to develop Scala in Rodinal Special (which is completely different from Rodinal), but now use FX39, and it was pretty good at the APX 100 time. I rate it at ISO 100.

 

[2F/2F]

I would consider yourself lucky to have that box of film! There is no black and white negative film like it, except possibly one of the Rollei copy films, which are slower and even more contrasty. I love Scala as a negative for certain things. Being designed to be reversed, it has a lot of punch. I like shooting flat winter landscapes with it. I got some good stuff in the Smokies on 120 Scala processed as a negative. I rated at 100 and developed in HC-110 for five minutes. Even then, it was pretty contrasty, but because of that is really livened up the flat, dull light caused by the weather.