35mm Black & White Bulk film

[Neil Purling]

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Is there anywhere one can get short ends of 35mm black & white motion picture film?

I started bulk loading with Ilford HP5 Motion Picture film. One of the more interesting stocks was Eastman Double X Pan. Goodness knows when that was last manufactured.

It was so similar to the loads of Orwo NP27 I could get, rather grainy but who cares.

 

I have been looking at Fomapan 400. I am aware that the real speed falls short of 400.

If I can get 300 that'll have to do. I can get cassettes of the Fomapan, but I have not found a source of bulk loads. A loader is so useful because I can make a casette of 6 exposures, enough for a test with least wastage.

[dewittehd]

Hi Neil,

Try Fotoimpex in Berlin Fotoimpex Berlin | alles für die analoge Fotografie -

Regards,

Jean

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[Neil Purling]

I am hoping for a source of supply of bulk Foma within the UK given the poor exchange rate for Euros-Pounds.

 

If not: Has anyone within the UK an 'unofficial' solution?

[rubenkok]

Hi Neil,

 

There is some info on their website

 

DISTRIBUTORS FOMA Primary Distributors Worldwide

 

Hope this is some help.

regards

Ruben

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[Neil Purling]

I have sent an e-mail to the address in the screen shot & I get a message sayin the mail cannot be delivered. Should the address all be lower case.

The Web site has a Under Constructoon page & that's it.

I have used the Foma 100. OK, it was just one roll to get the developement time with R09 right. I like the Fomapan 100 & I think I have managed to get the box speed.

 

I think I might have to work harder with the Fomapan 400.

Word is that it might not be possible to get Fomapan 400 to make anything like 400.

I don't mind trying a pallette of developers. It is very interesting hunting around to find what yields the best speed/shadow detail combination.

To that end I have bought cassettes so far (Retro Photographic). They do not seem to have long rolls. If I find the Foma 400 works well with whatever soup. I will want a long roll.

 

The only 400 I have at present is a loader of the Agfapan APX400S. I bought it on the auction site in 2005. It was apparently dated 2000 but kept in deep freeze till 2005.

It has a unusual colour sensitivity.

I have no idea if it has gone 'off'. How do I detect this?

The Agfapan may have a different nature from Ilford HP5 and even Fomapan 400 which I might mistake for a defective product. You can imagine what a waste it would be to throw out perfectly good film.

 

I am going on holiday to the west of Scotland and I hope there will be the opportunity for some images of fine landscapes I wish to commit to good film.

Edited May 25, 2009 by Neil Purling
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[poynterama]

I have been buying fomapan 200 from B&H

[dewittehd]

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Neil,

a 30 meter roll costs 27 Euro at Fotoimpex. They might charge 10 Euro for P&P. If you find no alternative than this is your only possibility.

Regards,

Jean

[Neil Purling]

I have bought two cassettes of in-date APX 400 as comparison. I will see how a negative from that compares to the stuff out the loader.

I also bought a roll of HP5 just to see how different the Agfa is.

It is going to be a real dogfight between the Agfapan APX400, the Ilford HP5 and Fomapan 400.

 

I wonder if the differences are going to be really subtle?

Years ago, when Ilford Delta 400 came out I compared it with standard HP5, both souped in Aculux. I had to run the enlarger right up its column. On the one I was using I think it gave a 16" wide image. Delta 400 did have finer grain but the difference wasn't massive.

The Delta/HP5 is the only comparison test I did.

I expect I could do a similar thing with a neg scanner.

Maybe the real decider will be in shadow detail?

 

It is going to be fun finding out.

[dfoo]

You can still buy 400 foot of Eastman Double X. Here is an enormous thread on this topic.

 

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52426

[Neil Purling]

The last of this Eastman XX I used had some fog. Goodness knows what the stock is like now.

 

The stuff I used must have been pretty long in the tooth. I think I used to develope it at HP5 timing and expose as for 250ASA.

Anyone in the UK willing to sell me a short length?

Edited May 26, 2009 by Neil Purling
Investigated the XX thread link

[Neil Purling]

I have shot a whole roll of Fomapan 400 and a clip of the fresh Agfapan APX400.

The stored roll looks the same in respect of the image contrast as the clip of in-date APX 400.

The Agfa APX 400 time of 11 min @ 20C for Rodinal 1:50 seems to suit the Fomapan 400 too.

 

I have to say that I like the look of the Fomapan 400, which is a personal thing you may disagree with.

The Foma looks to have more contrast. It is still drying so i'll have to wait till morning to scan the stuff.

 

There may be 30 metres of APX400S for sale soon........

[Neil Purling]

There may be 30 metres of APX400S for sale soon.......

 

There won't be. I examined the loader in a changing bag. I must have used far more than I thought. So I threw it away.

 

I still can't buy bulk Fomapan in the UK, just a brick of 36exp cassettes.

[Neil Purling]

There is another e-mail address listed on that naked Web page for Hexagon Limited.

I've tried it & will have to see if it generates a reply.

I even tried Freestyle for their Arista EDU. Sure, they can post the film to me........ At a cost exceeding that of the contents of the parcel by a wide margin. I don't have a credit card, so I see difficulties in paying. I have not heard a damn thing from Foma themselves.

[Neil Purling]

The man at Hexagon International has got Foma to slip a can of Fomapan 200 in with their next shipment to him. My first test of Foma 200 suggests using it at FP4 speed of 125 ASA

is going to be the way to go.

 

The Fomapan 400 @ 200 has good shadow detail. Rating at 400 is a mistake because the extended development makes the highlight too hot and robs the shadows of detail too.

I wouldn't buy a 30m can of that. With the grain level i'd expect the full 400 ASA speed. I'd have to bite the bullet and fork out for a can of Ilford or Kodak.