New Adox ISO 50 Film

[faberryman]

Adox is out with a new ISO 50 film.

https://www.adox.de/Photo/adox-hr-50-en/

 

[Lachlan Young]

Looks interesting - reading between the lines, I think it's an Agfa emulsion that's been pre-flashed.

 

[Anon Ymous]

I'm wondering what the X axis divisions in the characteristic curve provided correspond to. Can't say I'm very excited at the moment, although it's nice that they made the effort to bring something else.

 

[1kgcoffee]

280lpmm, interested to try this

 

[JPD]

Superpanchromaitc. It's the opposite to the Adox ISO 50 orthopanchromatic film I suggested a couple of years ago. Superpan film has the advantage that it doesn't need a yellow/orange filter for nice skies, but perhaps a green or light blue filter for portraits.

 

[spijker]

I hope that Adox can show some prints from this film at the upcoming Photokina.

 

[AgX]

I'm wondering what the X axis divisions in the characteristic curve provided correspond to.

As many others Adox use a graphic without unit for the sensitivity, also the light source is not defined. A classic wedge spectrograph that makes true comparison impossible. (What did not bother Apuggers so far...)

A manufacturer that aims at an engineering customer would would use as unit for instance J/m2, what of course would also take care of the spectral characteristic of the light source.

 

[pentaxuser]

From a quick look at the spectral sensitivity, it looks to be well into the red range and gets as close to Ilford SFX as makes no difference Have I read this correctly. It is likely to be a lot less grainy as well, I'd assume. Of course at 50 you have already lost 2 stops so IR type shots with an HR72 are tripod only but that's the way most IR shooters do it anyway. No info on price as yet I take it?

pentaxuser

 

[faberryman]

I'd be interested in the market research that led them to introduce this product.

 

[Europan]

I’d bet it’s Agfa Aviphot Pan.

 

[AgX]

I add to that bet.

 

[destroya]

I’d bet it’s Agfa Aviphot Pan.

yep, looks like rollei retro 80s. so now we will have 2 companies cutting the film from master rolls. hope that brings the price down and availability up!

 

[Anon Ymous]

As many others Adox use a graphic without unit for the sensitivity, also the light source is not defined. A classic wedge spectrograph that makes true comparison impossible. (What did not bother Apuggers so far...)

A manufacturer that aims at an engineering customer would would use as unit for instance J/m2, what of course would also take care of the spectral characteristic of the light source.

Actually, I wasn't really interested in any absolute numbers and units in the X axis. I'd simply like to know how many stops it translates to, in order to get an estimate of this film's latitude.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Just in time then summer vacations and long summer days are over .
I hope it is not overpriced and will be still available on long summer days.

 

[pentaxuser]

yep, looks like rollei retro 80s. so now we will have 2 companies cutting the film from master rolls. hope that brings the price down and availability up!

So this is Rollei Retro 80s but even in the custom-made Adox developer it now only delivers ISO 50 or is this the real speed of Rollei Retro and the 80 is an exaggeration or does 80 refer to something else?

I am a bit puzzled

pentaxuser

 

[M Carter]

So this is Rollei Retro 80s but even in the custom-made Adox developer it now only delivers ISO 50 or is this the real speed of Rollei Retro and the 80 is an exaggeration or does 80 refer to something else?

I am a bit puzzled

pentaxuser

I can't speak for 80s, but all my tests with Rollei IR 400 in Rodinal - I can barely sqeak 100ISO from that film, when using without filters or with deep red. For IR, the Rollei really needs a 680nm filter, and bracketing at 6, 12, 25 and 50 ISO has worked best for me. (I don't do much full-on IR so I've not gotten a good enough feel to use fewer brackets with it).

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

If it is Retro 80s then I'm VERY happy because Adox is offering it in 4x5 sheets.

 

[Lachlan Young]

So this is Rollei Retro 80s but even in the custom-made Adox developer it now only delivers ISO 50 or is this the real speed of Rollei Retro and the 80 is an exaggeration or does 80 refer to something else?

