Hand wringing over APX 100

[ronlamarsh]

I have seen a lot of posts bemoaning the demise of APX 100. I never used it but freestyle is selling 100ft rolls of rollei retro 100 and the leterature claims it to be a subsitute for the aforementioned APX 100. I am thinking about getting a 100ft roll. So tell me what is so good about it compared to other products i.e EFKE,FOMAPAN,FP4.

 

[rwboyer]

It has a very unique upper midtone rendering in most developers. Try it in Rodinal. It also has a very nice tight grain that gives "bite" without a lot of visible grain in most print sizes that you are like to make.

Sort of like a carved in metal look. It is really nice but have coaxed TMX to do most things I want it to at this point.

RB

 

[Ian Grant]

Quite simply it was the best 100 ISO film on the market.

Ian

 

[mablo]

Agreed. Get it while you can.

 

[ronlamarsh]

Thanks

Thanks Guys, how can I not get it now?

 

[BetterSense]

I liked it, but I don't like 35mm. I'm still bemoaning the 120-size APX100. I still have one lonely roll in my freezer.

 

[Colin Corneau]

The Rollei Retro is probably my favorite film in 35mm, especially in Rodinal. RWBoyer described it very well, I can only concur...I'll probably move to that exclusively for 35mm work, once I work through all my TMX.

 

[Ian Grant]

Hopefully Rollei Retro will run out very soon, that will help Fotoimpex when they re-introduce new fresh, rather than quite old Agfa stock, APX100 under the Adox brand name.

Ian

 

[rwboyer]

Here is the first sample that I ran across from a binder of negs that I happen to have at my desk that I was looking through. The scan is a quicky but I matched it real quick to the contact sheet so it pretty much corresponds to the way APX in Rodinal looks on Grade 2.

This neg was Shot at EI 64, zone III exposure for the shadows, Rodinal 1+50.

RB

 

[rwboyer]

Ps.

Before anyone says anything - I print this neg horizontal not square so the crop is different and composition not so strange. Just wanted to show the whole neg.

RB

 

[tjaded]

I have a bunch of APX 100 in 120...I had it for sale here on APUG with not all that much interest, now I'm thinking I should keep it all instead of letting half of it go!

 

[mikebarger]

Not as much grain as I might have expected, considering the Rodinal.

I've got an unopened bottle, may have to try some in 4x5 or 120.

Mike

 

[Colin Corneau]

I've made terrific 16x20's from 35mm Rollei Retro 100 (in 1:50 Rodinal) from an XPan image (24mm x 59mm IIRC) -- sharp, with nice grain. It's impressive stuff.

 

[rwboyer]

I've made terrific 16x20's from 35mm Rollei Retro 100 (in 1:50 Rodinal) from an XPan image (24mm x 59mm IIRC) -- sharp, with nice grain. It's impressive stuff.

I never minded enlarging 120 film to just about any size - I used to make 24x24 and 24x30 from 120 quite often - The grain is not just tight but also very "pretty" grain. You really needed to be right on top of the print to see the grain even at that size.

RB

 

[michaelbsc]

I liked it, but I don't like 35mm. I'm still bemoaning the 120-size APX100. I still have one lonely roll in my freezer.

I still have a few rolls of APX100 and a brick of Rollei Retro, but why bemoan that. I have a brick of 120 Kodachrome!

If all you have is one roll, I'd suggest you celebrate with it. Give the poor old soul a decent chance to produce the pic of the century. After all, with only one roll it's not like you can take on a paying assignment with it. Come on man, let the film live! Pick a project (not something willy nilly, but do pick something) and give it that last hurrah!

Hopefully Rollei Retro will run out very soon, that will help Fotoimpex when they re-introduce new fresh, rather than quite old Agfa stock, APX100 under the Adox brand name.

This, however, is the interesting part. Is there really a rumor that they will reintroduce it under the new structure once the old stock is depleted? I thought the lines were dismantled. This is no small undertaking. Even if they have "other" facilities, there's still the problems of adapting the formulation to the new facilities.

MB

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Is there really a rumor that they will reintroduce it under the new structure once the old stock is depleted? I thought the lines were dismantled. This is no small undertaking. Even if they have "other" facilities, there's still the problems of adapting the formulation to the new facilities.

It's not a rumor; it's not a return of Agfa
as a company; and it's been discussed here
in a number of threads in the past. Adox
bought the critical equipment and IP from
the Agfa liquidation, and hired key Agfa
employees, to return Agfa paper and film
to market. Adox has already done this
with the MCC and MCP papers. It is
waiting for the existing Agfa APX stock
to be exhausted before investing in the
commercial production of APX using the
Agfa equipment and IP, because current
APX stocks are being sold so cheaply that
Adox cannot compete with it. See, e.g.,

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Ian Grant]

Not as much grain as I might have expected, considering the Rodinal.

I've got an unopened bottle, may have to try some in 4x5 or 120.

Mike

APX100 gives exceptionally fine grain with Rodinal, it's a superb combination but then Agfa designed the film to work with Rodinal.

Ian

 

[michaelbsc]

Adox
bought the critical equipment and IP from
the Agfa liquidation, and hired key Agfa
employees, to return Agfa paper and film
to market ....
waiting for the existing Agfa APX stock
to be exhausted ... because current
APX stocks are being sold so cheaply that
Adox cannot compete with it. See, e.g.,

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Thanks for this link.

It sounds to me like the best strategy is to simply buy and shoot up the remaining stock. It is, after all, 'real' stock. And once it's out of the way ADOX will make what appears to be an honest effort to reintroduce it.

Not to say that we should waste it, but we also shouldn't be trying to pry the last roll from the dead company's hand. Let's just use it and let ADOX pick up the ball.

 

[Mike1234]

The ways some of you guys describe this stuff it sounds like old Agfapan 100 developed in Rodinal... nice stuff.

 

[Ian Grant]

APX100 isn't that different to AP100, I used a lot of both, APX100 is just slightly better all-round.

Ian

 

[marcmarc]

Rollie Retro is described as a substitute for APX100 but that doesn't mean it's same thing. To my eyes, they are different films. I tried a roll of 120 and used the same development as I used to for APX100 and the negs and the resulting prints came out different. Not bad mind you, just different. Given the higher cost of this film then other brands (maybe they are cheaper now?) and my disappointment in that it wasn't like APX100 I passed on buying any more.

 

[AgX]

Both, the APX100 and the APX400, were given, once resp. twice, new developing times by Agfa within their last ten years of existence.

So, I guess your experience is due to changes at Agfa and not due to the Rollei (Maco) conversion.

 

[Mark Antony]

Rollie Retro is described as a substitute for APX100 but that doesn't mean it's same thing. .

According to Rollei they bought the last master rolls of APX, they were coated on 35mm base, because of the shortage of 120 Rollei decided to send them to EFKE in Zagreb for cutting and packing 120 size.

So Rollei retro is/was APX just on a thicker base, I can't say that newer 35mm stock is APX that could be from other ex Agfa factories though
Mark

 

[AgX]

APX films were only coated at one plant.

 

[Mark Antony]

APX films were only coated at one plant.

Yep Leverkusen, which is now demolished, but Agfa Mortsel and the Wolfen factories have coating lines which I think Rollei buy stock from, not saying it's APX but some film comes from those sources.
Mark