Atomic X film - a brief review

[Andrew O'Neill]

Atomic X is regular 4x5 sheet film, 25 sheets per box for $29.95.

It is NOT the polaroid-style New55 film:
http://shop.new55.net/collections/fr...tic-sheet-film

True, but it is the same film used for New55.

[peter schrager]

I just ordered some to try...this thread wobbles on and still no one can give a straight answer..this could be sleeper film. .in price only foma 100 comes close which I really like as it has a certain look to it..I'll post some feedback

[cjdewey]

What straight answer are you hoping for? It's only been generally available as boxed sheets for a few months, so I don't imagine many people have tried it. The name is a reference to Panatomic X, so whatever qualities you associate with that film, consider that's generally what New55 was aiming for. In 4x5, I've used HP5+, 320TXP, Acros, Fomapan 100, and Atomic-X; I've gotten good results with all of them. As an inexpensive medium speed film, I'm happy with Atomic-X and will buy it again. It doesn't replace Acros when I want the reciprocity characteristics of that film. And it may not replace a tab-grain film, if you prefer that to cubic-grain.

[munz6869]

I agree with cjdewey... Information (including my review at the start of this thread, plug, plug ;-) ) is starting to appear on the web. Like any film you just have to try and see. I'll probably stick to HP5+ & TXP when all is said and done, but it's a reasonable film and pretty cheap.

Marc!

[Lenrick]

I exposed a few sheets of Atomic-X a few days ago. My real aim was to test T-MAX 100 in Tetenal Ultrafin developer, but I aslo exposed Atomic-X for comparison, so I thought I'd share in this thread. This is not ment to be a review, just one observation.

Image below was captured on an iPad where I made notes of the Exposure Values in the scene:


From previous experience I've ended up considering Atomic-X a ISO25 film (although, perhaps, my limited testing points more at ISO32). I was very glad to see that Marc Morel had reached a similar conclusion with his extensive testing. Reading his review earlier would have saved me quite a few sheets.

The image below is Atomic-X (ISO25). I placed background bushes in zone V (EV13), and exposed at f/64 and 4 s (added 2 second due to reciprocity failure). Developed in Tetenal Ultrafin together with the T-MAX 100 sheet that is mentioned below this image. Development during 7 minutes, which is considered normal (N) for T-MAX 100:


The image below is T-MAX 100 where zone V was placed in EV13, f/64 and 1/2 s. Developed N in Tetenal Ultrafin together with the Atomic-X sheet that is mentioned above:


The Atomic-X is the much better negative, more textures in more zones. So for this scene in this light, T-MAX 100 developed according to recommendations was not as good as good as Atomic-X just thrown in the development for fun...interesting! It should be noted that I use a really old Agfa DuoScan T2500 scanner, which mean I probably miss out on a lot of information.

The best negative from this session was, however, T-MAX 100 where EV12 was placed in zone V (that is, +1 stop) and later developed at about 0.8*N (5 min 30 s, which I was hoping would give roughly N-1):


Although I think +1/3 stop would have worked better in this case, or N-2 development.

Conclusion: quite a bit of work to get a good T-MAX 100 negative of this scene, no work at all to get a good Atomic-X negative. Lucky or sloppy, or both?

[vdonovan2000]

No methodical testing on my part. I'm just liking the tonal range I get with Atomic X exposed at EI 50, developed in Xtol:

[Neil Purling]

I wonder if the film is the LF version of Shanghai GP3, which used to be all over ebay until recently?
I found that the Shanghai worked out to be around 50ASA in Rodinal.
The price of the Atomic X 4x5 negative film is around equal to the price Fomapan sheet film retails for in the UK, excluding shipping to the UK.
Has anyone had film shipped from the US to the UK? The shipping cost would be a deal breaker.

[Kevin Harding]

Shanghai GP3 (which was produced up to 8x10!) doesn't seem to be in production at the moment. Allegedly, the factory was moving. I do recall that it has a similar notch to Atomic X (single large demi circle).

Since everyone is saying Atomic X is Chinese produced, maybe it is produced by SMPIC. That would be awesome, and would make me wish they were producing in 120 again, too....

[Neil Purling]

With shipping to the UK a box of 25 sheets is UK £ 33.87. It is getting rather close to the price of Ilford FP4, but still a bargain price-wise compared to the same quantity of T-Max 100. I know nothing of the quality of the film in respect of coating defects or pin-holes.
I would have to get to know it personally before I really knew what it was like.

[fishbulb]

Well, one bit of advice for this film. The sheets are a little narrower, about 0.75mm, on the short dimension compared to my Ilford films. They are the same length though. This means you have to be more careful loading Atomic X. It is easy to misload it, sending it down a dark slide groove. And then you'll find out when you remove a dark slide, snap the shutter, and then can't get the dark slide back in.