Films that went away

pingflood · 12-06-2008, 07:59 PM

Just thought of this when reading the Tri-X thread.

What are the films from yesteryear that you miss? Are there any that had something special and you just can't find a replacement for?

For me, there are two:

Kodak Verichrome Pan, the prettiest black/white film there ever was. Developed in D-76 it just had everything: the right grain, the right 'look and feel', the right detail and tonality. I have ONE roll of it left in the freezer, for some very special moment.

Agfa Ultra 50. I referred to it as the Velvia of color negative film. Very saturated colors, nice grain, and a look that has never been duplicated. They discontinued it back in 2000-2002 (not sure exactly when) and I hoarded it. Still have ~55 rolls left in 120. One of my favorite shots was made by it, hanging just a few feet from where I am right now: Golden Gate bridge from Baker Beach, taken with a 124G.

Ratmagiclady · 12-06-2008, 08:22 PM

Let's see... I miss... this old version of Ektachrome 64P, before they brightened all the colors to, actually, try and look more Kodachromey.

Vericolor II... (used to do weddings with this in a 6x7, very nice, especially for color negative film of the time. I haven't tried any of the newer color negative films that might be similar. )

Someone mentioned Pan-X... I was missing that recently, though it wasn't really a favorite at the time...

It's often been a thought of mine, that if we have to have digital, what if we could download emulators for these old films like ringtones?

Wheatfield · 12-06-2008, 08:56 PM

Verichrome Pan, Agfa (everything they made was beautiful). I miss Ektar 25 and Kodachrome 120. I miss PanatomicX and High Speed Infrared.

All this talk of films, what about the papers we can't get any longer?

TaoMaas · 12-06-2008, 10:07 PM

I miss Agfachrome. There was something about the softness of the colors that I always liked.

stevebrot · 12-06-2008, 11:08 PM

Panatomic-X (my mainstay for B&W work)
Technical Pan (difficult to work with, but oh, my, my, what you could do with that film...)
Kodachrome 64 (sob)

Steve

**ChrisPlatt** · 12-07-2008, 04:27 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Kodachrome 64 (sob)

Huh? Since when?

Chris

**barondla** · 12-07-2008, 08:00 AM

Miss K25, Agfa iso 25 B&W, Kodak high speed infrared b&W, Verichrome pan, Polaroid auto process slide films and all their other instant films (105 w/neg), Agfachrome from the 80's (before color slide film got all tarted up in color). Miss Kodachrome & Ektachrome for the Pentax 110! No color slides left for Minox spy camera either.
Hope K64 rumour is wrong. Will buy some for the freezer though.
thanks
barondla

Went thru this with vinyl LPs and they are back in a big way. Hope film can do the same.

Check out POINT & SHOOT CONTEST in P&S forum.

Ratmagiclady · 12-07-2008, 08:27 AM

On Tech Pan, you know, I'm wracking my brain, here, but I seem to remember hearing someone came out with something pleasing to Tech Pan lovers, one of those Eastern European labels, maybe... I think... it was something they carried *here:*

Black & White Film | Freestyle Photographic Supplies

Wheatfield · 12-07-2008, 09:16 AM

Originally posted by barondla

Hope K64 rumour is wrong. Will buy some for the freezer though.

If Kodachrome goes away, you can count on processing going away very shortly thereafter. I think Dwayne's is the only Kodachrome lab left now.
So, don't buy any for your freezer unless you want it for posterity.

Someplace around here I have a half dozen rolls of Kodachrome 120 that I can't get processed.

Peter Zack · 12-07-2008, 09:28 AM

K25 and anything Agfa. It's always so funny to compare film talk to Digital talk. Seems like me all the fim shooters did 80% of their work with speeds at or below ASA 64 and all the digital thread want ISO 100 quality at ISO 3200+

How thinking has changed...

titrisol · 12-07-2008, 10:39 AM

Agfapan/APX 100 was my bread-n-butter film for years.
Is still available but I think that when is gone is gone.
Agfapan 25 was ver good, but EFKE 25 is close enough for me
TechPan has been replaced by the Rollei ATP film, very very good, no grain and good tonality

In Color the Agfachrome reds are irreplaceable, same witht he AGFA Ultra
But for color now most of my needs are covered with Fuji Superia and Provia/Velvia

Ratmagiclady · 12-07-2008, 11:35 AM

Ah, well, I didn't do too much low-speed work... Or too much color, to be honest, unless someone was paying for color, or something. digital's essentially supplanting the old FTb I'd keep loaded with some chromes for when color was what I wanted. And doing more than that, of course, to keep up with the times.

There's a lot more incentive to go digital for the journalism and action and wedding type photography than there is for the old-school artsy stuff, I think is part of it. Though the nice thing about b&w film is actually you can do high ISO work without a hugely fancy body.

Rico · 12-07-2008, 12:06 PM

Ratmagiclady there is softeware that simulates film types. Exposure 2 by Alien Skin software. Examples page.

It is a shame that Kodak's Technical Pan film was discontinued. It was highly versatile in it's applications.

stevebrot · 12-07-2008, 12:15 PM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

Huh? Since when?

Chris

Rumor is that it has been out of production for some time and what is on the shelves is NOS. When that is gone, there will be no more. Probably ditto for the processing out of Kansas as well.

Steve

stevebrot · 12-07-2008, 12:21 PM

Originally posted by Peter Zack

K25 and anything Agfa. It's always so funny to compare film talk to Digital talk. Seems like me all the fim shooters did 80% of their work with speeds at or below ASA 64 and all the digital thread want ISO 100 quality at ISO 3200+

How thinking has changed...

So, so true! On the other hand, back then f/2.8 was not considered to a particularly fast maximum aperture unless you were talking telephoto or ultra-wide angle.

