Rollei Retro 100 Tonal

Thomas.Goehler · May 28, 2010

Thanks, obviously I had the wrong link.

Hm, nothing spectacular. I guess I agree with cmo on that. Above all, quite a bad scan.

clayne · May 28, 2010

There's definitely some Maco axe grinding going on here. Anyways people who use APX aren't using it for it's grain. They're using it for it's unique tonality and response. Who cares about the grain when the "look" is already so good.

sandermarijn · May 28, 2010

I don't see anything wrong with that scan. In fact it looks pretty good compared to my crummy scans. Besides, what can you tell from a scan?

Just sneakpeeked macodirect.de but nothing there yet :-(

Come on!

kompressor · May 28, 2010

cmo said:
If the film is available in months and you get the films next week, how is your connection with the supplier?

Extremely good! I have now tested 1 roll in 120 in a studio setting, close portraiture. picture will be posted soon. Next up is to test 4x5" and 120 outside in high contrast scenes.

skahde · May 28, 2010

sandermarijn said:
I don't see anything wrong with that scan.

Look at the garnularity in the sky. It's either overdeveloped or the film is grainy. I used quite a bit of APX 100, still have some 135 in stock, and a few rolls of PO100c. Graininess is worse and sharpness lower with PO100c and tonality as well as response to filters is very different due to the different spectral sensitivity. PO has next to no red-sensitivity and lacks APX's enhanced sensitivity in the green part of the spectrum which was one of its key feature when using it for landscapes.

Trying to tell customers that anything in the line of PO100c is a suitable substitute for APX100 must be either ignorance or insolance. But I'm rather sure that otoh we will be told in due time that all this is just nitpicking and it sells like hot cake. Oh, well...

RobertV · May 28, 2010

Besides, what can you tell from a scan?

Not so much, only an impression........

BTW for Dutch APUG subscribers there is a possibility for a free test sample incl. AM74 in the coupon forum:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Each B&W film has it's own characteristics and it's up to the user him/herself to use a particular film or not. I am just giving detailed info on a new film incl. specifications and developer combinations. A scan is just some raw information about a film. I prefer a wet print but it's up to the customer how to use a film.

kompressor · May 28, 2010

Tonal 100 shot in studio @100 developed in Rollei RLS 12 minutes.

This film in this setting yielded too much contrast for my taste/goal. So more testing required for my part. But my main studio films are PX125 and Tri-x

Thomas.Goehler · May 28, 2010

sandermarijn said:
I don't see anything wrong with that scan. In fact it looks pretty good compared to my crummy scans.

Then you must have overlooked all the dust and the spots. And yes, you are right - what can you tell from a scan? But then why post it as a proof for the film's extraordinary quality? And why not scan it then at least properly?

cmo · May 28, 2010

kompressor said:
Tonal 100 shot in studio @100 developed in Rollei RLS 12 minutes.

This film in this setting yielded too much contrast for my taste/goal. So more testing required for my part. But my main studio films are PX125 and Tri-x

It gets even better... Did you say 100 ASA? It's a 6x6 negative? This is quite close to the grain that I get with Tri-X beyond 800 ASA, but in 35mm, not 6x6. You used Rollei RLS? That is not even a "push" developer, you even lose film speed with RLS, and I never heard that it causes excessive grain.

Just to compare, this is good old Tri-X @1600 in XTol 1:1 and it even gets along with the high contrast in this scene:

So, at first glance this film is obviously a clear choice for people who really, really want an extremely coarse grain even in 120 size and a very strange "ortho" tonality. If I were shopping for a film that creates results as they are displayed here I would look for some chinese "Lucky" film, put a blue filter on the lens and push it in almost undiluted Rodinal.

So, where is the slightest similarity with the quality of an APX 100? This seems to be a very special film for special purposes - and I can't even figure out what purpose might require such a film.

kompressor · May 28, 2010

cmo said:
It gets even better... Did you say 100 ASA? It's a 6x6 negative? This is quite close to the grain that I get with Tri-X beyond 800 ASA, but in 35mm, not 6x6. You used Rollei RLS? That is not even a "push" developer, you even lose film speed with RLS, and I never heard that it causes excessive grain.

Just to compare, this is good old Tri-X @1600 in XTol 1:1 and it even gets along with the high contrast in this scene:

So, at first glance this film is obviously a clear choice for people who really, really want an extremely coarse grain even in 120 size and a very strange "ortho" tonality. If I were shopping for a film that creates results as they are displayed here I would look for some chinese "Lucky" film, put a blue filter on the lens and push it in almost undiluted Rodinal.

So, where is the slightest similarity with the quality of an APX 100? This seems to be a very special film for special purposes - and I can't even figure out what purpose might require such a film.

If it ends up with sunny weather to morrow, i will take retro 100 Tonal and APX 100 and shoot it side by side.

sandermarijn · May 29, 2010

RobertV said:
Not so much, only an impression........

BTW for Dutch APUG subscribers there is a possibility for a free test sample incl. AM74 in the coupon forum:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

That's an excellent offer Robert, thanks. At the moment I don't need anything so I will wait till the film becomes available through normal order.

It would also be hard to judge the film from just one sample. Instead of in AM74 I would want to try it in Rodinal at 1+50 and 1+25 at different dev times- would take five films or so (I don't like cutting them up).

RobertV · May 29, 2010

I will wait till the film becomes available through normal order.

That will be (in our case) the end of July. The film will be available then in 135-36, 120 roll film and 4x5".

About cutting (35mm) film for a test. I am putting a small piece of sticker through the lens on my range finder camera. Time B and locked. When the film test is done rewind and spool on a reel. You can feel the place of the sticker where to cut the film. Always transport a blank frame before and after so that you're not cutting into a (test-) negative.

sandermarijn · May 30, 2010

RobertV said:
About cutting (35mm) film for a test. I am putting a small piece of sticker through the lens on my range finder camera. Time B and locked. When the film test is done rewind and spool on a reel. You can feel the place of the sticker where to cut the film. Always transport a blank frame before and after so that you're not cutting into a (test-) negative.

That's a trick I didn't know, pretty smart. If you're not clumsy like me that is. I would surely ruin the camera (shutter coming down on finger, tape clogging up the shutter- something silly like that).

In loading the reel you will have to feel the image area of the film for the sticker. That feels a bit risky for scratches. But then it's only a test film. Having equally long pieces of film with the right frames would be more important than a scratch or two.

kompressor · May 30, 2010

I have now published a test of Rollei Retro 100 Tonal up against AGFA APX100 : (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Rollei Retro 100 Tonal

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