Whateverist
Well-known
I've been browsing the images from the Mexican Suitcase and noticed many of them were shot on Kodak Panchromatic SS (Super Sensitive) film. I've also found advertisements from the era boasting of its speed and sensitivity.
Does anyone know the actual speed rating of this film? Or the speed it was shot and developed for? It seemed to get impressive results even indoor.
Does anyone know the actual speed rating of this film? Or the speed it was shot and developed for? It seemed to get impressive results even indoor.
alfredian
Well-known
Panchromatic = sensitive to Red & Orange
Panchromatic = sensitive to Red & Orange
I think the shtick here is that this is one of the "new-fangled" Panchromatic films, sensitive (as the ad points out) to all colors. The "high speed" claims are directed towards early/late in the day (red-orange bias to sky light) and "indoor" stuff, especially under the floodlights. As I recall 1933 was on the cusp of the shift from the "ortho" films - "red-blind" - and the "modern" Panchro stuff. I recall seeing ads for film in the late Fifties that touted how the "new" B&W films gave such "faithful rendition" of ALL the colors in a scene - which baffled a young boy like me... but... there aren't any colors in the pcture!
Seriously - it wasn't until the late Sixties that Hollywood directors & cameramen were finally lured away from the (garish and inaccurate) colors of film stock until then. Color film was reserved for either musicals & "period" costume dramas (lots of garish colors) or outdoorsy stuff where they could count on a generically blue sky, green trees & brown dirt - which is why those flicks were either Westerns or big screen Epics. Check out Rollei's Ortho offering - Efke had a great one, now gone. Great for a retro-feel if you're into it.-alfredian
Panchromatic = sensitive to Red & Orange
I think the shtick here is that this is one of the "new-fangled" Panchromatic films, sensitive (as the ad points out) to all colors. The "high speed" claims are directed towards early/late in the day (red-orange bias to sky light) and "indoor" stuff, especially under the floodlights. As I recall 1933 was on the cusp of the shift from the "ortho" films - "red-blind" - and the "modern" Panchro stuff. I recall seeing ads for film in the late Fifties that touted how the "new" B&W films gave such "faithful rendition" of ALL the colors in a scene - which baffled a young boy like me... but... there aren't any colors in the pcture!
Seriously - it wasn't until the late Sixties that Hollywood directors & cameramen were finally lured away from the (garish and inaccurate) colors of film stock until then. Color film was reserved for either musicals & "period" costume dramas (lots of garish colors) or outdoorsy stuff where they could count on a generically blue sky, green trees & brown dirt - which is why those flicks were either Westerns or big screen Epics. Check out Rollei's Ortho offering - Efke had a great one, now gone. Great for a retro-feel if you're into it.-alfredian
VictorM.
Well-known
Scroll down about half way (or search "SS pan"):
http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/choosing bw films.html
About 100-125
http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/choosing bw films.html
About 100-125
Whateverist
Well-known
Thanks! So it really was pretty fast for the time.