Discontinued B&W Film

[clayne]

I just bought a roll of Agfa APX 400 the other day. Is there something I'm missing? :confused: Is it just rebranded somethingelse?

Yes, you're missing APX100.

APX of any speed, however, is *not* re-branded anything.

 

[brian d]

[Kodak 4x5 Pack Film/QUOTE]

and 2x3, 3x4

 

[Curt]

The attention that the death of Kodachrome has created peeked my interest. Are there any discontinued B&W films you really miss?

Panatomic-X.

 

[IloveTLRs]

APX of any speed, however, is *not* re-branded anything.

So what am I seeing in stores then? The last run of it? :confused:

 

[ozphoto]

Yes this is the last remaining stock of APX - although I believe I read hear on APUG that once it runs out, ADOX (http://www.adox.de) will begin coating film as they have done for Agfa paper - now available as ADOX MCC 110/111/112.

I too miss APX - but have enough stock to keep me going for quite a while yet.

Am looking forward to trying all of it out soon!

 

[SchwinnParamount]

I don't really care about the great films I used to use. They're gone. My energy is focussed on making great images with what IS available.

 

[mhcfires]

Verichrome Pan, Verichrome Pan, Verichrome Pan. I also miss the Kodak Pack Films.

 

[oscroft]

So what am I seeing in stores then? The last run of it?

Yep. Before they shut the machinery down they made a large amount of it, and there's still quite a bit left.

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I believe there is at least one bulk film back for 35mm cameras that will accept unperf'd 35mm film.. no?

Shame about the imagelink films. I spent a while searching for Agfa Copex to no avail. Reminds me, can I bitch about Kodak High Speed Recording Film? ..grumble.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I really miss HIE.

Jeff

 

[IloveTLRs]

Yep. Before they shut the machinery down they made a large amount of it, and there's still quite a bit left.

Thanks for the reply.

It's over $6 a roll though It's only stocked at places that sell toy cameras

 

[mightyomega]

I'd have to mention HIE again, and Polaroid types 55 and 52. I miss all the Polaroid peel aparts, they were unique films.
Sigh.

 

[oscroft]

It's over $6 a roll though It's only stocked at places that sell toy cameras

You can get it for £1.95 a roll (about $3.20) in the UK, or £17.80 ($29) for 10, at Retro Photographic...

Dead Link Removed

Hmm, maybe I should get some more.

 

[WRSchmalfuss]

I believe there is at least one bulk film back for 35mm cameras that will accept unperf'd 35mm film.. no?

Shame about the imagelink films. I spent a while searching for Agfa Copex to no avail. Reminds me, can I bitch about Kodak High Speed Recording Film? ..grumble.

Hey..... I've heard the hallway gossip from AGFA Gevaert in Mortsel/Belgium. It says, that in autumn of 2009, the AGFA COPEX RAPID can be expected again, as 135-36 and bulk film (with notches).

Cheers

 

[MMfoto]

DEFINATLY APX any speed or size (along with FORTE polywarmtone paper) Verichrome pan Royal-X pan
Rick

I'll second that. APX anything and Forte/Bergger (the original) warmtone. Fantastic combinations. Don't forget your Zonal Pro HQ, which, thankfully, we can still get.

 

[MMfoto]

Does anyone have any idea about current B&W film sales? I think B&W films are doing OK in general, but since both of my favorite color films were just simultaneously discontinued...... Kodachrome obviously, and E100gx.

I shoot mostly fast b&w films in 35mm. I could be happy with a variety of 400 speed B&W films, but I don't know what I would do without Kodak TMZ P3200, there is just no replacement, certainly not Delta (try getting 12,800 out of that one). So I hope it's selling well!

 

[tjaded]

Panatomic X and Technical Pan. Sniff sniff. I miss 'em.


Shameless plug time....

Check the classifieds, I just listed some APX 100 in 120.

End shameless plug.

