GAF (B&W materials)

CMoore · Jun 20, 2017

Not sure if they also did B&W..... (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

photog_ed · Jun 20, 2017

A little googling reveals that they did - and you can still buy expired film:

http://www.ultrafineonline.com/gafsuhy320bl.html

David Lindquist · Jun 20, 2017

In _Zone System Manual_ (New Revised Edition, copyright 1968), Minor White states that Ansco (later GAF) Versapan "... is remarkably responsive to variable development. It allows N+4 to N-2 with Edwal FG-7. With developer D-23 it allows N+3 to N-5." I expect he achieved those contractions using D-23 as a two solution developer with 2% borax as the second bath.

I have a GAF catalogue from the 1970's in which they say of Versapan "...can be developed a wide range of contrast."

David

trendland · Jun 20, 2017

photog_ed said:
A little googling reveals that they did - and you can still buy expired film:

http://www.ultrafineonline.com/gafsuhy320bl.html

Yes that is it - also in bw.
But it makes not much sense to by strong expired films.

with regards

trendland · Jun 20, 2017

David Lindquist said:
In _Zone System Manual_ (New Revised Edition, copyright 1968), Minor White states that Ansco (later GAF) Versapan "... is remarkably responsive to variable development. It allows N+4 to N-2 with Edwal FG-7. With developer D-23 it allows N+3 to N-5." I expect he achieved those contractions using D-23 as a two solution developer with 2% borax as the second bath.

I have a GAF catalogue from the 1970's in which they say of Versapan "...can be developed a wide range of contrast."

David

Yes David it may be a great plesure to have 200 of those films extremly acurate
freezed from 1970 - 1980 in 135.
But from different rolls expired at this dates (1980 ) what would we expect from this emulsions?
What should we expect from its special
characteritics ?

It is perhaps a pretty play when we got
a big ammound of expired films for less
(better vor nothing) but to me they should be expired after 2000 - do you not think so?
Perhaps I would discuss it (when it comes to me ) from expired dates of 1995.
But no - lets better say 2005!

Expired 1973 ????...better no shooting with this emulsion

with regards

Petraio Prime · Jun 20, 2017

David Lindquist said:
In _Zone System Manual_ (New Revised Edition, copyright 1968), Minor White states that Ansco (later GAF) Versapan "... is remarkably responsive to variable development. It allows N+4 to N-2 with Edwal FG-7. With developer D-23 it allows N+3 to N-5." I expect he achieved those contractions using D-23 as a two solution developer with 2% borax as the second bath.

I have a GAF catalogue from the 1970's in which they say of Versapan "...can be developed a wide range of contrast."

David

Minor White's Zone System Manual would be laughed out of any science class. I howled and howled reading it. Tears streamed down my face. He was some kind of mystic. Absolutely nothing in that book is based any kind of science.

Ian Grant · Jun 20, 2017

You Ned to remember that the US government striped Agfa Ansco and gave all their intellectual proprty rights as in trade secrets to Kodak in 1942. after WWII they were way behind on a par ithnORWO, the US Government were wary of investments.

The company never had a realistic future, all I remember was they were just so far behind on colour films here in the U.K. I've never met anyone that even tried their films they had such a bad reputation. I was shooting a lot of E4 then E6 at that time and GAF was a joke, like ORWO.

Ian

AgX · Jun 20, 2017

But GAF changed from the Agfacolor system to the Ektachrome system decades before Agfa did. So they were innovative in a way.
(Though Agfa had good reasons to keep to their system so long.)

Furthermore Ansco had a variety of special colour films and papers, you probably have not heard of.

Petraio Prime · Jun 20, 2017

Ian Grant said:
You Ned to remember that the US government striped Agfa Ansco and gave all their intellectual proprty rights as in trade secrets to Kodak in 1942. after WWII they were way behind on a par ithnORWO, the US Government were wary of investments.

The company never had a realistic future, all I remember was they were just so far behind on colour films here in the U.K. I've never met anyone that even tried their films they had such a bad reputation. I was shooting a lot of E4 then E6 at that time and GAF was a joke, like ORWO.

Ian

In the 1970s, they had some decent slide films.

Sirius Glass · Jun 20, 2017

Petraio Prime said:
In the 1970s, they had some decent slide films.

And yes I used them.

Sirius Glass · Jun 20, 2017

AgX said:
But GAF changed from the Agfacolor system to the Ektachrome system decades before Agfa did. So they were innovative in a way.
(Though Agfa had good reasons to keep to their system so long.)

Good reasons ===> The slide film made any blue sky have black smudges. That was a point of pride with Agfa.

Ian Grant · Jun 20, 2017

Petraio Prime said:
In the 1970s, they had some decent slide films.

Decent compared to what ? Definately poor compared to Fuji, I'd given up on Kodak by then as had most professionals in the U.K.

Ian

David Lindquist · Jun 20, 2017

Continuing this fascinating subject of GAF's black and white film offerings, my catalogue shows five named films: Versapan, Superpan, Super Hypan, Finopan and Vivipan (plus Commercial Ortho in sheet film only). These five were available as sheet film and "Professional Long Rolls". Versapan and Super Hypan were also available in film pack and 120 and 35 mm and Superpan as 120 and 35 mm. A seemingly comprehensive line-up. I have to wonder how readily available these really were. (I remember having to special order Versapan; this was in the San Francisco bay area.) I don't know when they stopped making these films in favor of linoleum and shingles.
David

hacked - sepiareverb · Jun 20, 2017

Vivipan is a great name!

Petraio Prime · Jun 20, 2017

Ian Grant said:
Decent compared to what ? Definately poor compared to Fuji, I'd given up on Kodak by then as had most professionals in the U.K.

Ian

I am talking early 1970s, not late. They dropped out about 1979.

AgX · Jun 20, 2017

Petraio Prime · Jun 20, 2017

AgX said:
1977

AgX · Jun 20, 2017

And now to something completely different...

Gerald C Koch · Jun 20, 2017

When Disney first opened in Orlando Florida their "official" film was Kodak. However at the store asking the clerk for GAF he would sell you that under the counter. So I have some very nice photos of the Haunted House taken in B&W. They even had the bats working that day. IIRC their fast film had an ASA of 500 making it ASA bit faster than Tri-X.

The following article gives a time line for photographic products.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansco

removed account4 · Jun 20, 2017

i've never used their papers or films, but i regularly see their roof shingles at my local big box hardware.
they made one of the best film / paper i ever used "GAF Universal"
i've never been able to figure out what it was ..

GAF (B&W materials)

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency