Arista Premium B&W 400

colyn

colyn

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Anybody use this film??

What is your impression??

Recommended developer??
 
Ive used a few rolls great if you like the look of kodak tri-x films(Grain)
I just use Kodak D-76 with good results
 
Diafine or HC-110 is what I use. There are many threads about how this film is Tri-x. It's a nice film and relatively inexpensive.
 
Between here and APUG probably the most discussed film in recent memory.

I got 10 rolls of each (100 & 400) last week. I should have some developed this month.
 
I'm going to be placing a freestyle order so I'll be ordering a few rolls to try out..
 
It looks just like Tri-X 400 and develops the same. I've shot 3 bricks of the stuff so far and have been very pleased!
 
I picked up 5 rolls a few months ago but haven't developed any...just bought some of their Legacy film last week...5 of 100 & 5 of 400...
I was thinking of trying the stand developing with this film...
 
my first use of premium 400 box speed in rodinal 1+25 looks a lot like tri-x to my eye. a bit less edge maybe. will be scanning shortly. will post.
 
Bob Michaels said:
Arista Premium 400 and frame numbers
Click to expand...

Thanks, so if it is "re badged" Tri X, Kodak created the proprietary markings. Anything left that has a Kodak signature that you notice?

I recall Freestyle bought out the former East German Agfa, ORWO, and sold it quite quickly. It was gone before I even noticed it.

I tried to get Neobrom of Brno, Czech Republic, to make some runs for a US market, and had 5000 sheets of paper coated, cut, and air freighted for my use, but they seemed to have a real lack of knowledge in the export business. They had some terrific and interesting emulsions, like a Silver Iodide contact paper, along with about 15 others. They simply shut down, plant is still sitting there as far as I know.

Hoped for a long time someone would reopen them.

Looks as if Kodak is their own "gray" market?

For many years the amateur market in color sort of left a niche for the manufacturing of B&W, and I wonder if the smaller plants in former eastern bloc countries can continue with the impending EU absorption and rising costs.

Regards, John
 
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JohnTF said:
Anything left that has a Kodak signature that you notice?
Click to expand...

Let us face reality, Kodak is not stupid. There is nothing to absolutely, positively, say it is Tri-X. That is why there has been all the posts that say "well, it exposes like Tri-X, develops like Tri-X, prints like Tri-X....."

But if you absolutely, positively, have to have Tri-X, you need to buy film in a yellow box.

Personally, I shot Neopan 400 for about six years. HP5 was damn close to the same film. So was Tri-X. Arista Premium is close enough that I have been using it. $2- a box for 35mm has enough savings to get me to switch when I can only see a difference in the film base tint and the color of the used Rodinal (just like Tri-X, not like Neopan 400).
 
Bob Michaels said:
Let us face reality, Kodak is not stupid. There is nothing to absolutely, positively, say it is Tri-X. That is why there has been all the posts that say "well, it exposes like Tri-X, develops like Tri-X, prints like Tri-X....."
Click to expand...

Arista Premium 400 is made in the US. Who else makes film in the US other than Kodak?
 
I like the results from Premium 400, especially for the price. I think Freestyle recently raised the prices on 100ft. rolls to something like $35, so I'll just be buying individual rolls now...
 
Bob Michaels said:
Let us face reality, Kodak is not stupid. There is nothing to absolutely, positively, say it is Tri-X. That is why there has been all the posts that say "well, it exposes like Tri-X, develops like Tri-X, prints like Tri-X....."

But if you absolutely, positively, have to have Tri-X, you need to buy film in a yellow box.

Personally, I shot Neopan 400 for about six years. HP5 was damn close to the same film. So was Tri-X. Arista Premium is close enough that I have been using it. $2- a box for 35mm has enough savings to get me to switch when I can only see a difference in the film base tint and the color of the used Rodinal (just like Tri-X, not like Neopan 400).
Click to expand...

A lot of the re-badged films in recent years had totally dead giveaways, so I guess those guys were "stupid", and Foma, for example, packaged their 200 ISO film in at least four different boxes, including Acupan? in England and actually in Czech as well if they were short on Foma packaging.

Freestyle sold RC paper under their brand, and the back of the paper said Agfa.

I have no idea how important it is to Kodak to keep a "secret identity", and I have no idea how difficult it is to change the edge markings, I mostly only look at them when there is a problem in the processing.

Maybe I will get out my Dick Tracy wristwatch, and Sherlock Holmes microscope and make a career out of identifying film, or submit it to the writers of CSI to make it a plot element. "Man strangled with latent image still retained inside of the body".

I never noticed a Kodak film with the Anti Halation dye washing out in and coloring a pre-rinse or the developer, but I suppose it is possible, or is there some other color change in Rodinal? I mostly use R09 in its place in MF.

Regards, John
 
JohnTF said:
I never noticed a Kodak film with the Anti Halation dye washing out in and coloring a pre-rinse or the developer, but I suppose it is possible, or is there some other color change in Rodinal? I mostly use R09 in its place in MF.
Regards, John
Click to expand...

I find that 35mm Tri-X consistently turns Rodinal a deep purple brown color when I dump the tank. Neopan 400 and HP5 don't do that. Nor does Tri-X in any other developer. It is just that one combination that does it. I never tried 120 Tri-X to see if it turns Rodinal as well.
 
C'mon - Freestyle, God bless'em. Their rebadged stuff are the best deals in Photography. At $2 and change (US) a roll of 36 - and it ain't crap? Good stuff? I used to "roll my own" to save a lil change now I used Freestyle. It's not even worth it look for deals on eBay... buy all you want... One roll of Tri-X costs close to $6 w/ tax at the local brick and mortar...

As far as the Tri-X/not-Tri-X debate, if it's close enough to warrant debate, then it's good enough. Looks like Tri-X t' my eyes, I've shot 4-5 rolls of it. However, I would be careful about citing "Made in USA" as proof. My thinking is the rolls could be bought in Czech Republic and "assembled" in the USA? Like cars that are "Made in the USA" - like the Crystler I just junked... Wanted to "buy American", support our economy, etc. fool that I was... The car was a rebadged Mitsubishi, essentially, I found out later...
 
bucks11 said:
I like the results from Premium 400, especially for the price. I think Freestyle recently raised the prices on 100ft. rolls to something like $35, so I'll just be buying individual rolls now...
Click to expand...


Also looks like the single roll price jumped up a bit as well.
 
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