Fomapan Retro Soft 320 4x5- what ISO rating and developer?

[dimento]

Hi all

I just bought a box of Retropan 320 from Fotoimpex in Berlin. I've read a few posts on the forum and elsewhere and there seems to be varying opinions.

Some recommend the Foma Retro developer.

The developers I can get hold of easily here are Rodinal, Rodinal Special and Ilford ID11, a local supplier does Fotospeed FX10 which is a fine grain developer

I'd like to try to get reasonable contrast and tame the grain a little and just wondered what people recommend in terms of ISO rating (some say the box ISO is more like 80 or 100 in reality), and in developer choice and agitation

thanks in advance
D

[Daniel Unkefer]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49749157013_bdef07bc7d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2iNar9r)Makiflex Rollei Retro Soft 9x12cm 360 Kern Microdol-X (https://flic.kr/p/2iNar9r) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Pacaderm showers in Goodale Park on a soft winter day. Plaubel Makiflex 9x12cm Rollei Retro Soft sheet Film Kern Arau 360mm F9 repro lens Microdol-X Arista 8x10 RC #3 Multigrade dev. Full neg image shown 9x9cm photography on 9x12 sheet film. I used a RADA Normalfalz plate holder with film insert to hold the film.

From memory this film is no where near E1 320. I like negs with copious shadow detail, I think I metered at EI 100?

Legacy Microdol-X lasts forever, I buy it from Freestyle, and mix my own Replenisher by adding Sodium Carbonate and reducing the H20. The film I bought from PhotoImpex.

[dimento]

Thanks Daniel, I think it may have been one of your posts I read previously about rating at 100. I wasn't able to get anything other than FX10 developer locally and I don't get good results with it. I will need to to do a little more research on developers. I'll start around 80-100ISO for the rating, cheers, D

[Daniel Unkefer]

I do like the tonality of this film :)

What I don't like, is that it turns my solutions DARK BLUE when the antihalo backing dissolves. Oh Well, doesn't really matter. But then my fixer was BLUE.

Some dealers are dumping the close dated film now, this may be a good time to load up the truck, as we say around here.

https://live.staticflickr.com/1884/43382964474_d75e271c67_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/296B2U7)Retropan 120 (https://flic.kr/p/296B2U7) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

[Kiwi7475]

I have not used it a lot but I rate it at box speed and develop it with Rodinal 1:50 for 16mim at 20C, with good results so far.

[paulbarden]

The best way to tame its excessively gritty grain structure is to..... buy a different film. I like regular Fomapan (100 and 400) but this Retro stuff is nasty. Underexpose and you'll get no shadow detail. Overexpose and higher values will block up faster than any other film.

[dimento]

I have not used it a lot but I rate it at box speed and develop it with Rodinal 1:50 for 16mim at 20C, with good results so far.

Thanks @Kiwi7475, good to know. I will experiment with a few variations when the film arrives. Appreciate it, D

[dimento]

The best way to tame its excessively gritty grain structure is to..... buy a different film. I like regular Fomapan (100 and 400) but this Retro stuff is nasty. Underexpose and you'll get no shadow detail. Overexpose and higher values will block up faster than any other film.

Also good to know. I only bought a 1/2 box (25 sheets) so it's a cheap experiment. Thanks Paul

[paulbarden]

Also good to know. I only bought a 1/2 box (25 sheets) so it's a cheap experiment. Thanks Paul

I understand, and that's fine. It's a good thing to experiment with a variety of materials - you never know when you might discover new practices that get you where you want to go.

[Dugan]

I have some in 8x10...and have a hard time building density with it at box speed....I even used D-19.
I will rate the rest of the box at EI 80-100, I like shadow detail.

[Daniel Unkefer]

https://live.staticflickr.com/5818/23269541300_429a7febd6_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BsftVW)Makiflex Retro 320 - 3 (https://flic.kr/p/BsftVW) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Another Foma Retro 320 film test. This one was made in full key-day sun. 9x12cm Retro 320, Plaubel Makiflex Standard camera body, 360mm F11 Kern-Arau process lens at F22, 1/60th on tripod. Developed in straight replenished Microdol-X 30 minutes at 18C, scanned on Epson 4490 scanner. The full-frame 82mmx90mm negative was cropped to approx 6.5cmx9cm, for easy scanning. Here I wanted to see how it handles full sunlight. Also testing close focus, center left branch was the sharp target. I like the midtone rendering, but not the highlight rendition.

https://live.staticflickr.com/5741/21602278434_1220403aec_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yUVjLs)002 (https://flic.kr/p/yUVjLs) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

My stash of 300 sheets 9x12cm. I think this film is suitable for use in low contrast lighting conditions. Even with 30 minute development I needed #3 paper to increase the contrast.

