Foma 200?

[MichaelGJ47]

Morning All
Just getting back into Film
Photography after 30 years . I have just received a package of 5x7 200 ads FoMa film . My developer has always been rodinal . Has anybody any experience using this combination or is there a better developer. I am curious if 200 ISO is the best setting .
Thanks and Happy New year

[Michael R]

Rodinal is a fine developer. No reason to change if you liked it in the past. Based on the technical data provided by Foma the ISO speeds of their films appear to be lower than what they are called. In the case of Foma 200, a meter setting of 100-125 seems more appropriate for Rodinal, but you’ll need to evaluate the results for yourself.

Morning All
Just getting back into Film
Photography after 30 years . I have just received a package of 5x7 200 ads FoMa film . My developer has always been rodinal . Has anybody any experience using this combination or is there a better developer. I am curious if 200 ISO is the best setting .
Thanks and Happy New year

[Drew Wiley]

Foma 200 isn't even remotely box speed. Start at 100, and adjust from there. All kinds of developers work (I preferred PMK pyro); but realize that this particular film develops VERY fast. I was using only 6 min @ 20C for my "normal" tray dev time. It doesn't "Plus" or "Push" develop well, maybe +1 in Zone lingo terminology. It also has the worst long-exposure characteristics (recip failure) of any film I can think of; so it's not a good candidate for time exposures.

Don't trust the original clamshell box to keep the film protected from light once you remove it from the inner sleeve. Use a 3-part clamshell box from Kodak or Ilford instead.

Positives : This film has the longest straight line of any film currently on the market, so can handle extreme contrast scenes nicely. But it's not a realistic substitute for classic ole Super-XX or even Bergger 200 due to those shortcomings I mentioned above.

[MichaelGJ47]

Thanks i will start at 100 and see what happens . I decided to go with Foma for my first box to get back in to the hobby if all goes well I hope to get my old stand by FP4 once I have made all the mistakes on the more affordable Foma

[wooserco]

Reach out to Jiri Vasina, a member here. He has shot a ton of Foma/Arista EDU 200 developed in Rodinal. I consider him the expert on this combination.

BTW: I shoot Arista EDU Ultra 200 in 4x5 and develop in XTOL straight for 6 minutes, rotary processed in JOBO. 5 minute prewash, develope 6 minutes (XTOL straight), normal stop and fix, all JOBO rotary.

[Ulophot]

Michael, welcome back to film! Did you stop taking pictures all that time or shift over to that other medium? I had to stop for 13 to support my family. I has been a long road back over several years with limited time, but it's great to be back behind the camera and in the darkroom.

[Pedro_fiz]

Hello Michael and welcome back to film.
I develop Foma200@200 with HC110 dilution H plus 2ml of Rodinal, 16’30” agitation every minute. I am very happy with the results.

[Havoc]

I have not used it in 4x5 yet but I have used it in 120. I did use box speed and I'm happy with it. Developed in HC110 1+63 for 13 minutes in a Jobo CPE. However all 120 films I have developed so far have tiny black dots all over the negative.

[Pmlpoma]

Foma have a very poor quality control, make some test before use it in important works. Their films show often tiny scratches, dots, spots and other defects.
The effective speed is far from the box speed, with rodinal no more than 64 ASA.

[koraks]

The defects problem with Foma 200 is limited to 120 roll film. It doesn't occur in their 100 and 200 sheet films, which I've both used extensively (and still do). The only type of defect in these films I notice occasionally is a solitary pinhole somewhere in the sheet. It's a rare occurrence, but I've never seen these with e.g Kodak TMAX100 which I've also shot a lot of.