Information on old film speeds? Agfa.

[Andre Reinders]

I just got my 'new' Agfa Click II in the mail today. Can't wait to run a roll through. But which film???? Or more specifiacally - which film speed?

The manual says for sunny use Agfa Isopan F, for cloudy/murky use Agfa Isopan ISS, and indoor use is Agfa Isopan Record. It also says that the ISS is double the F.

From my research the ISS was 100, and I saw someone refer to F as about 40 ASA. I have seen the Record listed anywhere from 650 to 1600.

Can anyone familiar with these older films lend me a hand in nailing down the ASA/ISO? I want to run an appropriate roll through - I have some FP4+, and some Plus-X, but I want to know if I should be grabbing some PanF.
Thanks!

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Agfa Isopan Record was one of the coarse-grained, low/medium contrast but normal gradation films that used to be around in the 1950s. The rationale behind their existence (as confirmed by the manual you have) was that they allowed box camera owners to take pictures in lower light levels. They were great fun for other photographers as it was very easy to get a pronounced regular grain pattern.

Agfa Isopan Record (later rechristened Agfapan 1000) was - you've guessed it - a 1000 ASA (ISO) film. Other examples were Ilford HPS at 800 and Kodak Royal X Pan at 1250.

As regards film to use, your Clack has, I believe, no exposure adjustment, so a thicker-coated film such as Plus-X or 400-speed Tri-X would give better exposure latitude and thus ultimately better results.

 

[gnashings]

If you want a film that will give you a nice 1000 ASA to match that of the old AGFA, you can try running some TriX and developing in Acufine. I just shot/developed a trial roll of the combo, and wow! Lovely results, can't wait to print! (actually I rated it at a little over 1000 since my camera didnt have a 1000 setting, only two clicks in between 800 and 1600 - but I tried to compensate with my exposures, and looks like I got it) Might be worth a try - TriX will give you a beautiful look, although I suspect the grain will be nothing compared to that old AGFA film!

Peter.

 

[Andre Reinders]

Thanks for the feedback - I guess I was really asking for confirmation of the speeds of these old films. This would give me an indication as to what I should load into it today. Also it may help me to extrapolate the shutter speed. (I think it is around 1/30, if the Isopan F was really 40ASA).
The Click II has a Sunny/Cloudy setting - I would guess 1 stop adjustment.
Just trying to decide (if I load Plus-X) if I should pull it to 50 or not.

I will probably not use the faster films......but it may give me something to do with that extra roll of Delta 3200 - I hear that should be rated at 1000 - no?

 

[wGraves]

In 1963, I used Isopan Record in a scientific experiment. I was in high school, using a home made streak camera, and developed the film myself. The goal was to image the arc discharge of a Van de Graff generator. The advertised ASA number of the 'record' film by Agfa was 64000, although the actual value achieved was subject to development technique. The stuff worked like a charm, so I got an 'A' on my project. Later, I attended MIT, and got to use real particle accelerators, which are actually pretty cool things.

 

[ath]

According to this site the Agfa Click II has a max. aperture of 8.8 and shutter speeds 1/30 and B.

 

[Mike Wilde]

with ath's information, go to 'the ultimate exposure computer' by fred parker (google it) and get to the tables at the end that are the heart of the article. I use this inforation all the time on old camera with no or limited controls. I have old agfa's etc. that have only 1/30, 1/60, and 1/250 shutters. I type up the table contents in excel, and print them in small fonts, and then paste them on the back of some cameras. Then I draw diagonal lines across these speeds on the parker table, and I figure out exposure based on EV's in a very short time. After a while you start to look at outdoor lighting in terms of EV's, and then the next step is saying to your wife, ah, it's a beautiful f/8 morning outside.