I am a bit puzzled

pentaxuser

The 'speed' quoted by Maco/ Rollei is the aerial film speed, not the speed at sea level. A pre-flash (which would seem to comply with Adox's comments in the tech specs) usually bumps up effective shadow speed & softens the toe of the film for better separation. From what I have read, it has been claimed that Ilford made HPS from HP3 by similar means, though I have no idea of the veracity of this claim.

 

[scheimfluger_77]

If it is Retro 80s then I'm VERY happy because Adox is offering it in 4x5 sheets.

++1

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Adox is out with a new ISO 50 film.

https://www.adox.de/Photo/adox-hr-50-en/

judging from the specs, s super film; don't stop your camera down beyond f/4.5 or you will kill its resolution.

 

[pentaxuser]

The 'speed' quoted by Maco/ Rollei is the aerial film speed, not the speed at sea level. A pre-flash (which would seem to comply with Adox's comments in the tech specs) usually bumps up effective shadow speed & softens the toe of the film for better separation. From what I have read, it has been claimed that Ilford made HPS from HP3 by similar means, though I have no idea of the veracity of this claim.

Lachlan, thanks for the reply. I think you are saying that the pre-flash is built in by Adox which then does what you say. On the point of aerial v speed at sea level what is it that boosts speed by this much when "in the air" so to speak and at what level does this speed increase take place? Is the speed increase proportional to height such that at 200 ft it is zero but in a U2 at 75,000 ft it is as fast as D3200 . OK I exaggerate for illustrative purposes but you get the idea. Finally what happens when it is a non aerial shot but at the top of Mont Blanc?. Does the aerial effect still work i.e. it is height above sea level and not height above immediate surroundings?

I appreciate these questions may seem obscure or driven by thickness but this aerial speed v sea level speed is completely new to me.

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[faberryman]

To ask more simply, why would height affect ISO?

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Some of you hypothesized this is an Agfa emulsion. The old Agfa (the 100-year-old company) is long gone. Is some other corporate or private entity still coating Agfa emulsions? Did Adox buy a factory and continue to make Agfa emulsions? Thanks for clearing up the source of this film.

 

[Lachlan Young]

Some of you hypothesized this is an Agfa emulsion. The old Agfa (the 100-year-old company) is long gone. Is some other corporate or private entity still coating Agfa emulsions? Did Adox buy a factory and continue to make Agfa emulsions? Thanks for clearing up the source of this film.

Agfa still exists, but for non-consumer/ industry/ healthcare/ government/ defence markets & based around the Mortsel plant in Belgium (formerly the Gevaert bit of Agfa Gevaert). The Leverkusen plant was spun off with consumer imaging etc in 2005-ish & went bust soon after.

 

[Lachlan Young]

Lachlan, thanks for the reply. I think you are saying that the pre-flash is built in by Adox which then does what you say. On the point of aerial v speed at sea level what is it that boosts speed by this much when "in the air" so to speak and at what level does this speed increase take place? Is the speed increase proportional to height such that at 200 ft it is zero but in a U2 at 75,000 ft it is as fast as D3200 . OK I exaggerate for illustrative purposes but you get the idea. Finally what happens when it is a non aerial shot but at the top of Mont Blanc?. Does the aerial effect still work i.e. it is height above sea level and not height above immediate surroundings?

I appreciate these questions may seem obscure or driven by thickness but this aerial speed v sea level speed is completely new to me.

Thanks

pentaxuser

To quote ISO 7829:1986

"Assigning speed values to aerial films presents problems. Aerial films are required to record or even amplify the small variations in luminance that exist when the earth is viewed from altitudes of several kilometres or as low as 20 to 30 m where the luminance range may be of the same order as that of ordinary ground photography. In the first case, the films are developed to a high average gradient or contrast; and in the second case,to a very low average gradient. In addition to the factor of elevation (slant range), the luminance range of the subject matter may be further modified by aerial haze, solar altitude, and contrast (ratio of sunlight to skylight). Modifying the processing of a given aerial film, or the selection of film emulsions having certain preferred gradation characteristics, are methods commonly used for obtaining optimum information."

In other words, films used for high altitude reconnaissance need to be designed for a low contrast imaging environment - and thus a steep gradient, short toe film has obvious benefits!