Which Classic B&W Emulsions have you used?

[sepiareverb]

Recent threads about the resurrection of various Kodak offerings have me wondering how many of us have shot long enough to know what Panatomic-X or “real” Tri-X were capable of. I’m not interested in shooting long outdated films, so which of these did you use way back when when they were still in production?

I know I’ve left many off this list, but these are the ones I hear us lamenting the loss of the most.

I shot lots of all of the “big three” Kodak films, (both sheets and rolls of Plus-X) and a lot of APX25 and Neopan 1600. And many boxes of TXP320 with the view camera.

 

[bluesun267]

Verichrome Pan was the most lamentable loss of a B/W film stock for me. I shot this almost exclusively in the 1990s in my Rolleiflex and other cameras. There was nothing like it for tonality. Plus-X was a joke in comparison.

I may be an outlyer, but I actually like the post-2006 Tri-X a lot. Perhaps more than the original.

AGFA APX 25 and APX 100 (the original Leverkusen versions)...after Verichrome, my 2nd favorite B/W stocks. Shot a lot of these in the 90s and early 2000s. They were everything I could want in 35mm film. Gorgeous in Rodinal, smooth rendition, great highlight control and capable of luscious dynamic range.

While I never tried it fresh, I do think it relevant to mention Panatomic-X. I had some rolls made near the end (1990~) that I shot over the course of the last decade. This stock exhibited no fog or speed loss so I feel fairly qualified to assess it, in a word: WONDERFUL.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I learned how to shoot on old Tri-X and Plus-X. Back when I was young, mom still had a bunch of panatomic X around but I wanted that faster film for whatever reason. 30 years ago I thought panatomic X was boring but what did I know then? Plus-X was my favorite emulsion of all time and I still have maybe 5 rolls of 35mm left. I'm about to invest in a few 400" cans of EK5222 because it is the closest thing available but still not the same. That and I want to shoot stills to go along with the 16mm 7222 I'll be using.

Phil Forrest

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Yes to Verichrome Pan.... I still have a couple of rolls of 120. Love it in my Rolleiflex. Agfapan 25 was a truly wonderful film....I have some 16x20 prints from a 6x9 Fuji that are exquisite. Would have loved to see Plus X come back....but I have to say I get amazing results from FP4+ in 120 to 5x7.

 

[dallard]

The current hp5 plus was introduced in 1989 so I suppose that makes it a classic.
And it gets me thinking: what is the oldest film currently in production?

 

[x-ray]

I'll add a few, Royal Pan, Royal X Pan, Ektapan, Super Pancro Pess type B, Super XX, Verichrome ( ortho pre 1956), Verichrome Pan, Agfa Isopan SS and Ilford FP3 to name a few more.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The current hp5 plus was introduced in 1989 so I suppose that makes it a classic.
And it gets me thinking: what is the oldest film currently in production?

Eastman 5222/7222.

Phil Forrest

 

[Dwig]

In addition to the 4 Kodak films on the survey:

Kodak:
Verichrome Pan, Royal X Pan, Plus-X Professional, Tech Pan, High Constrast Copy Film (processed for TP like continuous tone)

Polaroid:
T107, T105, T667, T665, T52, T42, T47, T37

Ilford
HP4, FP3, FP4

I'm sure there were a few other films that I shot a roll or two of.

 

[dallard]

Eastman 5222/7222.

Phil Forrest

Yup. Some quick googling tells me it was introduced in 1959 and has never been reformulated.

 

[x-ray]

I forgot I used to use 2475 Recording film, Adox KB14 and KB17 which became Efke, Efke 50, Forte 200 and Foma 200. I shot a few rolls of Fuji SS as well and will probably remember a few more.

Edit: I remember my dad shooting Highspeed DuPont film but can't remember the name and Ansco Super Hyman 320. I have quite a few boxes of plates rolls from WWII that he shot on Gevert glass plates and either Agfa or Gevert nitrate base 35mm.

 

[Oren Grad]

I may be an outlyer, but I actually like the post-2006 Tri-X a lot. Perhaps more than the original.

I started with Tri-X (TX, that is - TXT/TXP is a different beast) in the late 1970's and it has been my favorite B&W film, by a fair margin, ever since. I don't have any problem with the current incarnation. It preserves what I cared about most - the characteristic curve and resulting tonal scale, and the latitude in exposure and development. The slightly finer grain after the latest reformulation doesn't bother me.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Yup. Some quick googling tells me it was introduced in 1959 and has never been reformulated.

And it is a wonderful stock to use!

