So, tell me about AGFA APX 100...

Max Power · Mar 31, 2005

Today I was in Montréal for business and I went to Photoco in search of some DD-X and a 30m roll of either Delta-100 or FP4+. They had a good number of fresh bottles of DD-X, but no rolls of Ilford film. Just chatting with the salesperson, she recommended that I give APX 100 a try. She told me that it was a traditional grained film, and that I should like the results with Rodinal 1+50. The roll was $20 cheaper than I would have paid for either Delta-100 or FP4+, so I decided that I would give it a try.

So, in general terms, what can I expect from this film? How does it compare to FP4? I would assume that it soups well in Rodinal; what about DD-X and ID-11? I've heard that it is physically thinner than Ilford's film. How does this change the handling? Does it make it more of a chore to load onto SS reels?

Thanks,
Kent

david b · Mar 31, 2005

It is the only film I use. I shot 150 rolls last year. I have 60 rolls in the fridge.

It looks great with xtol 1+1 for 9@68 as well as rodinal 1+50 for 13@68

Enjoy.

eric · Mar 31, 2005

I like APX 100 in Rodinol 1:100. I need to look at my notes but I think it is like 20 minute developing times.

gandolfi · Mar 31, 2005

Ive used APX 100 for ages.
the film I normally use for painting with light.

Being Dane, I don't know the developers you mention (I doknow rodinal ), but I normally use HC110 dil B for 6 min.
the thinner base makes it look sharper, I think.
quick to fix too - that's allways a good thing..

aldevo · Mar 31, 2005

Well comapred to FP4+, in my opinion:

It's every bit as sharp but definitely grainier. Tonality is different and I think it has a nicer separation of midtones and a bit more contrast overall than FP4+. It is said not to stain particularly well with Pyrogallol- or Pyrocatechin-based developers but the images are still quite printable.

I think it performs very well with Rodinal 1:50 even in contrasty light.

I would remind you again, however, that this is not a fine-grained combination.

One last note - this film, along with Fortepan 100 is my film of choice in this speed class.

fparnold · Mar 31, 2005

"Not fine grained"? Compared to Pan-F, maybe so, but when I shot it in 4x5, the grain was all but invisible under magnification.

It has beautiful mid-tone separation, and does respond well to X-Tol and HC-110. Pity that you can't get it in sheets anymore. It may have been the subject matter, but I have some negatives with a very delicate mid-tone separation, from X-Tol 1:1, shot at ASA 64, and with a #11 green filter.

rjr · Mar 31, 2005

Max,

APX100 is my favourite in 120, it replaced Efke R50 when I realised that APX is

- dirt cheap, cheaper than all western and most eastern european films by 10-40%
- easily available throughout the year (in Germany)
- VERY consistent from batch to batch

It responds nicely to different developers with varying sharpness, grain size, contrast, you can reverse it to bw-slides, the emulsion is tougher than any other bw emulsion I have used in the past due to hardening - which is responsible for the rather low grade of staining you can get from it in Pyro-devs. But still, Pyrocat HD does a good job on this film.

The film base is only slightly thinner that that used by Ilford - FP4 in 135 is 125µm, 120 110µm thick acetate base while APX is coated on 134/120µm, 120/95µm. Not so much of a difference.

The APX base is very clear, it might be a PET clear base, while Ilford base varies in base fog and color tint from batch to batch.

I usually dev APX100 in Rodinal 1+50, giving me a fair grain size, a nice grain shape and very good sharpness and a tonality suiting my motives (technical abstracts, architectural shots).

With this film Agfa proved that they know their business - it´s just a very fine product, simply the best for me at the moment.

rjr · Mar 31, 2005

Oh, to adress your question re ID11 - from what I have seen from a friend, APX100/120@125ASA in D76 1+1 (24°C Rotation) works nicely, giving sharper prints than TMX100/120 in D76 1+1 under the same conditions.

pschauss · Mar 31, 2005

It also works well rated at EI 200 in Diafine.

waynecrider · Mar 31, 2005

I picked up both the 100 and 400 in 120. What I read was that it has good midtone seperation, is less contrasty and the grain is slightly coarser. I agree, but to me it really depends on your development.

Neal · Mar 31, 2005

Dear Kent,

A nice enough film in 4x5 (I have not tried 35mm). Nothing bad nor special about it. I finished up my second box today, but I don't think I'll be purchasing more. Of course you may love it (as many do).

Neal Wydra

k_jupiter · Mar 31, 2005

Neal said:
Dear Kent,

A nice enough film in 4x5 (I have not tried 35mm). Nothing bad nor special about it. I finished up my second box today, but I don't think I'll be purchasing more. Of course you may love it (as many do).

Neal Wydra

I agree... you won't be purchasing anymore 4x5 APX100.

tim in san jose

p.s. I find it's an awfully swell film in W2D2+.

highpeak · Apr 1, 2005

david b said:
It is the only film I use. I shot 150 rolls last year. I have 60 rolls in the fridge.

