Is Plus X back, or not?

michaelbsc · Jun 4, 2012

BrianShaw said:
Me too, but I must admit that my eyes get moist when I look at the empty box of PX 4x5.

I haven't looked at the web page discussed, but I do remember the old one. "When they say Black and White, this is what they mean."

Cut the OP some slack. If I saw it on their site as an active product my heart would stop for a moment too.

MB

removed account4 · Jun 4, 2012

hi MB

i was kind of being facetious
you are right, they probably canned everyone who would be able to make it
( although a few months ago there was a thread here regarding a speech
where someone in the know mentioned that perhaps kodak would start coating boutique emulsions
from their "archives" )

i was just making a statement about their sad current state, where they charge so much for film,
unless you are sleeping on a mattress full of $100 bills one can't afford to buy it.
i learned this ( again ) a few weeks ago when i realized their film was about 2x the price of their
age old rival's film. nearly 2$ / sheet for 4x5 film ... makes me cringe .. and to think i
was fortunate enough to purchase a stockpile of film years ago i am still nibbling away at ...
( and the prices were 60¢/sheet for 4x5, and 1¢/sheet for 5x7 ).

i think i was low when i said 12$/roll, it would be more like 16$/roll, and they'll bring back 12 frame 'realtor' rolls ...

john

Roger Cole · Jun 4, 2012

michaelbsc said:
I haven't looked at the web page discussed, but I do remember the old one. "When they say Black and White, this is what they mean."

Cut the OP some slack. If I saw it on their site as an active product my heart would stop for a moment too.

MB

+1.

I like it slightly better than FP4+ but not enough so to get too upset about it. I don't think a photo will succeed for fail because it was shot on one versus the other, but I'd be happy if it came back. Of course I'd be happy to win the lottery too which is probably slightly more likely.

But I too would be surprised if I saw it listed by Kodak as a current product, and *gasp and horrors* possibly even ask about it here.

cmacd123 · Jun 4, 2012

The other day I wanted to check a movie camera and I wished I still had some 7231, 7222 is the only B&W negative movie film which can get interesting as movie cameras tend to have a fixed 1/50th of a second shutter sped (At 24FPS) at 1/50 ISO 250 is a touch fast in bright sun.

TareqPhoto · Jun 4, 2012

And to be honest, i maybe didn't like that Plus-X because i did use D-76 with it, i had TMAX and Pan F+ souped in Ilfosol 3 and D-76, all with that Ilfosol 3 was better slightly to me than D-76, and Plus X was with only D76, maybe if i tried XTOL or HC-110 or something else i may like it more, but don't get me wrong, it is really nice film, just the results i've got didn't cut it over FP4 for me.

wblynch · Jun 5, 2012

Plus-X is gorgeous for me in HC-110 or D76 (and variants)

This is Plus-X in HC-110

BobD · Jun 5, 2012

Zewrak said:
http://shop.kodak.eu/store/ekconseu...parentCategoryID.40736900/categoryID.40737600

There is no mention of Plus-X on that web site. Plus-X is dead. I'm sorry, I know it's hard to deal with these loses but we must soldier on.

Try FP4+ -- it's really pretty good.

Athiril · Jun 5, 2012

Plus-X has a nice S curve in the characteristic curve published... Even Tri-X is pretty much straight these days, along with all their other films. The only other main stream option for a similar curve that's not is FP4+, otherwise there is Shanghai, Lucky, AviPhot Pan 80 (Rollei 80s).

Roger Cole · Jun 5, 2012

Athiril said:
Plus-X has a nice S curve in the characteristic curve published... Even Tri-X is pretty much straight these days, along with all their other films. The only other main stream option for a similar curve that's not is FP4+, otherwise there is Shanghai, Lucky, AviPhot Pan 80 (Rollei 80s).

Foma? Efke?

I've shot Foma 400 and liked the results but have no idea about the curve shape. Never shot Efke, though someone I bought a Grafmatic from threw in a 50 sheet box of 4x5 Efke 100 that feels at least half full so I plan to do so.

Athiril · Jun 5, 2012

Sorry didn't mean to include Foma, Foma is much straighter (surprisingly).

I'm sure I saw reference to Adox CHS 25-100 being quite S-curved (like Plus-X).

Rollei RPX 100 might be another to use in place of Plus-X.

This is what I find interesting about Fomapan 400

pstake · Jun 5, 2012

I recently happened into a half dozen rolls of Plus-X that were freezer-stored by a pro, who retired, for a buck a roll. I've used two of them and they haven't even lost speed. Big fan of Plus-X and I would love to see it come back ... but all the films mentioned here have their merits. That said, if Kodak stopped making Tri-X, I would probably sob like a baby.

moose10101 · Jun 5, 2012

wblynch said:
I would name my daughter Plus-X (except her name is already Katie and she won't let me change it)

She would if she were 16 and thought it would piss you off.

BrianShaw · Jun 5, 2012

BobD said:
There is no mention of Plus-X on that web site.

Did you click the link? I just did and, indeed, it is in the top row at the right. Interesting. Not on the US site but on the EU site.

BrianShaw · Jun 5, 2012

p.s. Yes it has been discontinued.

wblynch · Jun 5, 2012

Plus-X is not quite dead. It is not being made anymore but it can be found and purchased. (of course with ensuing difficulty)

But Panatomic-X and Verichrome-Pan can still be found and purchased. So that's not dead yet either? right?

