Rollei Retro 100 Tonal

[RobertV]

Besides, what can you tell from a scan?

Not so much, only an impression........

BTW for Dutch APUG subscribers there is a possibility for a free test sample incl. AM74 in the coupon forum:
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum175/

Each B&W film has it's own characteristics and it's up to the user him/herself to use a particular film or not. I am just giving detailed info on a new film incl. specifications and developer combinations. A scan is just some raw information about a film. I prefer a wet print but it's up to the customer how to use a film.

[kompressor]

Tonal 100 shot in studio @100 developed in Rollei RLS 12 minutes.

This film in this setting yielded too much contrast for my taste/goal. So more testing required for my part. But my main studio films are PX125 and Tri-x

[Thomas.Goehler]

I don't see anything wrong with that scan. In fact it looks pretty good compared to my crummy scans.

Then you must have overlooked all the dust and the spots. And yes, you are right - what can you tell from a scan? But then why post it as a proof for the film's extraordinary quality? And why not scan it then at least properly?

[cmo]

Tonal 100 shot in studio @100 developed in Rollei RLS 12 minutes.

This film in this setting yielded too much contrast for my taste/goal. So more testing required for my part. But my main studio films are PX125 and Tri-x

It gets even better... Did you say 100 ASA? It's a 6x6 negative? This is quite close to the grain that I get with Tri-X beyond 800 ASA, but in 35mm, not 6x6. You used Rollei RLS? That is not even a "push" developer, you even lose film speed with RLS, and I never heard that it causes excessive grain.

Just to compare, this is good old Tri-X @1600 in XTol 1:1 and it even gets along with the high contrast in this scene:



So, at first glance this film is obviously a clear choice for people who really, really want an extremely coarse grain even in 120 size and a very strange "ortho" tonality. If I were shopping for a film that creates results as they are displayed here I would look for some chinese "Lucky" film, put a blue filter on the lens and push it in almost undiluted Rodinal.

So, where is the slightest similarity with the quality of an APX 100? This seems to be a very special film for special purposes - and I can't even figure out what purpose might require such a film.

[kompressor]

It gets even better... Did you say 100 ASA? It's a 6x6 negative? This is quite close to the grain that I get with Tri-X beyond 800 ASA, but in 35mm, not 6x6. You used Rollei RLS? That is not even a "push" developer, you even lose film speed with RLS, and I never heard that it causes excessive grain.

Just to compare, this is good old Tri-X @1600 in XTol 1:1 and it even gets along with the high contrast in this scene:



So, at first glance this film is obviously a clear choice for people who really, really want an extremely coarse grain even in 120 size and a very strange "ortho" tonality. If I were shopping for a film that creates results as they are displayed here I would look for some chinese "Lucky" film, put a blue filter on the lens and push it in almost undiluted Rodinal.

So, where is the slightest similarity with the quality of an APX 100? This seems to be a very special film for special purposes - and I can't even figure out what purpose might require such a film.

If it ends up with sunny weather to morrow, i will take retro 100 Tonal and APX 100 and shoot it side by side.

[sandermarijn]

Not so much, only an impression........

BTW for Dutch APUG subscribers there is a possibility for a free test sample incl. AM74 in the coupon forum:
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum175/

That's an excellent offer Robert, thanks. At the moment I don't need anything so I will wait till the film becomes available through normal order.

It would also be hard to judge the film from just one sample. Instead of in AM74 I would want to try it in Rodinal at 1+50 and 1+25 at different dev times- would take five films or so (I don't like cutting them up).

[RobertV]

I will wait till the film becomes available through normal order.

That will be (in our case) the end of July. The film will be available then in 135-36, 120 roll film and 4x5".

About cutting (35mm) film for a test. I am putting a small piece of sticker through the lens on my range finder camera. Time B and locked. When the film test is done rewind and spool on a reel. You can feel the place of the sticker where to cut the film. Always transport a blank frame before and after so that you're not cutting into a (test-) negative.

[sandermarijn]

About cutting (35mm) film for a test. I am putting a small piece of sticker through the lens on my range finder camera. Time B and locked. When the film test is done rewind and spool on a reel. You can feel the place of the sticker where to cut the film. Always transport a blank frame before and after so that you're not cutting into a (test-) negative.

That's a trick I didn't know, pretty smart. If you're not clumsy like me that is. I would surely ruin the camera (shutter coming down on finger, tape clogging up the shutter- something silly like that).

In loading the reel you will have to feel the image area of the film for the sticker. That feels a bit risky for scratches. But then it's only a test film. Having equally long pieces of film with the right frames would be more important than a scratch or two.

[kompressor]

I have now published a test of Rollei Retro 100 Tonal up against AGFA APX100 : http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/7...fa-apx100.html