What happened to AGFA

[Roger Hicks]

Is Scanfilm still available? (Scanfilm is Maco's unmasked colour neg, converted from Gevaert aero film.)

Actually, I did claim that Gevaert is coating colour film. On account of they are.

Cheers,

R.

 

[bmattock]

Sidetracking again? So far, nobody made any claims that Gevaert are making colour film. But as a matter of fact, they do. And if you had been a bit more careful, and had not only attempted to confirm your prejudices with a quick glance at Agfa Graphics but also looked at the product line-up of Agfa Materials, you should have noticed that they do indeed list three colour print films, three CN and a chrome film in their current product line. But IIRC Maco is only packaging one unmasked Gevaert film as a curiosity, besides a variety of their black and white films.

OK, you're right. Sorry I missed it. Yes, it is clear that Agfa Gevaert makes color movie film. They do indeed seem to be aimed at movie, traffic, and surveillance, though. If Maco is repackaging them as something else, that's great, I'm sure.

 

[bmattock]

Is Scanfilm still available? (Scanfilm is Maco's unmasked colour neg, converted from Gevaert aero film.)

Actually, I did claim that Gevaert is coating colour film. On account of they are.

Cheers,

R.

You are right and I am wrong. Please accept my apologies.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I'm waiting for the resurgence of slide rule use. Slide rules are elegant tools. Digital Calculators have only accuracy going for them, which is highly overrated.

 

[uhligfd]

Long live the dead! And the called dead ... I liked Agfa Vista. It has held up over the last dozen years in its sleeve, where my sleeved Kodak Royal Gold 200 of that period is loosing its top blue layer rapidly, giving rise to very funky prints ... at great disappointment.

 

[HHPhoto]

OK, you're right. Sorry I missed it. Yes, it is clear that Agfa Gevaert makes color movie film. They do indeed seem to be aimed at movie, traffic, and surveillance, though. If Maco is repackaging them as something else, that's great, I'm sure.

Bill, the film production at Agfa-Gevaert belongs to the Materials group.
This link should work:

http://www.agfa.com/en/sp/index.jsp

As I have written before, they are also producing aerial, sound and microfilm.
By the way, the microfilm business is doing very well, because microfilm is unsurpassed in long term data storage. Both concerning security and low cost.
Microfilm is a healthy business.
These Hollywood studios, which are making full digital movies, make all their long term security copies on film. It is about factor 5 - 10x cheaper than digital long term storage. And more safe.
Also Fuji has recently introduced a new film for this application, the Fuji Eterna.

The Agfa microfilms can deliver exceptional quality in "normal" photography with the SPUR developers ( www.spur-photo.com ).

I have tested Agfa Copex Rapid with the special developers SPUR DSX 32 and DSX 64. Outstanding quality:

- speed of ISO 50/18° with SPUR DSX 64 ( ISO 32/16° with DSX 32 )
- outstanding resolution of 170 - 200 Lp/mm with my Zeiss lenses ( I have got 75 Lp/mm on same test conditions with my D3X 24 Mp cam, that is near the theoretical Nyquist limit, which is limiting the resolution of sensors)
- you get medium format quality with 35mm film
- very fine grain
- excellent tonality
- dynamic range of 13 - 14 stops, excellent highlight detail
- easy to develop, short fixing times

Adox CMS 20 and Spur Orthopan UR are a former version of the current Agfa HDP microfilm.
I got excellent results with SPUR Nanospeed and the improved Nanograin developer.
Even higher resolution than with Copex Rapid (also sold as SPUR DSX film), about 250 Lp/mm.
Even much finer grain, the film is almost grainless.
Speed is lower, ISO 12 - 15 depending on developer.
Quality in 35mm is even a bit better than 6x9 T-Max.
With these films you know what quality optics can deliver.

The new Nano Edge developer from Spur should be improved with even better results. I have not tested it yet.

So we as photographers can profite from microfilm production at Agfa-Gevaert if we want.

Best regards,
Jan

 

[Roger Hicks]

Please accept my apologies.

Dear Bill,

Unreservedly.

Cheers,

R.

 

[HHPhoto]

Is Scanfilm still available? (Scanfilm is Maco's unmasked colour neg, converted from Gevaert aero film.)

Actually, I did claim that Gevaert is coating colour film. On account of they are.

Cheers,

R.

Dear Roger,

this film is still available in 120 format. But it is not called Scanfilm for a longer time.

Rollei Digibase CN 200 is the unmasked color film you have mentioned.
Rollei Digibase CR 200 is the Agfa RSX II slide film emulsion coated on a PET base. It is available in 135, 120 and even in 127 (Super-Slide).
In 127 you have to look at Rollei Cross-Bird, that is the same film.

Best regards,
Jan

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Roger,

this film is still available in 120 format. But it is not called Scanfilm for a longer time.

Rollei Digibase CN 200 is the unmasked color film you have mentioned.
Rollei Digibase CR 200 is the Agfa RSX II slide film emulsion coated on a PET base. It is available in 135, 120 and even in 127 (Super-Slide).
In 127 you have to look at Rollei Cross-Bird, that is the same film.

Best regards,
Jan

Dear Jan,

Thanks very much for the update.

As I said elsewhere, you are paying much closer attention to this than I.

Cheers,

R.

 

[shadowfox]

If you want real Agfa film, you can either buy Agfa-Gevaert made film sold as Rollei-Film, or soon InovisCoat made film sold as Adox.

