Lomography 120 Slide Film

GinaMaree · Mar 19, 2010

I suscribe to Lomo's email list and found this in my inbox today. (Haven't bought anything from them in a long while, since they're a bit too expensive to put it mildly.)

The product page is Dead Link Removed.

Lomography proudly brings you and your medium format camera our very first 120 color slide film. Expect nothing less than whacked out, super-fly color with Lomography COLOR SLIDE / X-PRO 120 Film 200! Its the return of a long lost love, Agfa RSX 200 emulsion on medium format! Lomography has hunted down this emulsion, which is still being produced by Agfa Geveart as aerial film. Now were making it available to everyone, everywhere! For the first time you can load up your Diana F+ or Lubitel 166+ with Lomography film that will fulfill the desires of all you color-maniacsl; safe in the knowledge that another original emulsion has been revived and brought back to medium format!

The new Lomography COLOR SLIDE / X-PRO 120 Film 200 is quality film no matter how you process it. For the classic unfolding of rich Agfa RSX 200 colours, high saturation and contrast that photographers love, you need no more than regular E8 slide processing. If you have a craving for that distinctive, mouth-watering citrus tartness that medium format enthusiasts have a taste for, this is it! Go for cross processing and discover a fresh side to your photographic style.

Text in quotes were copied/pasted directly from the email.

(Um, "E8"? That's got to be a typo.)

Is this the same stuff as the Rollei Digibase CR200? I remember reading another thread here that stated the Digibase CR200 film used the same emulsion as an Agfa E6 film.

AgX · Mar 19, 2010

Yes.
And Rollei Crossbird too.

brucemuir · Mar 19, 2010

"mouth watering citrus tartness"
oh brother

Ektagraphic · Mar 19, 2010

My guess is that it is the Rollei. That is a great film. I need to try the color neg version....I belive that it may have a clear base...Not sure if that is possible.....

hrst · Mar 19, 2010

About Rollei maskless C-41 film;

All color negs have clear base. Theirs is just maskless, but they call it "clear base", because they don't understand the very basics of film technology. They say it's "easier to scan", but in reality it only guarantees color errors on any reproduction technology (unless scanned with software with digital color masking; not in any consumer scanning or image manipulation program). That's why the mask was added in the 50's or something like that. I wouldn't buy it. If I want special effects, I'd rather experiment with products from color film companies with a future. For example, cross processing a proper E6 product if I want color errors.

2F/2F · Mar 19, 2010

That they have "hunted down" the emulsion is a huge stretch. RSX 200 is readily available at Freestyle, sold by Rollei as Digibase CR200 Pro for $6.99 per 120 roll and $4.99 per 35mm roll. DO NOT pay a $3 per roll premium just because it comes in a box that sez "LOMO" or some such crap.

As to whether it is any good, I don't know.

With recent introductions (such as the morally-abhorrent Crossbird, which is 100% designed to fool minilabs into cross processing), Rollei appears to be positioning itself as a company that hopes to survive on the ignorance of faddy hipsters and others....and we already know that's what Lomo is. The only good thing is that more people might be drawn to film, and hopefully go on to support a real film company in the end, like Kodak, Ilford, Fotokemika, Foma, or Fuji.

P.S. I believe there is an APUG policy about not copying and pasting e-mails or other private correspondence to the forums.

AgX · Mar 20, 2010

hrst said:
About Rollei maskless C-41 film;

All color negs have clear base. Theirs is just maskless, but they call it "clear base", because they don't understand the very basics of film technology. They say it's "easier to scan", but in reality it only guarantees color errors on any reproduction technology (unless scanned with software with digital color masking; not in any consumer scanning or image manipulation program). That's why the mask was added in the 50's or something like that. I wouldn't buy it. If I want special effects, I'd rather experiment with products from color film companies with a future. For example, cross processing a proper E6 product if I want color errors.

You are mixing things up.

-) this thread is about Agfa's reversal (proper E6) film not about their maskless C-41 films.

concerning maskless CN film:

-) I don't know any Agfa publication where they speak of "clear base" instead of "maskless" film
Maco/Rollei did so though; they also marketed it as chromogenic b&w film... But many users (here at Apug too) relate the mask to the base anyway.

