What film emulsions available/common in the 80s and early 90s?

[David Hughes]

...Can't find that resource, but I recalling reading a piece about different snapshot formats and how the 10x15cm/4x6" print is the 1980s-2000s snapshot format. I just got a few of these printed recently, including some shots from the above combination...

It would be nearer the truth to say that 4x6 was cheapest then and now and so is the most popular. And most snappers use film on their holidays and being broke on return and unable to afford much went for the cheapest...


Regards, David

 

[David Hughes]

I've still got my XA2 that I bought in 1980, but it doesn't work any more. Some sort of electronic failure with the shutter button I think. The film I used in it most back then was Ilford HP5 which was fairly easy to find, even in country Western Australia where I live. A relatively fast film suited the go-anywhere nature of the camera. I also used some Kodachrome (which was processed in Melbourne then) when I was on motorbike trips as it was a nice compact camera to go in my jacket pocket and likely to survive if I fell off on a dirt road adventure. I'll try and find some photos from that era to show.
John Mc

Hi,


You ought to get the XA2 repaired; it might surprise you and you can still get FP4 Plus....


Regards, David

 

[Archiver]

And here's a scan from the first roll of film through my XA2. The pic was taken in October 1980 on Ilford FP4, so I must have used some of that too. It's of my brother-in-law Gordon and his motorcycle-travelling dog Gypsy on their 1974 BMW R75/6.

John Mc

Thank you for this! It's fantastic that you still have the negs from your first roll of film through the XA2. I'll also look into Ilford FP4 Plus if that was available in Australia back then.

Funny how the a number of black and white films have continued through from them, but most colour films have not. Probably to do with improving dye layer technology along with lower sales over the years.

 

[Huss]

And here's a scan from the first roll of film through my XA2. The pic was taken in October 1980 on Ilford FP4, so I must have used some of that too. It's of my brother-in-law Gordon and his motorcycle-travelling dog Gypsy on their 1974 BMW R75/6.

John Mc

Man that is so cool.

 

[Huss]

I've still got my XA2 that I bought in 1980, but it doesn't work any more. Some sort of electronic failure with the shutter button I think.

I've heard that is a common issue but an easy fix. Something to do with the membrane under the button. I'm sure I'll be corrected..

 

[CameraQuest]

We still have a whole bunch of Kodak Gold 100 and 200 from the 90s, but I'm wondering what films were commonly used in the mid-late 80s and the early 90s. Colour neg, slide, black and white, what was around in those days? Could you get Tri-X from general shops, or was that a camera-shop-only purchase?


I have the feeling I've asked this question before...

just buy some photo magazines of those eras

LOTS of film ads

 

[Hari]

Back then, Cibachrome later Ilfachrome allowed a simple way to
print color slides in color that had their own beauty. Plus
internegative film to make enlarged copies of slides to print in
color as a color negative.

 

[Archiver]

Back then, Cibachrome later Ilfachrome allowed a simple way to
print color slides in color that had their own beauty. Plus
internegative film to make enlarged copies of slides to print in
color as a color negative.

It's funny, I first became aware of Cibachrome when I saw a huge print in a gallery exhibition about 12 or so years ago. It looked beautiful, almost like it was backlit. It's disappointing that this process is no longer commercially available.

 

[Bob Michaels]

I made some great prints in my darkroom with Cibachrome. But it was incredibly high contrast and required a image with a very low tonal range. Only printing I ever did where some negatives would result in both noticeably blown out highlights and blocked up shadows.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Back in those days I shot a lot of HP5 (maybe HP5+) and Ektachrome 200, all bulk loaded and processed in my darkroom. I still have some of those 30 meter or 100 foot cans now holding nuts, bolts, screws, and nails.

 

[giganova]

I used Perutz when I couldn't afford Kodak. Crazy greens!

 

[Malcolm M]

Who remembers the handout price lists that Jessops used to update weekly? Printed double sided on A2 paper, in the teeniest font size known to man, which in those days I could read without the aid of a head loupe.

These were the film types available on 10th Sept 1984. I didn’t include format- the list would have been at least six times longer.

AGFA: Agfapan 100, Agfapan 25, Agfapan 400, Dia Direct. Vario XL, Colour 100, CNS400, N100S, N8OL, Color XR100, Color XR200, Color XT400, Agfachrome 200, 50L, 50S, 34S, CT18, CT200, CT21, CT64, 100 Prof, 200 Prof, R100S.
FUJI: HR1600, HR200, HR400, HR100, Neg Prof 80, Neg Prof 100, Dup Prof Film, RD100, Rev Prof 100, RF50, RH400Rev Prof 400, Rev Prof 64 Tung,
ILFORD: FP4, HP5, Pan F, XP1, HR100, HR200, Ilfocolour 100, Ilfocolour 400, Ilfochrome 100
JESSOP Colourprint
KODAK: Plus X, Panatomic X, Tri X, Verichrome Pan, Kodacolor CG, Kodacolor II, Color CF, Color CP, Color CL, Color CM, Vericolor VPL, Vericolor L, Vericolor VPS, Ektachrome 200, Ektachrome 64, Ektachrome ED200, Ektachrome Dup Film, Ektachrome SO 366, Ektachrome EL400, Ektachrome EN100, Ektachrome Prof 200, Ektachrome Prof 64, Ektachrome Prof 160 EPT, Ektachrome Tung 160, Ektachrome ER64, Ektachrome ER64 Tungsten, Ektachrome Infra Red, Kodachrome 25, Kodachrome 64, Photomicro film, Vericolor SL.
PERUTZ: C19
3M: HR100, HR200, HR400, Neg Film 100, Neg film 400, Rev Film 1000, Rev Film 100, RevFilm 400 Rev Film Tung 640

 

[Freakscene]

Back then, Cibachrome later Ilfachrome allowed a simple way to
print color slides in color that had their own beauty. Plus
internegative film to make enlarged copies of slides to print in
color as a color negative.

Direct maybe, but never simple. Did you ever do any Ciba/Ilfochome printing?

I still have nightmares about it - no joke, nightmares.

Marty

 

[Skiff]

I've still got my XA2 that I bought in 1980, but it doesn't work any more. Some sort of electronic failure with the shutter button I think.
John Mc

Just send it to Pierro Pozella:
https://www.ppprepairs.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/ppp_repairs/

He is a specialist for electronic cameras and can do little wonders. He has repaired lots of XAs.

 

[Pál_K]

...
One of my regrets is the relative photographic void of my teenage and young adult years. I make up for it now with solid photography that documents my daily life.

But what I'd like to do is create retrospective memories, using cameras and film that I could have used at that time...

Nice! A laudable goal and I wish you a pleasant photographic journey.

Perhaps I was just lucky. Although my family rarely made photos (and even then, the photos were mostly groups of family members), for some reason I had the urge in my pre-teen years to document everything I saw (using a Brownie camera and cheap 127 B&W film). I photographed neighborhood streets, parks, buildings - what most people considered "boring" because they saw it every day. Now, nearly 60 years later, those photos are precious. To this day I see myself as a photo historian / archivist, knowing that places I photograph are likely to change drastically.

Only the photo hobbyists used 35mm or larger formats - and perhaps that's what you would have used, depending on age and finances. The vast majority of people, whom we should all thank because their purchases made Ilford and Kodak R&D possible, they used 127 paper backed film, 126 Instamatic film, or 110 film later. Also, Polaroid was the somewhat more expensive option for families.