If I remember correctly, Kodak's answer to that very question when Tmax was introduced was basically: There is no need for a 25-32-50 ISO film since Tmax 100 has as fine a grain as any of the slow films.
Ok, I know fully well that the economics probably dictate that a TMAX 25 would probably not be profitable. However, I have a theoretical question: would a TMAX 25 be possible to make, and would it have much finer grain than TMAX 100?
There are several specialty films on the market in 50 and 25 speed. Are any of these actually finer grained than TMAX/Delta/acros 100?
I'd use some but not a ton. It'd be a good 8x10 film for soft focus lenses outdoors where my shutter doesn't go that fast and a particular wide aperture must be used. In 8x10, I can max out at 1/50 sec, so I shoot tmax400 after the sun goes down or gets low behind the trees. That application limits it's potential to about 20 photographers on the whole Internet probably and I'd understand why there was not sufficient demand to make a business of it. Other people would be happy just using an ND filter to get their shutter speeds down. In 4x5, I can shoot upto 1/1000 so tmax 400 or FP4+ suffice for all situations for me. In MF film, I only use tmax400 because I can avoid the need for a tripod and the fine grained quality is sufficient. I don't worry about grain size with 4x5 or 8x10.
I am old enough to remember when 4x5 Tmax 100 was introduced and it was very close to the same time that 4x5 Agfa 25 was discontinued. I was very upset that my favorite film was discontinued but happy to discover that the Tmax 100 was just as fine grained and maybe even finer.
Dennis
In an age when medium and large format equipment can be had for a fraction of their former cost there is even less need for slow films than there was in the past. Move up in format, and you can choose a film on the basis of tonality and the speed required for the subject and lighting conditions, without having to think about grain.
Doesn't Ilford already coat a 25 ISO Film :devil:
We did look very hard at a DELTA Professional 25.
The actual sales volume of slower films is very, very small, to the APUG membership it probably has a 'greater' interest. To do a slower DELTA it would probably have killed PAN F + as a viable film, and we LOVE PAN F + it would certainly not have increased our overal volume with the limited advantages of a slower DELTA ( as the 100iso has incredibly controlled and fine grain structure as it is ).
Finally, down the supply chain in smaller re-sellers who hold 'limited' stock of mono film, the volume sold would dictate that it would be unlikely to be stocked and sold.
Simon : ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :
I disagree that it would be a "tripod only" film as a lot have suggested. Certainly it could make a very nice detailed tripod-landscape film too, but there's also a big market in the wide-open fast-lens crowd.
But please don't kill PanF50.
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