-) the idea behind a maskless CN film is to substitute the effect of an integrated mask at least partially by process effects.

-) Another major manufacturer offers maskless CN film too.

-) Agfa is a major manufacturer with huge output of film. One can speculate on the future of their colour film manufacture as much as with the other two of the Big Three.

hrst · Mar 20, 2010

AgX said:
You are mixing things up.

-) this thread is about Agfa's reversal (proper E6) film not about their maskless C-41 films.

I just answered to Ektagraphic's message, and clearly said; "About Rollei maskless C-41 film".

Aurum · Mar 20, 2010

The maskless film I've tried (Digibase) works well enough with standard C41 minilab processing. The results suggest that a normal lab running something like a fuji frontier or a nortisu will cope without orange colour in the negative.

The results?

Well sharpness wasn't up to Kodak or Fuji standards, and the colour reproduction was, well 70's. Higher saturation on the reds, slightly muddy on the yellows/browns/mid-tones but quite good if you want a retro colour look

AgX · Mar 20, 2010

Sorry, hrst!, I seemingly did only a shallow reading of Ektagraphic's post and did not realize that it was him who introduced that maskless film into this thread.

(the Rollei maskless film is an Agfa maskless film, so my other remarks still remain.)

snowblind · Mar 20, 2010

Can anyone say what does a name like "digibase" mean in the context of film?

hrst · Mar 20, 2010

snowblind said:
Can anyone say what does a name like "digibase" mean in the context of film?

It means just that Rollei is a bullshit company. It's their "marketing", just like "clear base" (when all other films have also a clear base), "good for scanning" (when the film is worse for scanning, too) etc. etc.

I think their "digibase" probably means just PET base. Their marketing made it sound like a new innovation. I remember they and their dealers screaming all around "A NEW GROUNDBREAKING SYNTHETIC BASE".

AgX, yes I know that there are/were maskless CN films for special purposes from major manufacturers also. Kodak also had some ECN-2 maskless cine film for video productions. However, the idea is, like you say, that the masking is done elsewhere. It can be done digitally, but NO consumer scanner or image manipulation program can do it. Selling maskless film as a some new "easy-to-scan" innovation is just a marketing rip-off. Just like the crossbirds and redbirds, come on lol .

AgX · Mar 20, 2010

When I said the masking effect is done in processing I meant the standard C-41 processing, where with these maskless CN films the correction for mal-absobtion of the image-forming dyes is achieved.
It was not about post-processing.

The Rollei designation Digibase is chosen because both of their films have no mask (not surprising with their E-6 film...) which should facilitate scanning of D-max.
At least I guess so for the designation; but who knows.

GinaMaree · Mar 20, 2010

AgX said:
Yes.
And Rollei Crossbird too.

Thanks very much for the response.

Henning Serger · Mar 25, 2010

GinaMaree said:
I suscribe to Lomo's email list and found this in my inbox today. (Haven't bought anything from them in a long while, since they're a bit too expensive to put it mildly.)

The product page is Dead Link Removed.

Text in quotes were copied/pasted directly from the email.

(Um, "E8"? That's got to be a typo.)

Is this the same stuff as the Rollei Digibase CR200? I remember reading another thread here that stated the Digibase CR200 film used the same emulsion as an Agfa E6 film.

Yes.

Agfa-Gevaert Aviphot Chrome 200 = original Agfa RSXII emulsion coated on PET base = Rollei Digibase CR200 = Rollei Crossbird (available in 127 format = SuperSlide) = Lomography X Pro slide 200.

No secrets, because this was several times said in official statements by Maco Photo Products.
And if you use these films you will see identical results.
The right film if you like the Agfa colors (I prefer Astia 100F pushed one stop if I need 200 speed, best quality in this speed class, or Provia 400X if I need even more speed, also excellent pushed one or two stops).

The most interesting detail with this news is, why the LSI is introducing a 120 slide film:
Because they see significantly rising demand for slide film. That is the reason why they invest in a house brand slide film. I have talked to them at last Photokina, and recently in their new German gallery store. Their Lomo house brand slide film is a great success, increasing sales 10-20% p.a., other slide films being in higher demand as well. Slide film is very popular among the lomographers.

Best regards,
Henning

Lomography 120 Slide Film

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