[interneg]

I think a lot of the trouble that people get themselves into with Retro 320 and Fomapan 400 stems from some of the data that people throw around being derived from flare-free tests, rather than ones which show they are prone to overloading their relatively limited halation protection - that same property however increases their real-world effective speed above the seemingly not-so-good test 'data'. You will need something pretty aggressive to develop Retro and it won't build a lot of contrast, no matter what you cook it in.

[Kiwi7475]

I think a lot of the trouble that people get themselves into with Retro 320 and Fomapan 400 stems from some of the data that people throw around being derived from flare-free tests, rather than ones which show they are prone to overloading their relatively limited halation protection - that same property however increases their real-world effective speed above the seemingly not-so-good test 'data'. You will need something pretty aggressive to develop Retro and it won't build a lot of contrast, no matter what you cook it in.

I agree and would say part of a “retro look” in my book (and what I think this film tries to cater to) is not high contrast - if one’s looking for mid to high contrast then there’s other film better suited for that.

[dimento]

Thanks @INterneg and @kiwi7475 My first foray might be the start of something, or not. I was really just trying to get some good starting points as I had a fair idea my standard developer and technique for Ilford and regular Foma would prob not give great results, and while it's a relatively cheap experiment-buying a small box, I didn't want to waste the whole box. I'll probably love it or hate it, I'll post a few photos once it arrives from Fotoimpex and I've had a chance to try it. Thanks for the info, cheers, D

[tokyo_blues]

Fantastic film. Ignore the naysayers. Film is just a creative tool, if we all shot clean grainless stuff like boring TMAX 100 with its standard spectral density profile the world would be a really boring place.

There is no 'nasty' film, there are 'nasty' pictures taken with it when we don't fully understand the medium.

I adore Retropan 320 in medium format. I expose it as per manufacturer's recommendation in its dedicated developer (Retropan used stock). It is strongly red-sensitive stuff, and the grain structure is beautiful in medium format. Try it!

[tokyo_blues]

Two examples, roll film, both exposed at 320 EI and developed in Retropan stock 20 deg centigrades 5 minutes, continuous inversions first minute, followed by 2 inversions per minute

https://i.imgur.com/VSTMEK3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/s1bsotj.jpg

I really need to try it in 10X8 format.

[dimento]

Two examples, roll film, both exposed at 320 EI and developed in Retropan stock 20 deg centigrades 5 minutes, continuous inversions first minute, followed by 2 inversions per minute

https://i.imgur.com/VSTMEK3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/s1bsotj.jpg

I really need to try it in 10X8 format.

Nice images, Might have to try the dedicated developer, should have added some to my Fotoimpex order when I was buying the film, next time :)

[Daniel Unkefer]

I do have this in house, ordered from PhotoImpex along with my 9x12 film. Interesting results above. I'll mix some up and give it a test as I have time.

https://live.staticflickr.com/7575/26963412436_813026f77e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/H5Ex8j)Foma Retro Dev (https://flic.kr/p/H5Ex8j) by Nokton48 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/), on Flickr

Now that I have my Combiplan mini basket line, I can do 9x12/4x5 inversion agitation with one liter chemistry. Exciting new capabilities for me :) Combiplan is excellent for using exotic developers of all types.

If this stuff is really 320 in Retro Dev, I could shoot it handheld in my Plaubel Makina II and IIIR. Hmmm....

[jnantz]

hi dimento

sorry to admit I have never used that film, but the best developer for any type of film is tablespoon-measured caffenol c. bracket your exposure (if sheets use your dark slide to shield the film as you bracket ) add 15cc of your favorite print developer / L and do a developer / film test to determine your development time. it's probably going to be around 8 - 10 mins. you'll get film that will print or scan beautifully. the film will most likely shine with D72 or Ansco/Agfa 130 or 135 as well. their development times are 1:time for time minutes like 1:6 for 6mins, 1:8 for 8 mins ... I typically do 1:8 for 9 minutes shuffling in a tray cause I contact print on silver chloride and it wants more contrast).

[dimento]

hi dimento

sorry to admit I have never used that film, but the best developer for any type of film is tablespoon-measured caffenol c. bracket your exposure (if sheets use your dark slide to shield the film as you bracket ) add 15cc of your favorite print developer / L and do a developer / film test to determine your development time. it's probably going to be around 8 - 10 mins. you'll get film that will print or scan beautifully. the film will most likely shine with D72 or Ansco/Agfa 130 or 135 as well. their development times are 1:time for time minutes like 1:6 for 6mins, 1:8 for 8 mins ... I typically do 1:8 for 9 minutes shuffling in a tray cause I contact print on silver chloride and it wants more contrast).

Thanks jnatz, much appreciated.