Favourite budget film emulsions

[f16sunshine]

Here is Foma100 in rodinal 1:100.

I added 1/3stop exposure to the Hexar AF meter.
This is a look I definitely seek at times.
Softer details and gritty grain.
It's not for everything but I really like it!

Conversely Foma200 comes out more like acros. I soup it in tmaxdeveloper.
Soft emulsion??? Maybe, I've yet to experience scratches. After many years handling film I don't get scratches unless I mess up.

Foma100 rodinal 1:100

First roll Hexar AF, AEU 100 Rodinal 1:100 stand by Adnan W, on Flickr

 

[Michael I.]

what about the weird budget bulk films?
polypan 50
orwo 54, 74
ultrafine 100,400, T-Grain
?

 

[lawrence]

Whilst scouting for good prices on this I came across FirstCall Photographic's website here in the UK and discovered they've just released (or looking at the supply date, are about to release) their own 135-36 black and white film.

http://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/products/4916/firstcall-400s-135-36-iso-400

Thanks for the link but while the film may be cheap the delivery 'from £7.99' isn't...

 

[ravilamir]

In terms of budget films, I use mostly Agfaphoto Vista+ 200 for colour and Fomapan 400, Kentmere 400 or Ilford Pan 400 for B&W.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

what about the weird budget bulk films?
polypan 50
orwo 54, 74
ultrafine 100,400, T-Grain
?

I ordered second 90m of Polypan F this autumn.
It is pushable up to ISO400 for scans and I used it a lot on 100, which is OK for prints.
Two problems comparing to "normal" film. Wierd two spots of little dots.
I have them on first batch and they are on the second one. Maybe I do something wrong with respooling it to the bulk loader.
Second problem is with missing emulsion spots. I have it at the end of thirst 90m, not I have it at beginning of second 90m.
To me it is good for tests of cameras and lenses and OK film for practicing in street photography.

My budget film which is good film is Kentmere 100 and 400. It just cheapest bulk film I could get from B&H to Canada. Europe, USA and else is different, it seems for films availability and pricing.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I have had incredibly bad experiences with Fomapan 200 developed in Rodinal. Might have to do with the softer emulsion, I don't know. I've shot about 10 rolls, and all have turned out really, really, really bad. I've got a couple rolls left and I'll see what I can do. I've only developed in Rodinal so far and want to stick with that because I've seen great results online, but everything I'm producing looks like complete and utter crap and I'm not picky at ALL. Oh well.

What's wrong with the photos? I haven't tried Fomapan 200, but I have used the 100 and 400 Foma films. They look beautiful in D-76 1+1. Especially the 100. Fomapan 400 has nice tonality in D-76, but I think its too grainy.

 

[02Pilot]

What's wrong with the photos? I haven't tried Fomapan 200, but I have used the 100 and 400 Foma films. They look beautiful in D-76 1+1. Especially the 100. Fomapan 400 has nice tonality in D-76, but I think its too grainy.

Can't speak for Rodinal, but in Caffenol I got tons of base fog, lots of grain, and white specks randomly scattered across the emulsion (no, it's not incompletely dissolved developer components - I get the same thing every time with this film, and only this film). It does somewhat better in Caffenol C-L semi-stand than C-M(RS) with normal agitation, but the same basic issues are still there.

 

[OurManInTangier]

Thanks for the link but while the film may be cheap the delivery 'from £7.99' isn't...

I could live with a £7.99 delivery charge simply by ordering larger numbers, unfortunately its specifically the 'from' that is likely to stop me buying. Though to be fair I haven't done any costing yet so it could still work out marginally cheaper....but that is likely all it will ever be wherever we purchase from.

 

[OurManInTangier]

what about the weird budget bulk films?
polypan 50
orwo 54, 74
ultrafine 100,400, T-Grain
?

I really don't get on with bulk loaders. I buy 90 feet of film and I get to shoot around 3, the other 87 feet ends up mangled, exposed, scratched and attacked by my elderly cat.

Bulk loading doesn't end up any cheaper when you're as cack handed as I am🙂

 

[OurManInTangier]

Here is Foma100 in rodinal 1:100.

I added 1/3stop exposure to the Hexar AF meter.
This is a look I definitely seek at times.
Softer details and gritty grain.
It's not for everything but I really like it!

Conversely Foma200 comes out more like acros. I soup it in tmaxdeveloper.
Soft emulsion??? Maybe, I've yet to experience scratches. After many years handling film I don't get scratches unless I mess up.

Foma100 rodinal 1:100

First roll Hexar AF, AEU 100 Rodinal 1:100 stand by Adnan W, on Flickr

That's a combination I'm playing with at the moment Andy, a new to me Hexar AF and some Fomapan, though I have several rolls of 200 to go through HC-110.

 

[HHPhoto]

After a tumultuous time over recent years the film market seems to be settling somewhat, some films seemingly gone forever, some back in new guises and some surviving through it all. For example I'm down to my last four rolls of Agfa APX and will be trying the Rollei Retro as, I'm told, its basically the same thing.

