Agfa Scala - Should I...?

[photogdave]

I've got some Scala in the fridge. I have NEVER shot with it before. I am going on a trip to Machu Pichu soon and thought it might be kind of fun to try it out down there.
Any thoughts/opinions? How do prints look from the slides? Does it scan well? Any ISO recommendations?
Thanks!

 

[Uwe_Nds]

Dave,
I find the Scala quite contrasty and not the easiest film to scan.
Then again, the b&w slides are to be projected, anyway. I would take one or two rolls together with colour slide film.
Here's one from a roll exposed @ ISO200:

Best regards,
Uwe

 

[photogdave]

Thanks Uwe. I'm definitely taking some color slide too - I still like to use my slide projector! It's good to know the film is contrasty.
Anyone else using Scala out there?

 

[Roger Hicks]

Never really got on with it; same experience as Uwe.

For this sort of trip, my view is that you'd be insane to use any film/cameras/lenses other than those with which you are already completely familiar.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

Roger,
Well, in principle you are right, but why not take the favourite slide-film as general medium and dedicate one camera to Scala for the occasional b&w-shot?

Best regards,
Uwe

 

[mfogiel]

Scala is stunning, you can expose it between 100 and 400 if you develop as reversal film in a specialized lab - if you will develop as negative, shoot it at 100 iso and use Rodinal. It is a great film for people shots, but also good for outdoors, if you like that rich black look to your images - BTW it looses a lot of speed with a red filter, expose on the rich side in case.
Here's one shot at ISO 400 in reversal process:

and this one shot wide open ( f1.2) at 200 ISO (in fact a bit underexposed) developed as negative:

 

[Roger Hicks]

...why not take the favourite slide-film as general medium and dedicate one camera to Scala for the occasional b&w-shot?

Dear Uwe,

Weight. I'd already have M8 and MP, and an M4-P or M2 as well for Scala is more than I would wish to carry on such a trip.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

Dear Uwe,

Weight. I'd already have M8 and MP, and an M4-P or M2 as well for Scala is more than I would wish to carry on such a trip.

Cheers,

R.

Roger,
Ok, fair enough!
Weight was also one of the reasons why I got into rangefinders.
Then again, Dave's CL would not take too much space and add not too much to the overall weight.

Best regards,
Uwe

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Scala is my very favorite B&W film... precisely because of it's contrast. I just like it a lot.

Here, an old and a recent photo with Scala.

First the old... Barcelona, March 04 (M6TTL, Summicron 50)

Then, the most recent one: Reichstag in Berlin, June 08 (same camera, Elmarit 28mm).

Now, looking at jpgs won't give you an idea of what this film is like, so take a roll in your trip and then, upon your return, send it to Main Photo Lab in Santa Ana, CA (look them up in the web for instructions). Development is $10.00 per roll, shipping is $7.50 or thereabouts. Send two rolls, you pay about $27.50. To me, it's worth it...

Try it, then join either choir (detractors or admirers).

 

[mkyy]

Here's one from me shot @ EI 200 at a bright day. I never had it projected but it scanned well. Not cheap to have it processed though.

 

[Sisyphus]

Roger,

I use to use Scala film for photographing my black and white prints into slides for various portfolio things. Since the invention of all the computer stuff, I haven't used it since. Since you have it, you might as well use it one something. You will not have a lot of gradation as you normally would on traditional film, so if this is important to you then you are better off using b&w. Also, if you were planning to make traditional black and white prints, you will need to make a black and white internegatives first. However, if you are scanning the slide film and then making prints you should not have any problems. I would also slightly overexpose, depending on the lighting situation, by 1/3 stops.

Wow, everybody seems like they are going somewhere interesting. You are going to Machu Pichu, and this other guy is going to Nepal.

Well, have a great trip. Are you hiking up the trail, or taking a helicopter? Be careful of the Altitude sickness.

Is anyone else going somewhere?

 

[Chuck Albertson]

I think it's a great film, both in 35mm and 120. It's as contrasty as any other slide film; if you already are fine with shooting slides, there isn't much of a learning curve associated with it. I also send it to Main Photo for processing, they do a great job. I don't scan, so I can't speak to that.

Shoot it while you can.

 

[jan normandale]

Dave, you've raised two points. Scala and a trip of a lifetime for some people.

Scala is something that a lot of people like or don't. I like it for the reasons given by others here. The trip is 'the hook'. If it was me I'd take some Delta 100 and 400 and use that as my go to film. I'd shoot the Scala for sure because .... you never know what you'll get!

 

[photogdave]

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone!
I've only got two rolls of this stuff so I'm just going to shoot it and see what comes out.
Although I really like mfogiel's processed-as-negative shots, I'll shoot for slides because I just want to see what it looks like projected from my Leitz Pradovit. I love slides!
My plan is to bring the M6 and CL and shoot primarily Velvia 100F or Provia 100F (haven't decided which because I like them both) and Neopan 400. Those are my "go to" films. I also want to bring some kind of SLR to shoot telephoto and macro during the Galapagos portion of the trip. I still haven't decided digital or film. A film camera keeps it simple and gives me more slides to project, a DSLR gives me a bit more reach with the lenses and the flexibility of multiple ISOs with one body. Tough decision!

 

[sooner]

I love Scala, and recommend it without hesitation. I find that, as a very average photographer, some of my Scala shots approach the next level. Only problem is the only place to get them developed/mounted is Main Photo in California. So shoot it sparingly...and have a great trip.

 

[kxl]

As someone much wiser than I once said, "Scala is B&W for slide shooters; it is not slide film for B&W negative film shooters."

My experience is the same as others -- contrasty, but if you can make it work well, it is stunning. I hardly ever shoot it anymore, but here's one from a few years ago, taken at Lourdes, France.

 

[jan normandale]

OK, so how did the Galapagos creep into this thread.... ??

 

[photogdave]

OK, so how did the Galapagos creep into this thread.... ??

Two-part trip: one week Galapagos, second week Inca Trail! 😀

 

[irq506]

Ah... to be honest, I think you would be far better off shooting Delta 100 or HP5 to DR5 specifications and having them developthem as thier own brand of slides. I do this on a reasonably regular basis and the results are superior to Scala because you shoot with a negative film and have the latitude of negative and then get transparencies back... www.dr5.com

 

[jan normandale]

Ah... to be honest, I think you would be far better off shooting Delta 100 or HP5 to DR5 specifications and having them developthem as thier own brand of slides. I do this on a reasonably regular basis and the results are superior to Scala because you shoot with a negative film and have the latitude of negative and then get transparencies back... www.dr5.com

IRQ... Jannx here. I'm curious to know if the pricing is the same for this as the pricing for Scala. I checked the link but it's not too clear to me. If I could shoot Delta or HP5 and have a transparencies I'd be really interested. Do you have any links to some of these?

BTW I'm really liking your site lately. Do I see an Xpan in there?