Rollei cord or curl?

In my search for a great slow speed ultra-fine grain film I ordered Rollei pan 25. I did this because the Rollei ATP is not out in 120 yet. I found this film to deliver very fine detail and ultra fine grain, the kind you can only focus with a magna view if you know what I mean. Ok, here's my problem on everyone of the rolls this has happen so I don't think it is a fluck, When I dry my film I place one clothes pin on top and then two pins at the bottom. When I release the bottom two pins, it really rolls or should I say springs. Is this typical of all Rollei films or is it just this film? I have also read that this is anti curl or is that just the backing? Sorry for so many questions, just thought I would pass on my experience with this film.

For anyone that may be interested. I used HC-110 1:100 EI 25, 20 dg C, semi stand for 25 min. I gave constant agitation for 30 sec and then one soft inversion every 5 mins after that.

Do you air dry or dry with heat?

air dry

As the emulsion shrinks when it dries, it often cause extreme curling. I'm not familiar with that film, but I have had it happen with others. If you roll it with emulsion out, very carefully, on a film spool and leave it for a while, it should straighten somewhat.

Most modern emulsions are sufficiently hard that it is not necessary to use hardener in the fixing bath. If you get some fixer that has no hardener or at least has it in a separate container, try using it without the hardener. TF-4 fixer from Photographers Formulary is a good non-hardening fixer.

I used Clayton odorless with hardener?

A further problem in winter is that the humidity is usually very low. The moisture content of the gelatine is therefore also low, which means that in the cold months, unless you have a controlled humidity, negatives will curl more than in the summer. If you have some curled negatives to play with, you can hang them in a small room above a pan of water to see what effect an increase of humidity will have.

Curled negatives can be a real pain when you use glassless negative carriers in the enlarger, especially if your are trying to make very large prints. A single glass on the illuminated side of the negative may cure that problem.

What Mr. Gainer wrote is all true. I've seen the results of a low humidity drying environment first hand. It's been so long since I've used a hardening fixer that I can't tell you with any certainty if the hardener has any effect at all.

In your quest to find an ultra fine grain film though, I'd give up on Rollie ATP. Compared to the materials available from Ilford and Kodak, they are very expensive and I don't believe that the Rollie branded products are worth the extra cost. If you want ultra fine grain try TMX, Delta 100, or PanF+. With TMX, the grain is so fine that you will have trouble finding it with a grain magnifier. PanF+ and Delta 100 are slightly more grainy, but nothing that you're likely to notice. All the above will dry straight and flat.

Thanks Guys for all your post. I can see how the low humidity will cause curl but I think it might just be the film. Louisiana is still humid even when the temp dips below 70.

The film is on a polyester base -- stronger, more dimensionally stable, and much more archival but can be curly. Rollei recommends using a heavier weight at the bottom when drying and I would recommend leaving it hanging longer.

As soon as my film is dry I cut it into strips and put it into polyester sleeves until I am ready to print. Works fine that way.

fschifano said:

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In your quest to find an ultra fine grain film though, I'd give up on Rollie ATP. Compared to the materials available from Ilford and Kodak, they are very expensive and I don't believe that the Rollie branded products are worth the extra cost. If you want ultra fine grain try TMX, Delta 100, or PanF+. With TMX, the grain is so fine that you will have trouble finding it with a grain magnifier. PanF+ and Delta 100 are slightly more grainy, but nothing that you're likely to notice. All the above will dry straight and flat.

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Hello Frank,

what are your experiences with the Rollei ATP film? Have you already used it?

I am using this film with the dedicated developer ATP DC (made by SPUR for Rollei-Film). I am using TMX, Acros and especially Delta 100 as well, all three are outstanding films concerning resolution, fine grain and tonality. I like them, Delta 100 is my favourite.

But in comparison (I did some very detailed tests on a scientific basis) the Rollei ATP has much more resolution, is sharper and has significantly finer grain. An outstanding film.

You can get picture quality comparable to medium format with the 35mm ATP. All you need are very good prime lenses and the ATP DC developer (best developer for this film). Sensivity is ISO 32-40/16-17°.
And with this film you don't have to sacrifice tonality to get outstanding resolution, sharpness and extremely fine grain. In the past I have used Kodak Technical Pan, but now I like the tonality of ATP much more. Concerning resolution and grain both films are comparable.

So far I achieved a system resolution (Lens+film) of 140-150 Lp/mm with this film at a moderate contrast of 1:20. I've used 50mm Nikkor and Zeiss lenses at f 4 and 5,6. But that is not yet the resolution limit. I intend to continue my tests to achieve the resolution limit.
By the way, with my Rodenstock Apo-Rodagon N 2,8/50 it was no problem at all to transfer these extremely high resolution figures onto paper.

Costs: Rollei ATP is quite cheap, at least here in Germany. The film costs only 10 Cent more than a Delta 100. A difference so small that it is not really worth to consider.

Best regards,
Henning

In my experience the Rollei films (and Efke Films) all curl very badly no matter what weight you put on them when they dry or what the humidty level is. Once dry I cut them and place them into negative sleeves and then place the sleve into a thick book at the bottom of a stack of books. After a few days they are much flatter

I haven't used them, to be honest, since here in the US the cost is much higher than films from Kodak, Ilford, and Fuji and I get the quality and tonality I like from them. I especially like TMX and PanF+ and have no trouble at all with either of them. As far as getting medium format quality from 35 mm, I have to disagree though. I have a Hasselblad 503 c/x and a Mamiya C220. Using the same type of film, the medium format stuff blows the 35 mm stuff away every time. And yes, I'm using Nikkor primes, good ones, for the 35 mm work.

fschifano said:

I haven't used them, to be honest, since here in the US the cost is much higher than films from Kodak, Ilford, and Fuji and I get the quality and tonality I like from them. I especially like TMX and PanF+ and have no trouble at all with either of them. As far as getting medium format quality from 35 mm, I have to disagree though. I have a Hasselblad 503 c/x and a Mamiya C220. Using the same type of film, the medium format stuff blows the 35 mm stuff away every time. And yes, I'm using Nikkor primes, good ones, for the 35 mm work.

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Hi Frank,

of course, if you use the same type of film in 35 mm and in 120, 120 wins concerning detail and tonality.
That will be the case if you use the Rollei ATP in 35 mm and in 120, too.

But if you use Rollei ATP in 35mm with the dedicated ATP DC developer, you get so good resolution and sharpness, and so fine grain that the picture quality is comparable to 120 format using "normal" films like Pan F for example.
I have made these intensive comparisons. This film is really worth a try. I prefer ATP to Kodaks Technical Pan.

Best regards,
Henning