 

[clayne]

Does anyone have any idea about current B&W film sales? I think B&W films are doing OK in general, but since both of my favorite color films were just simultaneously discontinued...... Kodachrome obviously, and E100gx.

I shoot mostly fast b&w films in 35mm. I could be happy with a variety of 400 speed B&W films, but I don't know what I would do without Kodak TMZ P3200, there is just no replacement, certainly not Delta (try getting 12,800 out of that one). So I hope it's selling well!

Are you buying them now?

 

[MMfoto]

Are you buying them now?

Yes

 

[Rick Levine]

I can't believe only one other poster mentioned Bergger film. It was a great film for Zone System work. I was able to get N-3 to N+3 out of it with Pyro in my Jobo.

 

[aldevo]

I can't believe only one other poster mentioned Bergger film. It was a great film for Zone System work. I was able to get N-3 to N+3 out of it with Pyro in my Jobo.

As the one other poster who did ;-)

All Bergger films were really Forte emulsions. Fortepan 200 (aka J&C Classic 200, Arista.edu Hungary 200, Bergger BRF200) was the last thick-emulsion B&W pictorial film made. Basically, it was as unique in the B&W world as Kodachrome was in the color transparency world.

No replacement is possible.

 

[FedericoMP]

As the one other poster who did ;-)

All Bergger films were really Forte emulsions. Fortepan 200 (aka J&C Classic 200, Arista.edu Hungary 200, Bergger BRF200) was the last thick-emulsion B&W pictorial film made. Basically, it was as unique in the B&W world as Kodachrome was in the color transparency world.

No replacement is possible.

Does it mean Fortepan 100 is not as good as Fortepan 200? :S

 

[Rick Levine]

aldevo,

I can't imagine that even though Bergger was made in the Forte plant that the emulsions were the same. It doesn't seem economically reasonable to have the same product with different names unless there were legal restrictions that required different names for different countries. By the way, after much testing I'm finding that TMAX 400 seems to react similarly to the Bergger film at least in my Zone System testing. It appears every bit as sharp and I'm getting N-3 to N+3 using Rollo Pyro in my Jobo.

 

[aldevo]

aldevo,

I can't imagine that even though Bergger was made in the Forte plant that the emulsions were the same. It doesn't seem economically reasonable to have the same product with different names unless there were legal restrictions that required different names for different countries. By the way, after much testing I'm finding that TMAX 400 seems to react similarly to the Bergger film at least in my Zone System testing. It appears every bit as sharp and I'm getting N-3 to N+3 using Rollo Pyro in my Jobo.

Forte had massive issues with growing overcapacity that eventually lead to their bankruptcy in 2004 and their ultimate demise in early 2007. It is not so very unreasonable when you consider that Bergger and retailers (e.g. Freestyle) bore the cost of marketing the private-labeled film. Ilford also engaged in this practice, and both Fuji and Kodak are now strongly suspected of producing private-labeled film for Freestyle. So it's nothing new and will continue as manufacturers desperately try to keep radically-oversized production infrastructure economically-viable.

I have no experience with Rollo Pyro nor do I conduct detailed sensitometric analysis, but I feel comfortable stating:

1) My J&C Classic 200, Bergger BRF 200, and Fortepan 200 negs absolutely print the same when developed in Pyrocat MC.
2) My Fortepan 200 (and its aforementioned derivatives) negs do not print anything like my TMY ones did in Pyrocat MC. The former has somewhat less highlight contrast and better mid-tone separation. I have not tried this with the latest TMY-2; only the earlier TMY.

 

[aldevo]

Does it mean Fortepan 100 is not as good as Fortepan 200? :S

No, it isn't a judgement. I have about 15-20 rolls of Fortepan 100 (and its derivatives) left in 135 and about the same number in 120.

I think that Fortepan 200 was more aggresively marketed because it was a serviceable substitute for the long-discontinued Kodak Super-XX Pan.