How old is Plus-X?

raucousimages · Feb 11, 2006

Does anyone know what year Kodak Plus-x was introduced?

jovo · Feb 11, 2006

A quick search on Google turned up this citation from a thread on photo.net about the history of movie films:

"Super X was another of the movie stocks. As you can see on the Kodak page, this was replaced by Plus-X in 1938. I think Super-X was the higher speed negative stock originated for the three-strip Technicolor process, to make up for the light losses in the prisms and filters. Plus-X was, of course, later made available in 35mm and rollfilm sizes."

So....the answer seems to be 1938 as a movie film.

Craig · Feb 11, 2006

I have a copy of the Kodak Reference Handbook, dated November 1940, and Plus-X is listed with a speed of 50 and a resolving power of 50 lines per mm, available as 35mm and roll film.

Tri-X has a speed of 200, a resolving power of 40 lines/mm, and is ony available in sheet film. Interestingly, the "regular" sheet film sizes go from 2-1/4 x 3-1/4 all the way up to 30x60 inches!

Lachlan Young · Feb 11, 2006

Craig said:
Interestingly, the "regular" sheet film sizes go from 2-1/4 x 3-1/4 all the way up to 30x60 inches!

Would the giant Perkin Elmer lens commented on elsewhere on APUG cover 30x60? More to the point, can you imagine trying to process film that, if you were not careful, could probably envelop you!

I wonder if Kodak would make some on special order...

Lachlan

raucousimages · Feb 11, 2006

Thanks all. I found the 1938 date but also found "introduction dates" as late as 1957! I know that is wrong. I need this info for an upcoming exhibit.

30x60 could be developed by pinning it to a table and spraying it with developer and collecting the chemicals from trays in the floor. Large litho masks have been produced this way. But where are you going to find a film holder the sise of a door?

nworth · Feb 11, 2006

The older Plus-X is older than me, which puts it back to at least the 30s. When I first used it in the early 50s it was an ASA 50 panchromatic fim with medium grain and resolution. Around 1956 Kodak made massive changes to all their emulsions, and Plus-X became Plus-X Pan, a thin emulsion, fine grain, moderately high definition film. Sometime near the same year, ASA changed its method for defining film speed. Plus-X Pan came in at ASA 125, actually only a small increment in speed. The film has been continuously changed and improved since.

How old is Plus-X?

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