Bergger BPF 200

Lachlan Young

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
4,839
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format
Does anyone have any experience with this film? What sort of developers work best and what are your personal preferences and EIs for developing?
I would possibly be using this film in 35mm, 120 or 5x4 formats.

All help much appreciated,

Lachlan
 

Papa Tango

Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2005
Messages
632
Location
Corning, NY
Format
Hybrid
Results may vary...

I have shot this film in 120 and 4x5. On my first trip out with it, shot at the box speed. Not happy with the results, Low contrast (thin) negatives. Second trip shot at 160, slight underdevelopment. Too grainy and crappy highlights. Still too thin. Not happy... All processed in D76, 1:1.

Mistake on the third trip out. Thought I was shooting a Grafmatic full of FP4. Usually shoot that at 100. It was the Bergger. Made an adjustment in the developing time to 8.5 minutes @ 68F, ID-11 stock solution. 1 minute prewash/soak, and development in a CombiPlan tank. Initial agitation 30 seconds, three gentle inversions per minute. Result: a fine negative! I have read later where others routinely shoot this film at this speed.

Some will compare the BPF 200 to JandC Classic 200. While it may be made in the same plant, it sure aint the same film. The Classic behaves well at the 160-180 range, and delivers a spectacular 4x5 negative in a wide variety of developers.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OP
OP

Lachlan Young

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
4,839
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format
Pragmatist said:
Some will compare the BPF 200 to JandC Classic 200. While it may be made in the same plant, it sure aint the same film. The Classic behaves well at the 160-180 range, and delivers a spectacular 4x5 negative in a wide variety of developers.
Click to expand...

I believe that the formula used for the Bergger film has some similarity with Kodak super XX and is, IIRC, made using formulae that were used by Guilleminot (best known to those in the states as zone VI Brilliant).

Lachlan
 

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council
Advertiser
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
11,546
Location
Washington DC
Format
Multi Format
Lachlan Young said:
I believe that the formula used for the Bergger film has some similarity with Kodak super XX and is, IIRC, made using formulae that were used by Guilleminot (best known to those in the states as zone VI Brilliant).

Lachlan
Click to expand...

The association with Super XX is pure marketing fraud, nothing more. The only similarity it had was that it has a thick base and uses traditional grain silver, instead of more modern t-grain silver in the emulsion.
 
OP
OP

Lachlan Young

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
4,839
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format
TheFlyingCamera said:
The only similarity it had was that it has a thick base and uses traditional grain silver, instead of more modern t-grain silver in the emulsion.
Click to expand...

Are you meaning a thick film base or a thick emulsion?

Lachlan
 

Papa Tango

Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2005
Messages
632
Location
Corning, NY
Format
Hybrid
The good old days

Lachlan Young said:
I believe that the formula used for the Bergger film has some similarity with Kodak super XX and is, IIRC, made using formulae that were used by Guilleminot (best known to those in the states as zone VI Brilliant)
Click to expand...

I have heard this claim as well, which is why I started experimenting with it. Being from an age when Super XX and Pan-X were two of my favorite and stock films, the BPF surely doesnt act IIRC the way S-XX did. This is why I chose D76 as the developer of choice. Microdol was nice for it, but caused a lot of speed loss.

Then there are those that claim the Efke 25 is similar to Pan-X. Not. Have gone off topic, but the days of those films are gone, and there simply are not any "direct" replacements.
 
OP
OP

Lachlan Young

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
4,839
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format

Just to go slightly off topic, have you ever tried Bergger BRF 400 film? I don't know if it's available in the USA, and there seems to only be one distributor in the UK that stocks it.

Lachlan
 

Donald Miller

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2002
Messages
6,230
Format
Large Format
Lachlan Young said:
I believe that the formula used for the Bergger film has some similarity with Kodak super XX and is, IIRC, made using formulae that were used by Guilleminot (best known to those in the states as zone VI Brilliant).

Lachlan
Click to expand...


Speaking from my experience, any resemblance between BPF 200 and Super XX is purely fantansy existing in the deluded mind of the marketing people at Bergger.

The film is fine, not great nor spectacular, when you finally determine how you want to expose it (more realistically EI 80-100) and for normal contrast scenes...it sucks big time when you ask much in the way of contrast expansion. There are much better films available.
 

c6h6o3

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2002
Messages
3,215
Format
Large Format
Lachlan Young said:
Are you meaning a thick film base or a thick emulsion?

Lachlan
Click to expand...

Thick base. There are no thick emulsion films manufactured now. Super-XX was the last one.
 

Rolleijoe

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2004
Messages
524
Location
S.E. Texas
Format
Medium Format
Bergger



I've had 4x5 done in Pyro, not impressed, 120 & 35mm in both Rodinal, & HC-110. It seems to do better in Rodinal, but is way overpriced. I'm very happy with Efke 100. My personal preference was EI 125 in Rodinal.

Good luck.
 
OP
OP

Lachlan Young

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
4,839
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format
I think we can draw the conclusion that Bergger 200 is not a patch on either of the Classic pan films or the EFKE films and as a result I now consider this thread closed.

Thanks for all your help,

Lachlan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…