Rollei Retro 100 and Rodinal = a trip back through history.

[Keith]

I've had a 100ft roll of Rollei Retro 100 sitting in a bulk loader for a year or so now. When I first got it I enthusiastically shot a couple of rolls which I developed in Xtol and was disappointed ... no matter what I did I couldn't seem to get it to look ... well ... retro. It just seemed lifeless in fact!

Recently while I was scanning all the rolls of film shot in the thirties for a friend I was struck by how much I liked the look that these films were showing me ... the emulsions from that era are really something IMO. Out of the Panatomic, the Perutz and the Agfa I liked the Agfa the best and I was also very impressed with how well the Agfa had held up to the ravages of time compared to the other two films.

I decided to give the Rollei another go but this time with Rodinal ... last time I shot the film I don't think I actually had any Rodinal but now it's a developer I would never be without and although I still find Xtol to be the most versatile solution I've used to date Rodinal certainly has it's place. Rollei Retro developed in this 120 year old fomula is an entirely different film ... the grain is superb and the look is exactly what attracted me to those very old emulsions I was scanning.

I've shot it at 100 and processed it at 50+1 and tried pushing it to 200 and using the Rodinal at 25+1 ... both times it blew me away with the look it gives which may not suit every situation but it looks almost exactly the same as the images from those old films.

I suspect that the emulsion of Agfa APX 100, which is what the Retro actually is apparently, hasn't really changed that much from what they were using back in the thirties and combining it with Rodinal made this very apparent because it brings it to life and gives it a glow it never showed me with Xtol no matter what I tried.

But where to get more is the killer question because I haven't seen a lot of Rollei Retro 100 available recently ... certainly not at Freestyle where I got my current roll. I noticed that Macodirect has 100ft rolls of Retro 100 and I was curious if it's the same stock I bought via Freestyle a year or so ago which was APX 100 of course. I have to have more ... I've used Acros 100 and PlusX along with Tmax100 and they just don't do it for me!


edit ... I meant to add: please feel free to post images produced with this combo!

 

[Rhodes]

I use apx 100 a lot, got a bulk last year and only develop in rodinal, 1+50 and 1+100. I like very much the look of the photos!

 

[skibeerr]

The Rollei Retro I got from Macodirect gives the results you describe. Pure bliss and a pity they don't sell it in 120 anymore.

 

[ferider]

Rollei Retro 100 / APX 100 + Rodinal rock. Try 1:100, 20' semi-stand Keith. Lots of examples in my flickr stream. Shown these before:

(the last two with yellow filter).

 

[przemur]

I absolutely agree. Rollei Retro 100 + Rodinal gives superb results. One of my all-time favorites, I guess. However, recently I made an experiment and souped the Retro in DD-X (which some say works similarly to Xtol). And... I enjoyed the results as well. Following are two sample images (both were shot with red filter).

 

[Keith]

Very nice Roland ... I'll try your recommendation for stand developing.

The first thing I noticed about your pics is the grain in the sky ... it's wonderful and one of the things that I really like about the film but it never happened with Xtol.

These are from the first roll I tried in Rodinal.

 

[ferider]

Very nice, Keith. With your Canon lens ?

 

[Keith]

Very nice, Keith. With your Canon lens ?

No ... amazingly those were with my 1933 Leica II and a very beaten up old Summitar with no aperture blades! (you have to like f2)

Definitely some retro stuff there! 😀

 

[Colin Corneau]

I havent used bulk rolled Rollei Retro, but regular 35mm, with a few 120 rolls also. Rodinal 1:50 is my standard developer and I can't agree more about the results...just terrific film.

Beautiful grain, tones, contrast -- it's my standard slow/mid speed film now.

 

[Tom A]

Keith, I seem to remember that Agfa sold off 7 000 000 meters of APX 100 when they folded. The buyer is re-spooling it and selling it. I suspect that both Macodirect and Freestyle is buying from that source. It represents about 5-600 000 rolls of 36. Sounds like a lot - but there are a lot of bl/w shooters. Better stock up!
The old 100 iso Agfa is basically the same emulsion as the APX. They changed some components, base is different - less prone to "snapping" and the anti halation backing is different. It is an amzing film - i used a lot of it in the 70's and 80's - but supply dried up here and i stopped. I did pick up 10 rolls in Berlin - still have to shoot it.

 

[Steve Ash]

Rollei Retro 100

Rollei Retro 100

Still have 50 rolls in my fridge which I got at a bargain price from macodirect. I also process it in Rodinal. My understanding is that fotoimpex will produce a product called AP100 with the machines which were used by Agfa to produce APX100. I am curious to see how close it will be to the original.

Regards
Steve

 

[mfogiel]

Rollei Retro @ EI 50, Rodinal 1+50, 10 min, M4+Summaron 35/2.8

And here at EI 200, Rodinal 1+50, 25 min, Pen FT+60/1.5

 

[Mablo]

Rollei Retro 100 has been my main medium speed film for the last couple of years. The remaining Agfa stock Tom mentioned is almost dried up now. If you want it it's about time to stock up. Rodinal is of course the classic option but I also like D-76 if I want a bit more contemporary look.

 

[kossi008]

Rollei Retro 100 (which is indeed identical tp APX 100) is my favorite medium-speed film too. I have 20 rolls in the freezer, but I am very much looking forward to trying the Adox Pan 100 when it comes out. Maco/Rollei are apparently doing their own thing, as they have an "RPX 100" available right now for testing. I am so hopinmg one of these two will be close enough to APX 100...

 

[Keith]

This was at 200 ISO and Rodinal 25+1 for 12 mins @ 20deg ... shot in very flat light.

It seems to give it a little more bite!

 

[randomm]

Lovely photos here! Clearly I'm doing something wrong with my 1:100 45min stand development as my grain is significantly larger than in most photos featured here. ... or perhaps it is because of the stand development 🙂


vanhankaupunginlahti by randomm, on Flickr


Raput by randomm, on Flickr

Edit: Perhaps I'm wrong, I just added the latter one and there grain seems much smaller than with the first one. First one was exposed at EI 64 whereas the second one with EI 100... perhaps that's the reason.

 

[Keith]

Lovely photos here! Clearly I'm doing something wrong with my 1:100 45min stand development as my grain is significantly larger than in most photos featured here. ... or perhaps it is because of the stand development 🙂


vanhankaupunginlahti by randomm, on Flickr


Raput by randomm, on Flickr

Edit: Perhaps I'm wrong, I just added the latter one and there grain seems much smaller than with the first one. First one was exposed at EI 64 whereas the second one with EI 100... perhaps that's the reason.

Nothing wrong with that pic IMO ... very nice ... as is the other.

I love the way the film renders overcast skies ... the grain really adds something for me.

🙂

 

[randomm]

Nothing wrong with that pic IMO ... very nice ... as is the other.

I love the way the film renders overcast skies ... the grain really adds something for me.

🙂

Thanks Keith! I agree, its a lovely film. I just ordered a 20 roll box from macodirect. I'm going to try to live with Retro 100 for medium speed stuff and Tri-x for anything rated over 200 EI.

Jani

 

[Keith]

I think this thread may just sell some Rollei Retro .... perhaps I should be contacting Maco before it's all gone! 😱

😀

 

[notraces]

I just picked up 20 rolls of Rollei Retro at Fotoimpex in Berlin - very reasonable price, too. I'm trying out the 'first coating' of APX 400 from ADOX, too -- I really hope they re-release APX 100 in 4x5 sheets... I'm with you - APX 100 in Rodinal is a dream combo...