Adox Pan 400

[Johnmcd]

Are Rollei Retro 100 & 400 in 120 roll film format still in the pipeline anywhere? It's long gone from Freestyle here in the U.S. Although I see that an RFF member is still shooting it in Australia, there is no mention of whether it is still for sale there or anywhere else.

Still available here. It's where I got mine 🙂

http://www.vanbar.com.au/catalogue/index.php?item1=FILM&item2=B&W&item3=ROLL&brand=

Cheers - John

 

[ohoyer]

Adox Pan 400 as 220 has been discussed in german forums, and the boss of Fotoimpex/Adox, M. Boeddecker, has also said that 220 ist not planned due to lots of issues with packaging gear that needs to be suited for that task.

(He also said, that one never shall say never one sentence later, but here I assume that 220 is not on their radar.)

But as always- if and when lots of people show demand, backed by potential orders, when a certain lot could be manufactured, its rule of business that this will help decisions a lot...

 

[Edward C. Zimmermann]

According to Nordfoto--- a major German film distributor--- the production has run in problems and will be delayed. In a mail I received just yesterday they went as far as to suggest that the film is what was once in the computer industry commonly called "vapor ware".

The original text:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]wenn Sie noch auf den AGFAPHOTO APX 400 warten, müssen wir Ihnen leider mitteilen, dass sich die Neuproduktion wesentlich schwieriger gestaltet als ursprünglich angenommen. Im Moment gehen wir sogar davon aus, dass dieser Film gar nicht mehr kommen wird![/FONT]

Quick translation: If you are waiting for the Agfaphoto APX400 we must unfortunately inform you that the new production has proved significantly more difficult than one had assumed. At the current time we feel that in all probability the film will never arrive.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Maybe they will make it in 220. There is little left in the b+w 220 film market. All I see is 120 and the number of b+w emulsions has declined over the past couple of years.

No. I asked. Ain't gonna happen. Sorry.

But I always thought 220 was pointless next to 70mm anyway.

I do however believe that the film is far likelier to appear than it is to fail (same conversation as 'no 220'). The problem lay in scale-up. Test coatings (small emulsion batches) were fine, but one of the emulsions didn't like being made in larger quatities.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Edward C. Zimmermann]

I do however believe that the film is far likelier to appear than it is to fail (same conversation as 'no 220').

I don't agree. Even if they get an emulsion similar to APX-400 it can't ever be the "same" due to the unique features and large scale of the Agfa coating facility that once was in Leverkusen. APX400 in 120--- it was never an outstanding film in 35mm and we still have HP5+ and FilmoTech/ORWO N74--- will have the additional problem of its production, backing paper, quality control etc as we've seen in Rollei Retro 100--- cut down from the last batch of APX100 master rolls. The Agfa that was.. was.. and Schroeder and Boedekker with Lupus and friends can't bring it back.. Agfa Vista is now Ferrania so Agfaphoto boxes, like Adox and Maco/Rollei are too free to .... and given that of the two Agfa films APX100 was really the more interesting.. and supplies are still quite large.. there is loads of time..

 

[Matus]

I am also one of those who would like to hear about what makes these coming films exciting to many (apart from the obvious fact that there is BW film being introduced). I have also never shot a single roll of Agfa BW films. Anybody would be so king to comment on them? Why take them over Ilford/Kodak/Fuji ?

 

[ath]

According to Nordfoto--- a major German film distributor--- the production has run in problems and will be delayed. In a mail I received just yesterday they went as far as to suggest that the film is what was once in the computer industry commonly called "vapor ware".

The original text:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]wenn Sie noch auf den AGFAPHOTO APX 400 warten, müssen wir Ihnen leider mitteilen, dass sich die Neuproduktion wesentlich schwieriger gestaltet als ursprünglich angenommen. Im Moment gehen wir sogar davon aus, dass dieser Film gar nicht mehr kommen wird![/FONT]

Quick translation: If you are waiting for the Agfaphoto APX400 we must unfortunately inform you that the new production has proved significantly more difficult than one had assumed. At the current time we feel that in all probability the film will never arrive.

Mirko from Fotoimpex / Adox commented on this in a german forum:

Jedenfalls ist das keine neue Information sondern nur ein falsches Gerücht. Es läuft alles wie im Forum beschrieben weiter.

quick translation:
"This is a wrong rumor. We make progress as communicated in the forum."

Nordfoto talked about Agfaphoto APX400 (sold by Lupus), not ADOX Pan 400.

 

[kossi008]

I don't even want the old APX400 back, I want the (supposedly) improved Adox Pan 400. Maybe because I'm shooting 135 only, and I never could deal with the former's excessive grain...

 

[Roger Hicks]

I don't agree. Even if they get an emulsion similar to APX-400 it can't ever be the "same" due to the unique features and large scale of the Agfa coating facility that once was in Leverkusen. APX400 in 120--- it was never an outstanding film in 35mm and we still have HP5+ and FilmoTech/ORWO N74--- will have the additional problem of its production, backing paper, quality control etc as we've seen in Rollei Retro 100--- cut down from the last batch of APX100 master rolls. The Agfa that was.. was.. and Schroeder and Boedekker with Lupus and friends can't bring it back.. Agfa Vista is now Ferrania so Agfaphoto boxes, like Adox and Maco/Rollei are too free to .... and given that of the two Agfa films APX100 was really the more interesting.. and supplies are still quite large.. there is loads of time..

Sure. Won't be the same film. But I believe there'll be a new 400 from Adox. We'll have to wait to judge it. Well, you and I will.Some others on the internet may be less worried about the fantasy/reality interface.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Fotohuis]

About roll film confectioning: It's done on a Hitatchi machine assembly. So not easy at all to transfer to a 220 roll film possibility. A regular good 120 roll film assembly will be already difficult.

The iso 400 segment is still large. There are top films like Kodak TMY (400), Tri-X (400), Ilford Delta 400, HP5+, Rollei/Gevaert Retro 400S, Fuji Neopan 400, N74 (Filmotec), Foma Fomapan 400 available and producing a new quality film on all aspects is not an easy job. And certainly not if you do not have experience in that field.