the tricky Retropan 320

removedacct2 · Aug 26, 2020

I did read a bit through some older threats about Foma Retropan 320 on these forums, but I shot my first roll only couple days ago, with a Nikkor 50mm f2.8 (Bronica S2). I did meter at iso 400, because I was switching with another magazine loaded with an 400 film.

Developed with Foma its Retro Special developer and default agitation.

I think it's a tricky film, which will require I spend quite some rolls testing exposures/developments, It has a unique feel and despite not so satisfying results for this first roll, I like it.

couple pictures (I scanned in a hurry, there's some dust here and there, I will have to wash and rescan)

@f2.8

@f8

Peter Schrager · Aug 26, 2020

Bravo

Bormental · Aug 26, 2020

@antonio_b moody! what makes this film "retro"?

chris77 · Aug 27, 2020

No anti halation layer, very grainy.
It needs (and handles) A LOT of light, and development in hc110 dil B should be around 10 minutes (10 sec/min) as a starting point.

Nokton48 · Aug 27, 2020

Makiflex Rollei Retro Soft 9x12cm 360 Kern Microdol-X by Nokton48, on Flickr

Pacaderm showers in Goodale Park on a soft winter day.

Plaubel Makiflex 9x12cm Rollei Retro Soft sheet Film Kern Arau 360mm F9 repro lens Microdol-X Arista 8x10 RC #3 Multigrade dev

Full neg image shown 9x9cm photography on 9x12 sheet film. I used a RADA Normalfalz plate holder with film insert to hold the film.

Raphael · Aug 27, 2020

Hello @antonio_b

So, why are you not so satisfied ? For me, given this film, your photos are very good
Yes, the highlight are a little on the blown side, but maybe it's due to the slight overexposure at 400.

I posted in the gallery scans of a few prints I made from Retro 320 in 35mm.

Regards,
Raphael

Colin Corneau · Aug 27, 2020

Exposure at EI 400 would actually be slightly UNDER exposed, not overexposed.

It's got a 'look', I'll just say that. For grain I'd prefer to push HP5 or other similar films, or try Ilford's Delta 3200...but that's just my personal take.

Raphael · Aug 28, 2020

Colin Corneau said:
Exposure at EI 400 would actually be slightly UNDER exposed, not overexposed.

It's got a 'look', I'll just say that. For grain I'd prefer to push HP5 or other similar films, or try Ilford's Delta 3200...but that's just my personal take.

You are right Colin, my mistake.
Regards,
(Ashamed Raphael)

Роберт · Aug 28, 2020

Fomapan films are not at their best when pushing. This Retropan 320 soft is at the best around iso 250-320 in their special developer or Rollei Supergrain.

darkosaric · Aug 28, 2020

I have tried Retropan in Rodinal 1+50, it was so soft and without a contrast, I gave up. Back to Fomapan 100/400. Those results above are great.

pentaxuser · Aug 28, 2020

I wonder what is specifically "retro" about it that makes it special. I am assuming here that the word "retro" was used by Foma to specifically appeal to what it thought was a demand by users of films from the "old days" The problem from the old days is that in general things were not as good.

For instance I haven't seen any reason for Ilford to revive Selochrome as an addition to its current range.

There was a long thread on Retro 320 when it first arrived and while some pics look OK I agree with Darko that my overall impression was that of a film that resulted in soft pictures without contrast

I do wonder if the sales of Retro 320 turned out as well for Foma as it had hoped at the launch

pentaxuser

chris77 · Aug 28, 2020

pentaxuser said:
I wonder what is specifically "retro" about it that makes it special. I am assuming here that the word "retro" was used by Foma to specifically appeal to what it thought was a demand by users of films from the "old days" The problem from the old days is that in general things were not as good.

For instance I haven't seen any reason for Ilford to revive Selochrome as an addition to its current range.

There was a long thread on Retro 320 when it first arrived and while some pics look OK I agree with Darko that my overall impression was that of a film that resulted in soft pictures without contrast

I do wonder if the sales of Retro 320 turned out as well for Foma as it had hoped at the launch

pentaxuser

Obviously you don't know who to use it

chris77 · Aug 28, 2020

... and BTW, its out of production

chris77 · Aug 28, 2020

No problems with lack of contrast (printed on grade 2 1/2)

pentaxuser · Aug 28, 2020

chris77 said:
... and BTW, its out of production

I think you meant that I don't know how to use it. Well you are right in that I have never used it .My statement in terms of agreeing with Darko was that most of the pictures looked soft and lacked contrast

It may be a difficult film to use to get what he user of it wants as a negative. The title of the thread uses the word "tricky" which suggests it may be a difficult film. That is not to say that a user cannot make it do exactly what he wants it to but may suggest that success is more difficult to achieve than might be the case with say HP5+

