Do they still make Bergger film, and is it the same as Fomapan?
Do they still make Bergger film, and is it the same as Fomapan?
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
I don't think it's made any more.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I believe the site of the Bergger factory is now a shopping mall. I think they call that progress...
BRF-400 is still produced, but only in 135-36 size. B&H carries it.
N. Riley
http://normanrileyphotography.com
I have a freezer full of 4x5 Bergger 200 from an aborted project 15 years ago. Just curious about it -- the woods seem to be full of all kinds of non-major-brand sheet film, I presume from eastern Europe.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
Bergger 200 was apparently made in the same plant as Forte, but was not the same thing as Fortepan. The plant is now closed. It was also sold under the Lotus label at one time. It was a superb film for 8x10 use, similar to Super-XX but a bit finer grained, but could not be plus-developed quite as much. Fompan 200 is a very different animal and is also sold under the Arista label. It similarly has a very long straight line, but has a much lower effective speed and much more serious reciprocity failure issues.
It's a very grainy film, ime, having more grain than HP5+, while being at least a stop slower. It stains heavily in pyro developers. If you keep it to about a 4x enlargement, and avoid + development, it gives excellent results.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
"Bergger 200 was apparently made in the same plant as Forte, but was not the same thing as Fortepan. The plant is now closed. It was also sold under the Lotus label at one time."
Bergger 200 and Forte 200 were the same film IMO. I tested them side-by-side with BTZS methodology and they walked and quacked exactly the same. I also spoke once to someone who claimed to have been at the factory and saw the workers packaging the same film under three names, Bergerr 200, Forte 200, and some other brand I can not recall.
I also compared Bergger 200 to the old Kodak Super-XX and they were quite unlike in terms of expansion potential. The marketing claim that Bergger 200 was similar to Super-XX was marketing genius, but plain BS.
Sandy
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I thought it was markwtting genis, and then I used the film. That ended my impression of "genius" and had me thinking more about the "plain BS". I still have some and have no idea why I keep storing it.
I liked Forte/Bergger 200 in 8X10 at an EI of 100 and developed in PMK for contact prints. If anyone has some of the Forte 200 in their freezer and wants to get rid of it, please let me know.
What does make me sad about this present exchange is that I never had the pleasure of using and developing Super-XX film. I think I missed a great experience.
Keith
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