It looks great with xtol 1+1 for 9@68 as well as rodinal 1+50 for 13@68

Enjoy.

David, I just tried a roll of it in Rod (1:50) tonight, and I love what I saw on the negtives. Is Xtol going to produce finer grain on this film?

Nicole · Apr 1, 2005

I like Agfapan APX 100 & 400 in both Rodinal at 1+25 and 1+50 & in Xtol at full strength

Max Power · Apr 1, 2005

Thanks all!
You bunch really are amazing! Although I will do my own tests to see what I do and don't like about this film, in both DD-X and Rodinal, I appreciate having your opinions. I find that it always helps to have some idea of what the general consensus on a certain material is.

I hoist a pint to all APUGers!

Kent

Silverpixels5 · Apr 1, 2005

If its avaliable in your area, you may want to try it in FX-39. I exclusivly use it in that developer now.

gainer · Apr 1, 2005

It also has about the least reciprocity failure of any current film with that ISO. About half that of 100Delta.

Neal · Apr 1, 2005

Dear Tim,

"I agree... you won't be purchasing anymore 4x5 APX100."

LOL! A very good point.

Neal Wydra

BWGirl · Apr 1, 2005

Ah Kent!
I love that APX 100. I've never used the 35mm version, but I adore it in 120mm.

I use Rodinal 1:50. It's a really nice film & I hope you like it!!

titrisol · Apr 1, 2005

APX 100 has been my workhorse for years, just now I'm experimenting with EFKE100 which I found to be not so different.

Even though I prefer Rodinal 1+50 or 1+100 APX100 Works very well in DD-X (at EI100)
I prefer dilution 1+9 over 1+4, as it gives me a bit more space for time-errors.
Grain is a little but less and tonality is about the same as rodinal 1+100, but the time in DDX 1+9 is around 12-13 miutes with agitation every minute and 14-15 with agitation every 2 min.
You can push it 1 or 2 stops max in DDX, results are grainier though

Max Power said:
Thanks all!
You bunch really are amazing! Although I will do my own tests to see what I do and don't like about this film, in both DD-X and Rodinal, I appreciate having your opinions. I find that it always helps to have some idea of what the general consensus on a certain material is.

I hoist a pint to all APUGers!

Kent

aldevo · Apr 1, 2005

gainer said:
It also has about the least reciprocity failure of any current film with that ISO. About half that of 100Delta.

Actually, it appears this is not true.

http://www.agfaphoto.com/en-GB/professional-photography/films/downloads/F-PF-E4en.pdf

Agfa's own data sheet is a bit at odds with the product's own film box, but they recommend a full stop increase for exposures of 1 second for APX 100. Still, no reciprocity failure within the 1/10000 sec. to 1/2 sec. range is very impressive for a film that does not use tabular/epitaxial grain technology.

By comparison, T-Max 100 requires about 1/3 stop compensation for an exposure of 1 second duration.

Fuji Acros may be better still in the reciprocity behavior area.

Konical · Apr 1, 2005

Good Afternoon,

I don't know what the "real world" results are when using APX 100 at lengthy exposures, but I have to agree with Aldevo about the highly satisfactory performance of T-Max 100 for night photography. My extremely limited experience with Acros leads me to think that it may, indeed, be even better than T-Max. The problem is that it is available only in expensive Quickloads instead of standard 4 x 5 sheets.

Konical

Max Power · Apr 2, 2005

Follow up

Hello all,
I just finished my first tests of APX 100 and I'm rather pleased with how this first roll turned out.

I did an exposure and development test and came out with an EI of 160 and a dev time of 12:30 in Rodinal 1+50 at 20C. The frames which I shot after the 'official' test frames show a remarkable latitude and show really good detail in the highlights (snow). The base is a bit more flexible than the Deltas, which is good insofar as it seems to load and unload from the cassettes more easily. It also seems to be easier to load into SS reels. What is not so great, however, is that it seems to be more prone to splitting.

Not bad, not bad at all...

Kent

Max Power · Apr 4, 2005

Follow up II

So I got around to printing one of the frames taken at an EI of 160. I am very surprised at the latitude of this film and developer...
The frame in question was taken in my driveway under an overcast sky. I still have a good sized snowbank at one side of the driveway, and the asphalt is black. There is a wooded area just behind the driveway and I have a grey utility trailer back there as well.

Long story short, I got details in the highlights (there is excellent texture in the snowbank) and I got details in both the asphalt and the shadows. The mid-tones are superb. I'm not keen on the grain compared to ID-11, but the latitude is incredible.

I think that APX 100 in Rodinal is a keeper!

Kent

Tom Stanworth · Apr 4, 2005

a beautiful film IMHO. If available in 5x4, it would have been my 100 film. I was going this way and bought sheet............ony for it to be discontinued. I now use fp4 in all formats, bu may go back to apx for 120 and 35mm ,which has more character to me. Try it for portaraits and the tonality will blow you away. Devs nicely in most soups. Wonderful, wonderful, but base is a bit flexible making for loading probs sometimes.

T

So, tell me about AGFA APX 100...

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