The fact that you have kindly provided the statement that it is out of production would seem to be relevant to the demand for it hence my last sentence in my previous post in which I wondered if Foma had been disappointed about its sales

pentaxuser

darkosaric · Aug 28, 2020

Not connected with the thread, but similar - I have a box of 10 papers Foma Retrobrom papers, I will try it out one of these days .

chris77 · Aug 28, 2020

pentaxuser said:
I think you meant that I don't know how to use it. Well you are right in that I have never used it .My statement in terms of agreeing with Darko was that most of the pictures looked soft and lacked contrast

It may be a difficult film to use to get what he user of it wants as a negative. The title of the thread uses the word "tricky" which suggests it may be a difficult film. That is not to say that a user cannot make it do exactly what he wants it to but may suggest that success is more difficult to achieve than might be the case with say HP5+

The fact that you have kindly provided the statement that it is out of production would seem to be relevant to the demand for it hence my last sentence in my previous post in which I wondered if Foma had been disappointed about its sales

pentaxuser

Totally agree with you, no harm intended!
this film shows its qualities when there is strong light and sufficient development, then highlight get some nice glow (which could contribute to the retro term).
Anyway.. its gone

abruzzi · Sep 1, 2020

I'm curious, I've seen others mention that Foma 320 is discontinued, but its in stock most places I look, and if I google to find a press release, or other evidence of discontinuation, I can't find any. Where does this info about discontinuation come from?

Bormental · Sep 1, 2020

@abruzzi Retropan 320 is also on Foma's web site. https://www.foma.cz/en/catalogue-negative-films-328

abruzzi · Sep 1, 2020

Yeah, thanks @Bormental. I wouldn't be surprised if its discontinued, I just can't find any evidence of it, and I just bought a box of it in 4x5 recently.

pentaxuser · Sep 1, 2020

To help us come to a conclusion we need chris77or anyone else who has access to a statement that confirms chris77's statement to say what his source of information on discontinuation is and what it said about date of discontinuation or better still post a link to it

pentaxuser

chris77 · Sep 1, 2020

pentaxuser said:
To help us come to a conclusion we need chris77or anyone else who has access to a statement that confirms chris77's statement to say what his source of information on discontinuation is and what it said about date of discontinuation or better still post a link to it

pentaxuser

I received mail from foma
It is still available in some sizes, but is out of production. Since a few months actually.

pentaxuser · Sep 1, 2020

chris77 said:
I received mail from foma
It is still available in some sizes, but is out of production. Since a few months actually.

Thanks so this is old stock and no longer made. Just out of curiosity did Foma say if it has announced that it is out of production. For the sake of customer service it seems strange that the first a customer knows that it is out of production is only by asking the question.

pentaxuser

Anselm Green · Feb 24, 2022

I am aware this is an old thread so I’m coming in quite late. I hope you had a lot of success since; like myself I only know of a handful of photographers who use this peculiar film as their film of choice. I would say from my experience this is an ideal film for a gentle return to pictorialism. Retropan Portraits as well as still life or landscapes can embrace and reflect a lot of mood, with the right light you can achieve this dreaminess/ I think I just made up that word.
For me it is the film that allows me to express myself as well as act as medium for the way I see the world; because of my eyesight problem regarding colour processing I mainly turn to 4x5 bw , sometime ago I could best achieve the retro look on MF and 35mm which is visibly grainy, but I think was since discontinued.

Your examples are nice, as far as I can tell but quite straight cut, /from early days of your experience and for what you chose as subjects you could have used say Fomapan 400 with similarly satisfying results.

this is a soft film that if metered mainly at 320 and processed in retro foma developer can give you very satisfying results in terms of capturing mood and atmosphere. Prints best on baryta again by foma. All very affordable inviting for a lot of experimenting.

Anselm Green · Feb 24, 2022

What do you mean by

pentaxuser said:
The problem from the old days is that in general things were not as good.

?
Some of my best pictures have been taken on Fomapan and I’m saying that after perhaps thirty plus years of experience with foma; one thing they have always been good at was fine tuning the process from the beginning to the end, from the film to printing, their papers are fabulous. And affordable!
, sometimes the finest Kodak.. grain is simply not the answer. If you want to see some superb examples of Fomapan of different kinds in action, have a look at almost any photos taken by late Vilem Heckel. / I’m not talking just about his commercial stuff, it’s the mountains/expeditions he focused on in the later years.

foma is a relatively small manufacturer compared to other bw producers, they need to think carefully about its products and product cycles, their profitability long term. Since the retropan 135s disappeared there was an immediate uproar to bring them back into production. Foma may not do that , their turnover or profits are not huge enough to reintroduce a product that will not generate a lot of profit.

it’s a tricky act to balance. As far as I know foma is a very traditionally thinking manufacturer nd their marketing could do with a bit of global thinking update.

the tricky Retropan 320

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