FOMA Film need hardner?

[CJ Photography]

The Question is, does FOMA 200 35mm Film need hardner? If so is the problem with the film only when wet.

CJ

 

[Ian Grant]

No it's reasonably robust, I've been using Fomapan 100 & 200 for over a year now with no problems in 120 & LF,35mm won't be any different.

I don't use a hardener with any films and that includes EFKE 25 which is comparatively soft.

Ian

 

[RobertV]

Especially not using hardener when doing a reel development. Depending on the type of sheet film development you could consider a hardener. Also when using development temperatures over 24 degrees C.

But with a standard 35mm reel development a hardener has only disadvantages. Not necessary at all.

Take notice that this film has iso 125-160 only in most developers.
http://www.foma.cz/Upload/foma/prilohy/F_pan_200_en.pdf

Best regards,

Robert

 

[fschifano]

Not necessary at all. I've been using quite a bit of 100, 200, and 400 in 120 and 35 mm. Never use a hardener, and no problems.

 

[Ian Grant]

Take notice that this film has iso 125-160 only in most developers.
Robert

Is it really that fast ?

I did some Zone system tests and found it was best at 80/100 EI, and when I finally returned to the UK and printed the negs found they all had a wonderful tonality and sharpness.

In the summer I regularly process all my films at 24/25°C and still have no problems with Fomapan 100 or 200 but I do use Pyrocat HD which is a tanning developer so hardens the film anyway.

Ian

 

[RobertV]

Xtol/Excel W27, AM74/RHS in the range 125-160. Rodinal around 100.

The combination Xtol/Excel is good around iso 160:
Dead Link Removed

Box speed: I think Diafine only

 

[Philippe-Georges]

CJ,

I think I might know what you are alluding to.
I quitted using Fomapan films (400 & 100) because they are prone to, what I tend to call, 'mechanical pressure fog'.
This is a kind of 'damage' due to some kind of 'intensive' contact between the camera — reels — film-transport causing friction between the backing-paper or film — fingernails and all alike, and the emulsion.
I was 'shooting' a lot of Foma 400 in my Hasselblad, and among the 5 film-baks I have, 4 of them were causing this kind of damage more or less looking like intensive streaks and lines, as well as over the image area as on the film-borders (= a lesser problem). Just to be sure, I had one of these backs adjusted to the rather 'thicker' Fomafilm, which did not entirely solved the problem.
I did not test it in an other camera, as I planned to use this film in this camera for a particular project.
Strangely, the same kind of 'streaks', but on an other area of the film, appeared when using the JOBO 2500 system reels. I solved that by working on SS reels.

I noticed that these problems could be caused before developing and looked like 'exposed' as no physical traces were found on the emulsion — nor the back side of the film. This is why I tend to call it fog.
Surprisingly enough, this phenomenon was less intense when using more 'classic' developers like Rodinal, I mainly process in Pyro-HD, but these lines were still present even when using the Jobo reels. Why, I do not know (and do not care anymore).

At the end, I had to send some of the developed films showing this phenomenon to Foma Bohemia. As an answer they mailed, along whit their excuses, 10 rolls of fresh film, but no explanation nor a solution for the problem.
As I realised that physical contact due to the systems involved could not entirely be avoided, I decided to leave the Fomapan films and move to Kodak's TRI-X 400, what definitely solved all problems.
I find it a petty because I do like the look of the Foma Bohemia emulsion as it was close to the beloved and 'vanished' APX-400. But, one has to be open to changings, once in a time, and I settled now with TRI-X...

I do hope that this is an answer to your troubles.

Good luck,

Philippe