Folks are listing other films here which I didn't bother.
After I left the boat in 2000 (USS John C. Stennis,) my buddy James met me up in Seattle during fleet week 2002 and gave me a literal trunkload of what the photo lab there was getting rid of. They wanted it all "disappeared." He filled up the interior and back of his old Isuzu Rodeo with film. I still have 2 rolls of 220 Tri-X from that haul. It included so much VPS that I gave maybe a hundred rolls to my family in 2003. I think I seriously had 50 lbs of VPS in 35mm and 120. They may still have some as that is about the time my mom's Spotmatic light meter gave up the ghost and she started using a little point and shoot Nikon digital. I took about 100 rolls of 35mm to Iraq in 2004. Mostly Plus-X, but some Kodachrome and one special roll of Ektachrome 64T which I still have and intend on one day exposing then processing it. It expired in 1999, went to Guam with me then Iraq, then sat in the glovebox of my Jeep for a few years. Now it sits on a shelf in the original container with a little smiley face I drew on it. Who knows what is going to become of that.
Oh yeah, I can't forget Tech Pan. "Muster the Snoopy team, surface contact, starboard side."
Good times for film.

Phil Forrest

 

[madNbad]

Found this list:http://www.taphilo.com/Photo/kodakfilmnumxref.shtml

 

[bluesun267]

Yup. Some quick googling tells me it was introduced in 1959 and has never been reformulated.

Kodak has been known to make small changes in MP stocks without public announcement, based on (probably) raw material availability, laboratory equipment improvements and changes in recommended chemistry. I doubt if DXN is exactly the same as the 1959 version, but it's no doubt close.

 

[bluesun267]

Found this list:http://http://www.taphilo.com/Photo/kodakfilmnumxref.shtml

This link doesn't work

 

[madNbad]

This link doesn't work

Try it again, I fixed it.

 

[x-ray]

I still have my 70's Photo Lab Index and need to refer to it. DuPont, Ansco, Gevert, Agfa and many more made films. Kodak made quite an array of films with variations of a number of emulsions. For example there was Plus X, Plus X professional, Plus X portrait with a toothed retouching base and Plus X aerographic with lower blue sensitivity.

Another thing many people didn't know was Kodak formulated color film for particular markets. A good friend who was a portrait photographer was married to a Japanese lady. He and his wife went to Japan each year and he brought back two rolls of C41 color neg for me because the package was in Japanese. I showed the film to my Kodak commercial tech rep and he wanted to buy one. I wound up giving one to him but he told me Kodak reformulated their color for various markets. Due to more yellow in skin tones Kodak reduced the yellow sensitivity in Japanese products. Studies had shown at the time that the Japanese wanted to look more western. Fuji did a similar thing by upping magenta to create more of a sun tanned look in Japanese skin. I'm good friends with the ex head of Modaks commercial division and he confirmed this.

 

[x-ray]

The first film I shot in the 50's was Verichrome (orthochromatic) which became Verichrome Pan around 1956. My dad taught me to tray develop my 127 under a red satellite. When Verichrome became panchromatic I was too young to k ow the difference and totally fogged a couple of rolls before my dad explained the difference.

When in elementary and high school I shot a lot of no name import 120 that was something like 26 cents a roll. Wish those days were back and it was a decent film. When I got to college I worked as a PJ and shot on average 100 ft-125 ft a week of TX. I continued to use TX as my primary 400 speed 35mm film until it changed in 06. I used some PX but liked other films better and used quite a lot of panatomic-x. I actually liked Verichrome Pan better than PX in 120. Sheets I used Super Pancro Press type B (asa250) through highschool and college with a little TXP mixed in. Super Pancro Press was great in DK50 and Panatomic X in Microdol X.

 

[sepiareverb]

I totally spaced Verichrome, tho I had just mentioned it earlier in the day. A great film, with perhaps the best keeping properties around. That is the one outdated film I will shoot, in 126 only however.

For a Plus-X-like look I find ORWO UN-54 in Perceptol 1:1 to be even closer than XX, with very similar creaminess to the upper midtones into the highlights. I haven’t tried XX in Perceptol yet, I suppose I should. That was always my favorite developer for Plus-X.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

For a Plus-X-like look I find ORWO UN-54 in Perceptol 1:1 to be even closer than XX, with very similar creaminess to the upper midtones into the highlights. I haven’t tried XX in Perceptol yet, I suppose I should. That was always my favorite developer for Plus-X.

Unfortunately, ORWO is currently out of stock of UN-54 in both 35mm and 16mm in the USA.

Phil Forrest