Future of APX 100 - hints and references

Petzi · Mar 12, 2006

The Rollei films are supplied my Maco. I think Maco just bought some APX 25 master rolls from Agfa to cut them. So I think (I can not vouch for it) that Rollei Pan 25 is actually APX 25.

Of course that will run out at some point.

The Rollei Pan 25 is supposed to be made in Germany. Maco do not produce any film or paper, they just market it and in some cases they cut and spool it. There are (were) not that many film coating plants in Germany, and Maco sold some other Agfa products. Which speaks for the assumption that Rollei Pan 25 is just Agfa APX 25.

Maybe someone else can confirm this.

But it wouldn't hurt to just buy a roll and see if it behaves like the beloved APX 25, right?

MMfoto · Mar 12, 2006

You know I have a hard time believing the numerous reports saying they are selling film from a finite number of master rolls. Why would a company go to all the trouble of releasing a new line (at least in name) of film, creating a customer base, and be happy to walk away from it when they sell the last roll?

sanderx1 · Mar 12, 2006

MMfoto said:
You know I have a hard time believing the numerous reports saying they are selling film from a finite number of master rolls. Why would a company go to all the trouble of releasing a new line (at least in name) of film, creating a customer base, and be happy to walk away from it when they sell the last roll?

To an extent they did do that with retro 100 / 400 ... though i think apx 25 has been gone for too long for that to be the same case.

MMfoto · Mar 12, 2006

sanderx1 said:
To an extent they did do that with retro 100 / 400 ... though i think apx 25 has been gone for too long for that to be the same case.

But has that actually been confirmed? MAWZ's comment above gives me a doubt. If he is correct and "Silvertone" is APX emulsion on some non Agfa filmbase, than I would have a hard time believing that the "Classic Pan" films aren't a similar incarnation. Like most of us I haven't handled anything but the real deal, so I don't know. It looks like large shipments of APX 100/400 have been delivered recently. It seems to me that, if I was liquidating my film company, I could get the most for my money by spooling up those master rolls and selling them off as finished product rather than selling a master roll at fire sale price.

Petzi · Mar 12, 2006

I am sure that APX 25 from the final coating will last another 10 - 30 years if stored properly... APX 25 was a very slow selling product which is why Agfa discontinued it.

I am also sure that depending on the volume of film they still have in stock, Maco have no problem marketing that while they know they have to discontinue it at some point.

Remember, Kodak sold Technical Pan for like 8 years or so after the final coating, until they announced its discontinuation. They had already disassembled the production line.

Petzi · Mar 12, 2006

I doubt that anything is APX if it is not coated on the same base as APX. So either Silvertone resembles APX in every way, then it is APX, or it doesn't.

mawz · Mar 13, 2006

Petzi said:
I doubt that anything is APX if it is not coated on the same base as APX. So either Silvertone resembles APX in every way, then it is APX, or it doesn't.

It resembles APX in most ways, but isn't identical. The base appears to be thinner and more fragile, a la Efke, but developing times are nearly identical (Are so for 400, 100 seems to need some slight tweaks). Hence I suspect it's an APX clone emulsion-wise on somebody elses base. I'd not be shocked to find out it's Rollei Classic 100 and 400 though.

Brac · Mar 14, 2006

MMfoto said:
But has that actually been confirmed? MAWZ's comment above gives me a doubt. If he is correct and "Silvertone" is APX emulsion on some non Agfa filmbase, than I would have a hard time believing that the "Classic Pan" films aren't a similar incarnation. Like most of us I haven't handled anything but the real deal, so I don't know. It looks like large shipments of APX 100/400 have been delivered recently. It seems to me that, if I was liquidating my film company, I could get the most for my money by spooling up those master rolls and selling them off as finished product rather than selling a master roll at fire sale price.

As far as the Classic Pan labelled films are concerned they are nothing whatsoever to do with Agfa. As a number of previous threads on here will confirm, the 200 & 400 speeds are made by Forte in Hungary. The 100 version is more of a mystery but I suspect it is made in China and may be rebadged Shanghai GP3 which could explain why it is so cheap!

Future of APX 100 - hints and references

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