Steve

12-06-2008, 07:59 PM	#1
pingflood Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Borås, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,169	Films that went away Just thought of this when reading the Tri-X thread. What are the films from yesteryear that you miss? Are there any that had something special and you just can't find a replacement for? For me, there are two: Kodak Verichrome Pan, the prettiest black/white film there ever was. Developed in D-76 it just had everything: the right grain, the right 'look and feel', the right detail and tonality. I have ONE roll of it left in the freezer, for some very special moment. Agfa Ultra 50. I referred to it as the Velvia of color negative film. Very saturated colors, nice grain, and a look that has never been duplicated. They discontinued it back in 2000-2002 (not sure exactly when) and I hoarded it. Still have ~55 rolls left in 120. One of my favorite shots was made by it, hanging just a few feet from where I am right now: Golden Gate bridge from Baker Beach, taken with a 124G.

12-06-2008, 11:08 PM	#5
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Panatomic-X (my mainstay for B&W work) Technical Pan (difficult to work with, but oh, my, my, what you could do with that film...) Kodachrome 64 (sob) Steve

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12-06-2008, 08:22 PM	#2
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Let's see... I miss... this old version of Ektachrome 64P, before they brightened all the colors to, actually, try and look more Kodachromey. Vericolor II... (used to do weddings with this in a 6x7, very nice, especially for color negative film of the time. I haven't tried any of the newer color negative films that might be similar. ) Someone mentioned Pan-X... I was missing that recently, though it wasn't really a favorite at the time... It's often been a thought of mine, that if we have to have digital, what if we could download emulators for these old films like ringtones?

12-06-2008, 08:56 PM	#3
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Verichrome Pan, Agfa (everything they made was beautiful). I miss Ektar 25 and Kodachrome 120. I miss PanatomicX and High Speed Infrared. All this talk of films, what about the papers we can't get any longer?

12-06-2008, 10:07 PM	#4
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	I miss Agfachrome. There was something about the softness of the colors that I always liked.

12-07-2008, 04:27 AM	#6
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,694	Originally posted by stevebrot Kodachrome 64 (sob) *Huh?* Since when? Chris

12-07-2008, 08:00 AM	#7
barondla Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: midwest, United States Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,714	Miss K25, Agfa iso 25 B&W, Kodak high speed infrared b&W, Verichrome pan, Polaroid auto process slide films and all their other instant films (105 w/neg), Agfachrome from the 80's (before color slide film got all tarted up in color). Miss Kodachrome & Ektachrome for the Pentax 110! No color slides left for Minox spy camera either. Hope K64 rumour is wrong. Will buy some for the freezer though. thanks barondla Went thru this with vinyl LPs and they are back in a big way. Hope film can do the same. Check out POINT & SHOOT CONTEST in P&S forum.

12-07-2008, 08:27 AM	#8
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	On Tech Pan, you know, I'm wracking my brain, here, but I seem to remember hearing someone came out with something pleasing to Tech Pan lovers, one of those Eastern European labels, maybe... I think... it was something they carried here: Black & White Film \| Freestyle Photographic Supplies

12-07-2008, 09:16 AM	#9
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Originally posted by barondla Hope K64 rumour is wrong. Will buy some for the freezer though. If Kodachrome goes away, you can count on processing going away very shortly thereafter. I think Dwayne's is the only Kodachrome lab left now. So, don't buy any for your freezer unless you want it for posterity. Someplace around here I have a half dozen rolls of Kodachrome 120 that I can't get processed.

12-07-2008, 09:28 AM	#10
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	K25 and anything Agfa. It's always so funny to compare film talk to Digital talk. Seems like me all the fim shooters did 80% of their work with speeds at or below ASA 64 and all the digital thread want ISO 100 quality at ISO 3200+ How thinking has changed...

12-07-2008, 10:39 AM	#11
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,852	Agfapan/APX 100 was my bread-n-butter film for years. Is still available but I think that when is gone is gone. Agfapan 25 was ver good, but EFKE 25 is close enough for me TechPan has been replaced by the Rollei ATP film, very very good, no grain and good tonality In Color the Agfachrome reds are irreplaceable, same witht he AGFA Ultra But for color now most of my needs are covered with Fuji Superia and Provia/Velvia

12-07-2008, 11:35 AM	#12
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Ah, well, I didn't do too much low-speed work... Or too much color, to be honest, unless someone was paying for color, or something. digital's essentially supplanting the old FTb I'd keep loaded with some chromes for when color was what I wanted. And doing more than that, of course, to keep up with the times. There's a lot more incentive to go digital for the journalism and action and wedding type photography than there is for the old-school artsy stuff, I think is part of it. Though the nice thing about b&w film is actually you can do high ISO work without a hugely fancy body.

12-07-2008, 12:06 PM	#13
Rico Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,205	Ratmagiclady there is softeware that simulates film types. Exposure 2 by Alien Skin software. Examples page. It is a shame that Kodak's Technical Pan film was discontinued. It was highly versatile in it's applications.

12-07-2008, 12:15 PM	#14
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt *Huh?* Since when? Chris Rumor is that it has been out of production for some time and what is on the shelves is NOS. When that is gone, there will be no more. Probably ditto for the processing out of Kansas as well. Steve

12-07-2008, 12:21 PM	#15
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Peter Zack K25 and anything Agfa. It's always so funny to compare film talk to Digital talk. Seems like me all the fim shooters did 80% of their work with speeds at or below ASA 64 and all the digital thread want ISO 100 quality at ISO 3200+ How thinking has changed... So, so true! On the other hand, back then f/2.8 was not considered to a particularly fast maximum aperture unless you were talking telephoto or ultra-wide angle. Steve