Isochrome

[Chris Livsey]

I was pointed towards this interesting article:

http://www.damninteresting.com/faxes-from-the-far-side/

It describes how the Soviet Union "appropriated" film from USA spy balloons (Genetrix program) and used the unexposed film to photograph, for the first time the dark side of the moon, developing on-board as well.
The point of this post however is for anyone who can shed light on the film stated to be Isochrome.
My limited research shows this to be an Agfa emulsion, one of a series so named,the article mentions it had special properties for the USA high altitude surveillance work. It does seem odd Agfa and not Kodak was used by the USA military.
Of course the article and many others on the same projects repeat each other and no one is as interested in the film as they should be IMHO!!!
I could not find a link but has Photo Engineer for example posted on this topic?

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Isochrome was a trade name used by Agfa. Roughly speaking it meant that all colors were reproduced faithfully by the film. Older films such as orthochrome were more sensitive to the blue portion of the spectrum and reproduced blues and greens as lighter than they should be. Think of it as being panchromatic BUT not quite. Extended sensitivity to red would come later. Kodak called their film Verichrome (the Pan was added at a later time).

As far as why the military was using Agfa film and not Kodak. They have long been forbidden from single sourcing any critical resource such as film. So they bought not only from Agfa but also Kodak and others.

 

[adelorenzo]

This thread needs a better title that whole article was fascinating. Developing film in space!

 

[Chris Livsey]

Thank you Gerald, the term Isochrome is used in the article but I believe Agfa used Isochrom for B/W emulsions.

I did come across, and must find again, a picture of the actual module, well another one obviously the other burnt up, it was complete with rack handles and very substantial.

 

[railwayman3]

)I definitely recall reading on the Tasma film website that their film was the one used for the first pictures of the far (not dark) side of the moon, but I can't
traced the reference at the moment.

It seems a nice tale that the Soviets had to nick some US film for their spacecraft, but, TBH, I think that, if they had the technology to successfully put a spacecraft in orbit behind the moon (ahead of the US), they could knock up some suitable type of film.

But I'll stand corrected if necessary !

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Thank you Gerald, the term Isochrome is used in the article but I believe Agfa used Isochrom for B/W emulsions.

Yes, I was speaking about a B&W emulsion. Besides being used by Agfa as a tradename it is also used generically as isochromatic to describe a certain film sensitization. Colors of the same saturation produce the same shade of gray.

 

[Chris Livsey]

Gerald, Many thanks that is clear now. I am having trouble viewing messages so please excuse any errors in this short post.
Edit fixed now, must be my end.