Bluefire Police film?

[nzeeman]

I read about this film here http://www.frugalphotographer.com/catBluefire.htm
but i never found any user comments about this film. have anyone used this? what were the results? seller say that it has great performance but what happen in real world?
thank you in advance for your answers.

 

[Ash]

Haven't Rollei released the same kinda film?

 

[nzeeman]

hmmm... i dont know. is it same film. for bluefire they say its the first film from independent manufacturer. maybe they just repackage...

 

[rich815]

Discussed a bit over the last few years over at photo.net:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Bluefire+Police+Film+site:photo.net

Bottomline seems to be use it if you want to read a license plate from far away, but do not use it if you treasure nice mid-tones.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Try: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3456

 

[waterpump]

Heres a link to an image on Bluefire Film developed on FX1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47802401@N00/3273933666/

 

[crawdiddy]

I assumed this thread would be about a police brutality incident captured on film (or digital video). I haven't decided yet if I'm disappointed....

 

[sevo]

It certainly is a "police" atrocity performed on us by the marketers of that film. That stuff is Agfa Copex, just like most other bulk process film canned by small companies under fancy names. The only use the police has for it is to run it through the microfiche machine in their file archive...

Sevo

 

[Al Kaplan]

It's extremely fine grain and sharp, but it's really designed to produce black and white copies of documents, not reproduce a range of midtones. Kodak used to make a film like this, Microfile I think. These days that sort of use has been upstaged by digital storage. There are developers and techniques that can somewhat tame rhe contrast. You'll never be able to eke out a satisfying full tonal range though. The darker shadows will be clear film while the brightest areas of the negative will be featureless black.

 

[waterpump]

Yes it does have a narrow exposure latitude, mid tones are limited in range, and strong highlights / deep shadows are flattened, but it produces a very sharp fine grain image of a certain kind that I like, and with low contrst subjects and suitable development the results can be stunning.

I used to use Kodalith 35mm at 1.5 ASA developed in modified D25 and get stunning continuous tone results of a certain type, with certain subjects.

I think there is a strong case for 'special quality' films in the armoury of image making, OK you may not use such films as 'regular stock' but for special kinds of image they fit the bill exactly.

Much the same as using specialist papers (lith) or alternative printing techniques (Kallitype, VDB, Salt paper, Gum, Bromoil...) for different creative styles of image.

 

[waterpump]

Just one otherpoint, Al Kaplan says "These days that sort of use has been upstaged by digital storage. There are developers and techniques that can somewhat tame rhe contrast."

Fair point. But the in the practise of the art of photography, I simply love the occult alchemy of the darkroom and the excitement of the, slightly unpredictable in some cases, unfolding process of wet chemistry. Indeed, I personally find the limitations imposed by certain materials / wet process an exciting creative challenge.

Also, Silver / metallic / pigment images are sculptural (built of solid substance) and have a certain quality and depth which I find both perceptually and conceptually appealing.

The alchemy of digital images has its own power and appeal too, but in a different realm. I do not regard either approach as mutually exclusive, but certainly synergistic according to the particular focus and interest of the photographer / artist.