Did Kodak Once Produce a Black & White Slide Film?

[Dave in Kansas]

Did Kodak ever produce or market a black and white film specifically for slides?

Way back in about 1968 when I was around 15 years old on a family vacation in the Smokey Mountains, I seem to recall seeing Kodak film boxs that stated "For Back & White Slides." That was 44 years ago and I was young, but I have often wondered since then if I really saw film for black & white slides, or if I just imagine that I saw it. At the time everyone in the family used only Kodachrome but black & white did interest me.

If Kodak did make such a film, what was it?

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Andrew K]

Only Black And White slide films I ever shot was Agfa - Dia Direct, (although the results form the lab here in Melbourne were more sepia than black & white), and Scala - which produced stunning results..

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Not that I can recall from Kodak, and I did use Kodak B&W for about a decade to 1990, along with Kodachrome.
There is Agfa's SCALA. NO idea if this is still available, even as ancient, long-expired stock in somebody's toy box.... Very little is still available by way of film from Kodak.

 

[Bill Burk]

There was a kit to reversal process black and white film. For example Panatomic-X at EI 80. I used it quite a bit.

 

[spoolman]

Did Koadk Once Produce a Black & White Slide Film?

If my memory serves me I believe there was something called Direct Positive film and paper that utilized the old reversal kit that was also used for panatomic-x. The paper was used in those photo booths that gave 4 prints on a strip.

Doug

 

[Albin]

B & W slide

Hi,
I am doing b&w slide from Kodak Tmax 100 iso shoot at 50 iso.
From there, I am using Reversal processing for T-MAX film from
Photographers Formulary.
Product no: 01-0600.
You can get it from Formulary, B&H or Adorama.
It work well.

 

[nworth]

Absolutely yes! It was called Direct Positive film and was available in 135 and 828 sizes. It was a panchromatic (Type B) film with an ISO 80 daylight speed (64 tungsten). They started making it sometime after WWII, probably in the very late 40s. I can remember seeing it on the shelves in the early 50s. It was discontinued sometime in the early 70s, I think. (I have a 1969 film pamphlet that still lists it.) After a while, Kodak started recommending reversal processing of first Panatomic-X and then TMax-100 as a substitute. People who could use long rolls also shot Kodak's reversal motion picture products to produce slides.

 

[Ian Grant]

Gevaert were the first to market a B&W slide film, this evolved over the years to become Agfa Gevaert Dia Direct and eventually Scala.

I remember using a Kodak Positive film in the late 1960's or early 70's but it was orthochromatic and used for making Positives from negative and also quite slow.

Not sure if it's still Ok but I have a box of Kodak Direct Positive 10x8 film used for making duplicate negatives (or positives) without reversal.

Ian

 

[Dave in Kansas]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe it was the Direct Positive film that I saw, if I really did see such a thing. In my mind I can picture the yellow box with black lettering. As I said, however, this was nearly 45 years ago and I was only around 15, but it caught my attention.

Dave

 

[Dave in Kansas]

Does T-Max 100 work well for reverse processing? As I recall, it doesn't have a very clear base.

Dave

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Does T-Max 100 work well for reverse processing? As I recall, it doesn't have a very clear base.

Dave

It does. Check out the DR5 web site. http://www.dr5.com/blackandwhiteslide/tmx.html
(For the record I have no affiliation with the web site or its owner).

TMX film base not clear? The negs I have from that film are clear as glass, whether 4x5, 35mm, or 120.

 

[Dave in Kansas]

Thanks Thomas. I have used DR5 a number of times, but never with T-Max 100. I really haven't shot that much of it but was thinking it didn't have a real clear base. I did process a roll of T-Max 400 a couple of nights ago in XTOL and thought its base was rather opaque. I figured T-Max 100 would be similar.

Dave

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Thanks Thomas. I have used DR5 a number of times, but never with T-Max 100. I really haven't shot that much of it but was thinking it didn't have a real clear base. I did process a roll of T-Max 400 a couple of nights ago in XTOL and thought its base was rather opaque. I figured T-Max 100 would be similar.

Dave

I think you might have a processing problem. TMY-2 comes out clear as glass for me too, and I use Xtol also. Perhaps your fixer is nearing exhaustion? Anyway, don't mean to derail the thread... Carry on!