Best regards,
Jan

Jan, thanks again for the information. Are you guys (in Germany) aware of any time frame for the release of the Adox-branded film from InovisCoat?

 

[HHPhoto]

Dear Jan,

Thanks very much for the update.

As I said elsewhere, you are paying much closer attention to this than I.

Cheers,

R.

Dear Roger,

you are welcome.

One reason why I pay closer attention to these subjects is that I love using different films. Films of all manufacturers.
It is like a painter using different colors or changing his color pallete. I think I can make better photographs if I take the right film for the subject.
A fact I really like with film photography: I can always change my photographic sensor.

Examples: Spur Orthopan UR / Adox CMS 20, Agfa Copex Rapid / Spur DSX and Rollei ATP with ATP DC developer are all ultra-high resolution films with outstanding picture quality in combination with the dedicated Spur developers (these are by far the best developers for these films).
But each of this films has its own character, his own unique look.
ATP with extended red sensivity, looks like Kodak Tech Pan. Skin tones are very light, like porcellaine. With red filter you can cut excellent through haze in landscape photography.
Agfa Copex rapid is an orthopanchromic film, Skin gets darker, red is darker
Adox CMS is even a bit more in this direction, nearly orthochromatic.

Another great surprise of the recently new introduced Agfa-Gevaert films is Rollei Retro 80S (this is Agfa-Gevaert Aviphot Pan 80).
This film, although with classic cubic crystals, has significantly finer grain than T-Max 100, Delta 100, Pan F and Acros 100. I could not believe it at first, did several tests again and again then with different developers. Result was always the same, in all developers: It is the finest grain film in this speed class.
I got similar results to 4,5x6 when I used this film in 135. Incredible for a classic cubic crystal film.
Sharpness and resolution are on par with T-max and Delta 100, and better than Pan F+ and Acros (up to 150 Lp/mm with my Zeiss lenses).
And this film is absolutely flat after drying (in 135), no curl at all.
Because of its extended red sensivity you can do IR photography with special filters as well. Because of the extremely fine grain and high resolution you get a complete different look compared to HIE, SFX or the Efke IR films.

It is so nice to have alternatives. If I want grain, I take Tri-X or SFX, or the EFKE IR. If I don't, I take TMY-2, Delta 100, Retro 80S etc..
If I need excellent detail, I go for CMS 20, Copex Rapid or ATP.

You get the picture 😉.

Best regards,
Jan

 

[HHPhoto]

Jan, thanks again for the information. Are you guys (in Germany) aware of any time frame for the release of the Adox-branded film from InovisCoat?

Will,

the coating of AP 400 (slightly modified APX 400 emulsion) at InovisCoat is scheduled for this month.
Then the film has to be cut and packed, if the coating run passes the quality control.
Probably it will hit the market in may / june.

AP 100 is on hold because there is so much APX 100 still available in the market (both as Rollei Retro 100 and AgfaPhoto (Lupus Imaging) APX 100) that it makes no economic sense to do the new coating right now. The coating will happen at the end of this year.

Best regards,
Jan

 

[mgd711]

Jan,

What will the AP400 be branded as? Agfa APX 400 or Rollei Retro 400 etc...

I need to look out for this....

 

[sepiareverb]

I need to stop reading anything with AGFA in the title, these threads serve as nothing but a forum for bmattock to play his records backwards to hear the "Agfa is dead" pour from the speakers. One would think that three hundred times was enough...

 

[shadowfox]

I need to stop reading anything with AGFA in the title, these threads serve as nothing but a forum for bmattock to play his records backwards to hear the "Agfa is dead" pour from the speakers. One would think that three hundred times was enough...

How do you mean?

Bill settled his case regarding Agfa a few posts back. Like a real man, I might add.

As it stands, Jan was informing us about an exciting development in Germany regarding film manufacturing. You are of course welcome to contribute.

 

[shadowfox]

Will,

the coating of AP 400 (slightly modified APX 400 emulsion) at InovisCoat is scheduled for this month.
Then the film has to be cut and packed, if the coating run passes the quality control.
Probably it will hit the market in may / june.

AP 100 is on hold because there is so much APX 100 still available in the market (both as Rollei Retro 100 and AgfaPhoto (Lupus Imaging) APX 100) that it makes no economic sense to do the new coating right now. The coating will happen at the end of this year.

Best regards,
Jan

Amazing. I wonder if the folks at the last bastion of "analogue" photography vanguards 🙄 (APUG for short) are aware of this.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

HHPhoto, what's your relationship to Agfaphoto? Just curious.

 

[peter_n]

Jan,

What will the AP400 be branded as? Agfa APX 400 or Rollei Retro 400 etc...

I need to look out for this....

My bet is Adox but let's hear what Jan has to say...

 

[Paul T.]

A sample of well-founded opinions:

Let's check back on this thread in a year and see how it all worked out, eh? I'll happily eat crow if it turns out to be necessary.

Of course I could be wrong. And monkeys might fly out of my butt. As to my nastiness, that's always justified.

Are you people ALL brain-damaged? Agfa is not coming back. ...Jaysus, you'd think you guys would have half a brain between youse.

anyone can be wrong - especially if their knowledge is not from the inside, but comes from Mr Google. But it would be easier to backtrack if one were not so boorish in the first place. This is just the Internet. It's not worth being so nasty, especially when you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[charjohncarter]

Here in Spain I buy APX100 and Rodinal too...

I still buy Rodinal from Freestyle in Southern CA (I think they have APX100). I hope that product stays. But these are gone: