I miss APX 25

Minox · Apr 30, 2024

Agfa APX 25 was my choice of slow film to go to when I shot 8x11 photographs with Minox cameras. Obviously, there were other films (Techpan, Spur, etc) which offered fine grain and good tones, but, I don't know, the APX 25 was the one most suitable for my Minox shots. Good memories.

Here, a shot of the main square in a town called Bruck an Der Mur, in Steyer, Austria, with a Minox IIIs. Processed in Studional, scanned negative.

xkaes · Apr 30, 2024

Any submini that can handle Agfa APX25 (slower speeds or faster lenses) can produce super results. Like you, I especially like it in my Minox IIIs. I still have a stash in my freezer.

http://www.subclub.org/apx25.pdf

Andrew O'Neill · Apr 30, 2024

I have a few 120 rolls, that a kind viewer sent to me. Been chomping at the bit to shoot them! That's one film I never got the chance to try.

GregY · Apr 30, 2024

I've still got a few 120 & 35mm. 20x24" print from 6x8cm neg
Loved that film

Chuck1 · Apr 30, 2024

That was my go to 4x5 film

xkaes · Apr 30, 2024

I still have some in 4x5" left, and several bulk rolls of 35mm. And I recently uncovered a125' roll of Kodak 2475 Recording film in the freezer -- the exact opposite of APX 25 -- fast and grainy. For some reason, Kodak sold it in 125' rolls instead of 100'.

Nicholas Lindan · Apr 30, 2024

All the best films were ASA 25 - Tech Pan, Kodachrome 25 & Ektar 25. If there were to be three films standing at the end of the world I was hoping it would be these three.

I can't speak for the Agfa/Ilford/Adox/Efke/Foma... films as I have never used them (with minor exceptions here and there).

I feel I have to cheer for the hometown yellow team; it is/was a damn good team.

Mark J · Apr 30, 2024

Yep - maybe the last 25 ISO film that had a proper D/logE curve. I never used enough, I still have one roll from 2001 in the fridge !
( ps. Don't talk to me about Kodachrome 25 in case I cry )

Chuck1 · Apr 30, 2024

It's OK to cry

Mark J · Apr 30, 2024

You are officially part of the support group !

Sanug · May 1, 2024

When talking about low ISO B+W film, don`t forget Kodak Panatomic X and Orwo NP15. Both were high resolution ultra fine grain films with normal contrast. But they are all gone.

However, nowadays I enjoy Adox HR-50 very much. I develop it in Adox XT-3, 1+3, 16 min. with very good results, but a little higher contrast compared to conventional film. Using a dark red filter, you will be able to shoot near Infrared at ISO 25.

Mark Crabtree · May 1, 2024

I picked up a couple hundred feet of Ilford Pan F+ when there was a good deal a year or two ago. I've heard very mixed things about the film and didn't get around to trying it until this year. I really like it and though I don't usually worship at the church of Rodinal, I think that is a great match for this film. Grain is still very fine in 35mm, but a finer grain developer might be a better match in miniature formats.

Currently available and not outrageously priced.

Mark J · May 1, 2024

Pan F+ works extremely well in PMK with good acutance and better highlight tolerance. It's been a mainstay of my MF work for 20 years, for scenes that are not too wide in value.

Patrick Robert James · May 1, 2024

My favorite slow film was Efke KB 50. I still have a bunch of it but never use it. Best tonality I think. Sometimes I think about slitting some down to use in the Minox.

I did shoot a lot of APX 25 back in the day. It was a great film.

Mark J · May 1, 2024

That's great - thanks !

Philippe-Georges · May 1, 2024

GregY said:
I've still got a few 120 & 35mm. 20x24" print from 6x8cm neg
Loved that film

Who didn't?

Mark J · May 1, 2024

I should use that one 120 roll I have, really, but I have doubts about it. It's been in a domestic fridge for 20 years, and once or twice out for a few days when the fridge went bust. Might be backing-paper mottling, has anyone shot any with similar age/storage recently ?

Minox · May 1, 2024

Patrick Robert James said:
My favorite slow film was Efke KB 50. I still have a bunch of it but never use it. Best tonality I think. Sometimes I think about slitting some down to use in the Minox.

I did shoot a lot of APX 25 back in the day. It was a great film.View attachment 369423

One of the films I really liked, back in the day. I still have half a brick of KB14 and a bulk roll in the fridge. Haven't shot this film in the last 15 yrs. Nice photograph !

GregY · May 1, 2024

Patrick Robert James said:
My favorite slow film was Efke KB 50. I still have a bunch of it but never use it. Best tonality I think. Sometimes I think about slitting some down to use in the Minox.

I did shoot a lot of APX 25 back in the day. It was a great film.View attachment 369423

beauty!

xkaes · May 1, 2024

Mark J said:
Pan F+ works extremely well in PMK with good acutance and better highlight tolerance. It's been a mainstay of my MF work for 20 years, for scenes that are not too wide in value.

Patrick Robert James said:
My favorite slow film was Efke KB 50. I still have a bunch of it but never use it. Best tonality I think. Sometimes I think about slitting some down to use in the Minox.

I did shoot a lot of APX 25 back in the day. It was a great film.View attachment 369423

One of these days, I'm going to try some of my APX25 in my Minolta 16 MG-s and Minox IIIs developed in PMK. I've never done that. I'm a D-76 kinda guy. But shooting at ISO 6 is not a problem for me. I normally expose APX25 (with D-76 1+1) at ISO 12 anyway. I'm hoping that the results will be remarkable. I'm also hoping I can find the time to do it -- I'll need to run some tests (development time, etc.) first.

Mark J · May 2, 2024

I did check my neg files but found that some APX25 shots I did in 2000 were developed in Perceptol 1+2 rather than PMK.
In the Hutchings book he suggests 11mins in standard PMK for 'N', but refers to 'Agfapan 25'. However I would think that by the mid-90's this would be APX 25, wouldn't it ?
There shouldn't be much speed drop from D-76, are you sure you'd use ISO 6 ?

Mark J · May 2, 2024

ps. that's a nice article linked above, xkaes - now that was from 1981, though ( v.interesting to see the author trying WD2D back then ! ). Was there much change between the earlier Agfapan 25 , to APX25 ?

xkaes · May 2, 2024

Mark J said:
I did check my neg files but found that some APX25 shots I did in 2000 were developed in Perceptol 1+2 rather than PMK.
In the Hutchings book he suggests 11mins in standard PMK for 'N', but refers to 'Agfapan 25'. However I would think that by the mid-90's this would be APX 25, wouldn't it ?
There shouldn't be much speed drop from D-76, are you sure you'd use ISO 6 ?

I've used Agfapan 25 and Agfa APX 25 and never noticed a difference, nor have I run across any mention of differences. They both physically look the same to me. Perhaps Agfa made some irrelevant (to us shutterbugs) change, such as the thickness of the base or coating.

I shot & shoot both at ISO 12, but that's what my tests indicate with D-76 1:1 with my condenser enlarger. Given that PMK is normally slower than D-76 -- given the lack of hydroquinone -- I would not be surprised if it needs a lower ISO. But if it also lowers the contrast, as I suspect, I might find myself increasing the ISO and the development time. Time will tell.

greg zinselmeier · May 2, 2024

There is a lot of things I miss, but agfa as a company that made film and paper. I really miss!!!!

JPD · May 5, 2024

I have two bricks of APX 25 120 in the freezer. I plan to use one roll soon, but not in a lo-fi camera.

I miss APX 25

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I miss APX 25

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