 

[Dave in Kansas]

Thanks again, Thomas. I appreciate your comments on T-Max films. I don't shoot much T-Max, but the roll the other night was shot at ISO 200 under bright rather high contrast conditions. My Xtol was 4 months old, stored in a wine bladder and mixed 1:2 and developed for 9 1/2 minutes. The fixer was Kodak Rapid Fixer and the clear test was around 2 1/2 minutes (still a bit opaque at that time, but both halves of test strip were equal). My total fix time was about 7 minutes. Results were not very clear, in my opinion.

Dave

 

[Sirius Glass]

I did process a roll of T-Max 400 a couple of nights ago in XTOL and thought its base was rather opaque. I figured T-Max 100 would be similar.

Not enough time in the hypo. The film was not clear of excess silver.

 

[luizjorgemn]

TMax, Deltas and Acros, being tabular grain films, are really avid for fixer. I choose to keep the negatives at rapid fixer for 3 times the tip test Using a T-grain tip, and count these films twice in my fixer record, because them exaust the fixer faster than regular grain films.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Dave in Kansas]

I feel embarrassed and need to retract most of what I said above regarding T-Max 100 and 400 films. I just rechecked my TMY negatives and they do indeed have a mostly clear base with only a very slight tint. Furthermore, I went back and found some of my TMX negatives and the base is quite clear.

Most likely I was thinking of the my test strip used to test my fixer that was in the fixer only long enough to determine a fix time. I guess that is what I get for trying to post something at work in a hurry when what I need to refer to is at home.

Perhaps I should shoot more T-Max film and get a better feel for it.

Dave

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I feel embarrassed and need to retract most of what I said above regarding T-Max 100 and 400 films. I just rechecked my TMY negatives and they do indeed have a mostly clear base with only a very slight tint. Furthermore, I went back and found some of my TMX negatives and the base is quite clear.

Most likely I was thinking of the my test strip used to test my fixer that was in the fixer only long enough to determine a fix time. I guess that is what I get for trying to post something at work in a hurry when what I need to refer to is at home.

Perhaps I should shoot more T-Max film and get a better feel for it.

Dave

It doesn't matter. The important thing is that they are great films, both of them, but while a bit thirsty in the fixer department, rapidly depleting fixer capacity, they are wonderful films for reversal processing, as are almost any other Kodak film available or obsolete.
Now back to the experts regarding reversal processing...

 

[Jim Jones]

In the late 1970s I used a 35mm Kodak direct positive B&W film marketed for scientific use, and not generally available in stores. As I recall, it was red until developed, and very slow, maybe ISO 3. It was developed in Dektol print developer. Another way to make B&W positives is to copy negatives with a high contrast film like the late Kodak Tech Pan.

 

[Stephen Frizza]

it was also available in 4x5 and is still available in 35mm

 

[nworth]

In the late 1970s I used a 35mm Kodak direct positive B&W film marketed for scientific use, and not generally available in stores. As I recall, it was red until developed, and very slow, maybe ISO 3. It was developed in Dektol print developer. Another way to make B&W positives is to copy negatives with a high contrast film like the late Kodak Tech Pan.

This sounds like one of the many Kodak Autopositive products. They were marketed as part of Kodak's Reprographic line through blueprint and industrial dealers. Most were extreme contrast materials. I remember the papers had to be exposed through a yellow filter for the automatic reversal effect to work.

There was also a special order medium contrast automatic reversal material available for several years (I think in the 80s or 90s). It was also developed in Dektol and had about that speed. It had a number of industrial uses and was particularly popular for making enlarged negatives for contact printing. It had a rather high inherent fog level, which limited its usefulness and quality.

 

[Stephen Frizza]

there is still a direct positive B&W material available for the motion film industry. its great stuff.

 

[AgX]

There is Agfa's SCALA. NO idea if this is still available, even as ancient, long-expired stock in somebody's toy box...

Still available. Warehouse stock.

 

[AgX]

By the way, the term "direct-positive" is used differently in literature and by manufacturers:
It can mean processing with single developing stage, reversal processing, or even a diffusion process.
Very confusing.

 

[dr5chrome]

SCALA is available from FOTOIMPEX..

Not that I can recall from Kodak, and I did use Kodak B&W for about a decade to 1990, along with Kodachrome.
There is Agfa's SCALA. NO idea if this is still available, even as ancient, long-expired stock in somebody's toy box.... Very little is still available by way of film from Kodak.