That is long gone. There was a time when the original APX 100 (and 400) were also sold as Rollei Retro. But these are sold out for many years now.
The current Rollei Retro films are Agfa-Gevaert Aviphot aerial films.
A completely different stuff.

By far the best replacement for APX 100 is the Adox Silvermax. Because it is almost the same emulsion. There are only two little differences: Silvermax has a bit higher silver content, and it is coated on a clear triacetate base (I like that, because therefore the film is also excellent as BW transparency film).

If you like the original APX 100, then you will also like the Adox Silvermax!

All of which just made me wonder what deals, cheap new emulsions and re-branded old emulsions are really out there for us to choose from at the moment and how they may perform? Perhaps those 'in-the-know' could share with those not so.

AgfaPhoto APX "New" 100 and 400 is identical to Kentmere 100 and 400.
Rollei RPX 100 and 400 are also made by Ilford, similar to the Kentmeres, but a little bit different.

I like the Adox Silvermax and Adox CHS 100 II much more. Finer grain, sharper, higher resolution, better tonality.
I get more value.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Fotohuis]

That is long gone. There was a time when the original APX 100 (and 400) were also sold as Rollei Retro. But these are sold out for many years now.

Well I am busy with my last stock APX-100/RR100. At that time I bought 250 pcs. but every thing is coming at the end ...... the last three (exp. 2012).

 

[Tijmendal]

What's wrong with the photos? I haven't tried Fomapan 200, but I have used the 100 and 400 Foma films. They look beautiful in D-76 1+1. Especially the 100. Fomapan 400 has nice tonality in D-76, but I think its too grainy.

Extremely lifeless photo's. That's one thing for starters. Apart from that, all the tones are 'smudged'. It pretty much looks like everywhere the tones were similar (skintones for example) there was a local guassian blur added making them all smudgy and similar. I've never seen anything like it. Instead of the normal 255 different tones (8-bit), it looks like there's maybe half that or so.
I'm kinda feeling this is a user error, but I've never had any problems with Rodinal with T-Max/Acros. And I've developed the Fomapan on 5 different occasions or so.

 

[DominikDUK]

Extremely lifeless photo's. That's one thing for starters. Apart from that, all the tones are 'smudged'. It pretty much looks like everywhere the tones were similar (skintones for example) there was a local guassian blur added making them all smudgy and similar. I've never seen anything like it. Instead of the normal 255 different tones (8-bit), it looks like there's maybe half that or so.
I'm kinda feeling this is a user error, but I've never had any problems with Rodinal with T-Max/Acros. And I've developed the Fomapan on 5 different occasions or so.

Did you scan or print you photographs. Black and white film has over 255 different tones. Furthermore halfing the 255 would result in higher contrast and not lifelessnes. Fomapan is known to build up contrast pretty quickly if overdeveloped. Fomapan problem come to think of it is to much contrast, lack of shadow detail but lifelessness isn't one of them. If you scanned them it sounds as if your scanner couldn't handle the negs or you had the wrong setting.

 

[trondareo]

I am halfway through my first bulk roll of Rollei Rpx 400 exposed and developed at 800 iso in Kodak tmax 4:1 developer. I find it forgiving and fully satisfactory for enlargments. I dont scan film. Previously I used Tri-x but gave it up due to cost in 35mm, though I am still using up tri-x for 120. Appart from brand identity I dont feel like buying anymore tri-x.

 

[bucs]

Working my way through my last 100 rolls of Neopan 100ss. Bought them really cheap when they were still available. I was using Arista premium prior to that

After those films i might go ORWO. The guy from ORWO NA is pleasant to deal with. Also i've heard good stuff on their films.

 

[kossi008]

Fomapan 200 is quite different from both their 100 and 400, which are classic emulsions, while the 200 is supposed to be like a T-grain film. And in my experience (or to my taste), Rodinal just doesn't work well with the T-grain films.

My favorite budget films used to be Efke 25 (gone), APX 100 (gone), and Rollei RPX 400 (switched, now back?). Made do with the Kentmeres for a while...
Will now calibrate my Caffenol process to the RPX family and see where it gets me...
​

 

[CliveC]

Has anybody shot Fujicolor PROPLUS II 200? Amazon in Canada has a pretty good deal for it: 5 rolls of 36exp for $20 CAD, which at a per-exposure cost, is even cheaper than Kodak Gold (though you can get 3 rolls of 24exp for about $7). As I understand it, it's mainly a film sold in the Asian marketplace, but aside from a few samples show a somewhat muted saturation, I don't know much about it.

 

[traveler_101]

Fomapan 200 is quite different from both their 100 and 400, which are classic emulsions, while the 200 is supposed to be like a T-grain film. And in my experience (or to my taste), Rodinal just doesn't work well with the T-grain films.

​

I agree. I bought five rolls of Fomapan 200 this summer to try it out. I tried it in Rodinal/R09 and really didn't like it. But in Xtol it's really brilliant. I will definitely get some more.

 

[Fotohuis]

Talking about low budget color films:

I just got a box of forgotten Fuji Superia 100 135-24 from the previous Fuji film factory in Tilburg. Even not expired and for the time being a brick of 256 films will be enough.

Eur. 1,79 each / 20 pcs. Eur. 33,50.