I like Neopan, is this stuff good?

My first test of this film was a total disaster which is a shame as one of the shots would have been a killer. I'll shoot a roll today and try different times and agitation.

I used LC29 at 1/19 for 13 minutes with agitation every minute. I'm going to drop this to 11 minutes with agitation for the first 30 seconds, then for 5 seconds at the mid way point only.
 
_larky said:
My first test of this film was a total disaster which is a shame as one of the shots would have been a killer. I'll shoot a roll today and try different times and agitation.

I used LC29 at 1/19 for 13 minutes with agitation every minute. I'm going to drop this to 11 minutes with agitation for the first 30 seconds, then for 5 seconds at the mid way point only.
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and it's the 400S you ordered, not the 400?
 
Yep, 400s.

Just did the second roll, 11 minutes, 30 second initial agitation then 5 seconds at the middle point.And, waaaaaay too contrasty again. It's like binary.

Next roll will be 9 minutes and I'll keep going util I get to the point where I simply just dunk it in fix!

Also, how do you get this stuff on the spindle. It refuses to go on. It's mad.
 
OK, I'll try that :) I never had a problem with Neopan, but this stuff is a nightmare. I could thread bricks easier.
 
No changes from RR400 in that respect then. Even in 120 RR400 is a nightmare. I couldn´t get it to load onto Hama plastic reels, normally my preferred reels. Had to resort to Paterson reels which I don´t like. It curls both ways, length wise and from edge to edge. A pain to scan. But a nice enough film tonally, if a bit grainy. I´m going the other way, will be trying out Neopan 400 these next few weeks.

Threading the film backwards might help due to the curl of the film being better held in check. Threading it the correct way will help accentuate the curl, and I´ve experienced the film derailing from the guides and bunching up as a result.
 
No idea Larky, just tried it once and it worked much better - something to do with the curl being different. Ezzie might have the right answer above.
 
Well, the latest film has dried and it's a little better, but not great. And it's grainy as hell, it's like Neopan 1600.
 
If you like Neopan, why not order some Neopan? Choose Film have it for about £2.35 a roll if you buy 10.
 
_larky said:
Well, the latest film has dried and it's a little better, but not great. And it's grainy as hell, it's like Neopan 1600.
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Suggestion #1. To try to tame the grain and the contrast , halve the box speed and adjust the development accordingly. i.e. overexpose and underdevelop. It's actually only a one-stop change so it's not as much as it sounds, and it works for other films so it's probably worth a try.

Suggestion #2. When you're loading the reels keep a slight outward tension (pull) on the two halves. There is a natural tendency to press inwards on the sides of the reel and the very slight reduction in width and the pressure seems to accentuate any tendency for the film to load smoothly. It's the equivalent of applying the brakes! And of course you know that the reels have to be absolutely bone dry, don't you!
 
Ezzie said:
No changes from RR400 in that respect then. Even in 120 RR400 is a nightmare. I couldn´t get it to load onto Hama plastic reels, normally my preferred reels. Had to resort to Paterson reels which I don´t like. It curls both ways, length wise and from edge to edge. A pain to scan. But a nice enough film tonally, if a bit grainy. I´m going the other way, will be trying out Neopan 400 these next few weeks.

Threading the film backwards might help due to the curl of the film being better held in check. Threading it the correct way will help accentuate the curl, and I´ve experienced the film derailing from the guides and bunching up as a result.
Click to expand...
Film curl is negligible with Retro 400s. The polyester base makes it very difficult to load on any reel unless it's lined up absolutely straight - with something like a Hewes reel it loads without a problem, and its stiffness tends to make it try to unroll and so keep the emulsion side away from the reel, which in turn helps to prevent bubbles getting trapped.

I've found that it doesn't push well, but at box speed it turns out nice with HC-110 dil. D at about 11->12 mins, or 1:100 for a 1hr stand.
 
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