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 5, 2012

wblynch said:
Plus-X is not quite dead. It is not being made anymore but it can be found and purchased. (of course with ensuing difficulty)

But Panatomic-X and Verichrome-Pan can still be found and purchased. So that's not dead yet either? right?

Interesting way to put it! I have a bulk roll of HP3 from July 1963 that I'm working my way though (no hurry at this point, eh?), so I guess HP3 is still not dead yet either!

I nailed 83 rolls of 120 Plus-X on eBay from a guy who was going digital and emtying his freezer a few years ago. Got them for $1.20 a roll. They are frozen and being used from time to time. Its nice stuff but I also got over 100 rolls of Shanghai GP3 in 120. Got that for 65 cents a roll purchased directly in Beijing. Unfortunately rumors say that one's not being made anymore either. It is a beautiful emulsion too, which some swear is Plus-X or at least very similar:

Berkeley Marina Ben Rolleiflex3-5E3 Xenotar ShanghaiGP3 Rodinal1-50 10min 20C 2010-12 VSmac 9000 Scan-101219-0001 by rich8155 (Richard Sintchak), on Flickr

ECHIUM - Emeryville Marina RolleiflexSL66 80PlanarSC ShanghaiGP3 Rodinal1-50 9min45sec 22C 30secAg 03-2011 VSmac 9000 Scan-110307-0007 cr FFw by rich8155 (Richard Sintchak), on Flickr

pstake · Jun 5, 2012

Sort of an aside, here, Rich ... but can I ask what ISO you're metering for on that old HP3 ... I have some bulk 1963 Tri-X that I just rolled into cartridges and will start experimenting with soon. I was thinking I'd have to expose at around ISO 50.

rich815 said:
Interesting way to put it! I have a bulk roll of HP3 from July 1963 that I'm working my way though (no hurry at this point, eh?), so I guess HP3 is still not dead yet either!

I nailed 83 rolls of 120 Plus-X on eBay from a guy who was going digital and emtying his freezer a few years ago. Got them for $1.20 a roll. They are frozen and being used from time to time. Its nice stuff but I also got over 100 rolls of Shanghai GP3 in 120. Got that for 65 cents a roll purchased directly in Beijing. Unfortunately rumors say that one's not being made anymore either. It is a beautiful emulsion too, which some swear is Plus-X or at least very similar:

Berkeley Marina Ben Rolleiflex3-5E3 Xenotar ShanghaiGP3 Rodinal1-50 10min 20C 2010-12 VSmac 9000 Scan-101219-0001 by rich8155 (Richard Sintchak), on Flickr

ECHIUM - Emeryville Marina RolleiflexSL66 80PlanarSC ShanghaiGP3 Rodinal1-50 9min45sec 22C 30secAg 03-2011 VSmac 9000 Scan-110307-0007 cr FFw by rich8155 (Richard Sintchak), on Flickr

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 5, 2012

pstake said:
Sort of an aside, here, Rich ... but can I ask what ISO you're metering for on that old HP3 ... I have some bulk 1963 Tri-X that I just rolled into cartridges and will start experimenting with soon. I was thinking I'd have to expose at around ISO 50.

Start at 50. Really depends how it's been stored and how much base fog has developed. I have some Super XX from the late 60's that even at 12 seems so foggy to be only a "special application" use and for Holga! Diana! Experiment! Have Fun! if you know what i mean. I've shot a couple rolls at 50 and some at 12 of the HP3. Came out better than my Super XX but still experimenting.

Photo-gear · Jun 5, 2012

Kodak 125 Plus-X film was my film of choice. When I heard it was discontinued, I was at lost. Although I still have some 20 rolls in the fridge, I know there will be an end to it.

Being afraid of that last roll, I found a Plus-X Pan bulk film on e-Bay and bought it for some 30$. Expiration date: 2002... but apparently kept in good condition until today.

Roger Cole · Jun 5, 2012

Athiril said:
Sorry didn't mean to include Foma, Foma is much straighter (surprisingly).

I'm sure I saw reference to Adox CHS 25-100 being quite S-curved (like Plus-X).

Rollei RPX 100 might be another to use in place of Plus-X.

This is what I find interesting about Fomapan 400

You didn't include Foma, I was just asking if it might have the Plus-X old style S curve. I guess not.

That spectral sensitivity for Foma 400 IS very interesting. Most films fall off toward the red, no? It seems to be most sensitive to red before falling off a cliff. I never noticed this but then one wouldn't unless doing careful tests or at least shots of things where one remembered the colors, and maybe with comparisons at that. I've used it for street shooting in my Yashicamat where, by the time I process it, I've no memory of what color anything was.

How about Efke? Anyone know anything about that?

Seems Shanghai GP3 is still readily available in 120. I may try a few rolls - I liked Plus-X in Diafine so it might be interesting to see what GP3 does in it.

ath · Jun 6, 2012

Comparing spectral sensitivity curves is useless unless one knows how they were derived. There are at least two methods which result in completely different curves for the same film.
The attached spectral sensitivities are for Delta 100, published by Ilford ca. 1996. One from the german datasheet, one from the english.

Is Plus X back, or not?

Attachments

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency