Wie Gehts Dir?

Something startling has just appeared in the film fridge - fresh AGFA film.

For those of us who remember the giant of European photographic chemistry - Agfa - Gevaert - and who remember that it folded up a few years back, this comes as rather charming news. We remember fondly the CT and CN series of films, the Agfa and Gevaert papers, the chemical mixtures and kits...and were saddened to see it go.

I still use Rodinal as a large-format developer and have a secret stash of it. Fortunately it lasts forever.

This newcomer wears the red and white livery of Agfa's later years - the original orange and blue changed a decade or so ago to this poppier combination. So too did the older codes - the CT 18 that we knew has become CT Precisa 100. I would be interested to learn if any of the new crop of students know what a DIN number is - or for that matter an ISO, Weston, or Scheine number. Save these for your next club quiz night and irk the youngsters...

Any road, this new box has a number of interesting features - the company seems to be called Agfa Photo. Fair enough - perhaps it is to differentiate it from a medical imaging division - I remember Agfa Gevaert used to supply X-ray films in large sheets from their facility on Great eastern Highway. Perhaps they still have a base for chemical production in Leverkusen.

Leverkusen is a city south of Dusseldorf and north of Köln on the Rhine. About 300 miles as the Halifax flies from the east of England...I looked this up as I was curious to read another part of the new film box. Apparently it has been produced for Lupus Imaging of Langenfeld - a smaller town north of Leverkusen. But there is no danger of chemical spill in the rhine with this film - another part of the box says that it is made in Japan.

By whom is anyone's guess. I am privately betting on Sakura or Fuji.

Whoever is spooling it, at least it is easy to develop - AP44 or CR-56 or good old E-6 does the trick. It is perfectly fresh and we keep it cold so you can shoot it with confidence in your 35mm camera. Buy a couple of rolls today and we'll get to ordering more. it can only be good to see this resource come back into our market.