Experience with Bulk Kodak Plus-X / Aerographic Film?

[Jeff Dyck]

There is a seller on eBay (mrfoto1) selling bulk Kodak "Panchromatic Aerographic Film", advertised as like "Plus-X". The price is definitely right. Does anyone have any experiences to share using this film?

[Christian Nze]

I just can say that this film is good ; i use it for making y negative for platinum print and it work respond well to all the developper I test. I know work with PMk or ABC (weston) ut I aslo try Rodinal and PQ.
Mr foto offer now to cut the film a the size ou want , I am ordering some 8x10 and 7x17 for an excellent price.
at first Iwas a little strees by the fact that there is no antihalation stain. But in fact it do not play on the quality of the image.

Timing for platinum rint
With Pmk I expose 100iso and dev for 10 min (it should be similar for silver print)
with ABc I expose 25 iso and dev 4 min in 1+1+1+7. ( to large density range for silver , you should try lower dilution)
With PQ I exose 25 iso and dev 2 min 30 in 1+9

You cloud see some of the work I do with this film on my web page http://www.c-nze.com
or
http://stores.ebay.com/Nze-christian-Atelier

hope this help.

Christian

[Tom Johnston]

I don't know but I saw the same ad and I emailed the seller asking what it would cost to have it cut into 8x10" sheets. He failed to reply which, all else being equal, I did not think was a good sign. I did not buy any of the film.

[tim atherton]

Is that correct about there being no antihalation coating? That could be interesting and useful

[John Kasaian]

Its nice stuff. Very economical. Penetrates haze. I like the effect it has on clouds---makes them nice and fluffy. I don't think Ed cuts it to size but he'll pass on experiences of other customers who have cut it down. I've never tried to cut it down to 8x10, but 5x7s from the 5" rolls is pretty simple business. I'm trying to find a good way to cut the 9-1/2" rolls down to 7"x18' to feed my Keystone F8 before all the snow leaves Mt. Shasta(any suggestions??). A roll in the freezer is good (and cheap)insurance against a film shortage. I'd recommend getting these types of film from Ed based on my personal experience with him. He keeps the film frozen and the film I've bought is not too long out of date and performs very well. While the stuff seems to last forever, I've talked to another dated aerial film "dealer" who keeped korea war era film in a hangar in the desert. Not a good idea.

[Christian Nze]

Yes there is no antihalation coating.

Now he offer to cut the film in smaller roll or in sheet. I've just order some roll cut in different size (it cost 30$ more to have the roll cut , what ever the size). Ed is sometime long to answer to mail , but he always answer to.

[tor kviljo]

I have used the Agfa Avipan 200 asa B&W 9 1/2" rollfilm + Avichrome this way. Worked excellent, but care is needed to he sure the films is sitting nicely in the holders. Being on an extremely thin base (suitable for the aerial cameras vacum-back), it's rather flimsy. A good approach would probably be to tape a small piece of 3M yellow-notes with sticking side out to secure the mid-part of film from looping away from film plane, at least when using in 8"x10" as I have done. Now, instead of paying to have the film cut, You might consider to track down one of the once common papir/film-dispenser & cutters which every graphich office & lab's doing manual enlargements used to have. These are usually electric operated devices, keeping paper or film in totally darkness + dust-free container, but feeding precise lengths of film to the cutter when needed (made for darkroom-operation of cource). I used a German made Meteor-Siegen mod. 250 (60 cm+ wide) to cut down the 9 1/2" film in 8x9 1/2" sheets + cutting down a 5" roll of Agfa Avichrome 200 for use in 4"x5" Grafmatics (septums had to be modified - lips narrowed, to work with this thin base film). Both approaches worked nice: after a few hours in the dark, I had 200 sheets b & w + 300 sheets chrome. Cut of a small corner in upper right corner with scissors for ID'ing, repacking in used boxes. You ususally got the dispensers really inexpensive these days (new, they were several 1000$$...), for me it was a lifesaver for inexpensive & good film (recent aerial film are made on VERY tight quality control). After I had cut my film, the dispenser have given good service, been loaded with 60 cm/24" x 100' epson premium lustre paper to be cut down to from 4 - 13" wide sheets for use in my Epson 2100 - another way to save money with these machines. The 24" rolls + dispenser is an easy way of getting more for the money when using the 2100 compared to buying A3+ sheets or (much more expensive) 13" rolls for the 2100/2200, the option of 30x60 panoramawidth a bonus. (Now the epson & dispenser is sold - Iris & Encad rules...)

[Jim Galli]

I have both 5" and 9.5" rolls. Getting superb results in Pcat HD and it does fine in the Jobo. Nice film. For 8X10 I cut the 10" length first and leave several in glossy magazine pages. Then I cut the 9.5 down to 8 and load. I haven't had the dexterity to make 8X20 out of it yet but that was my goal. Perhaps when the new darkroom is done and I have more counter space.

[jnantz]

sorry to sound goofy :) but .... how do you know which is the emulsion and which side is the base if you are using film without a notch-code? is it "the curl" that gives it away?

thanks! -john

[Christian Nze]

Hi John , Yes the curl givesthe good side.

Christian

[jnantz]

i had a feeling that was the case, it is good to know that i am not all THAT goofy :)

thanks christian!

- john

[David Vickery]

I bought some of this film but haven't used any yet. I am building 9.5"x24.5" film holders and am actually getting close to finishing with them. They will be crude - but hopefully light tight. Jim, I am glad to hear that you like it in Pcat HD. That is the dev. that I am plaining to use with it.

[Jim Galli]

David, good for you. I've dreamed of doing that but carpentry for me is limited to chain saw / fire wood. Hope you have a 19" Dagor to cover it.

[tim atherton]

"Yes there is no antihalation coating."

so is the a tendancy to get "bloom" with highlights/direct sun?

[tim atherton]

Has anyone actually sucessfully ordered this stuff? I've had some I ordered and paid for on May 5 (to be shipped courier - which coat an arm and a leg) and it still hasn't got here yet.

It was going to be cut, which I know takes a bit of time, but each time I email the guy there is always an excuse - cutter wasn't working, this was delayed, that was delayed , it's supposed to ge out ASAP...etc

So has anyone actually seen this stuff or is it a scam?