Digital BW, The Print

> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "lovelipp"
> <arlenelove3@a...> 
> wrote:
> > I read that Agfa Scala B&W slide film is being discontinued. I
> still 
> > have to have slides of my B&W photographs - which are now on the
> warm 
> > side, tho not quite sepia. What film has anyone liked, (that
> doesn't 
> > have an off-color cast)? I can shoot in daylight or at night with
> 3200K 
> > bulbs.
> >             Thanks,
> >                  Arlene

Small world . . . the other day (last Monday to be exact), I had a long discussion with an Agfa rep. To their knowledge, Scala 4x5 is now no longer available. What is left at dealers is what is left, and that is it (I was offered a very attractive purchase price for bulk . . . but declined, my inquiry was for 120). The film in 35mm and 120 is still available and there is no immediate plan to discontinue it . . . however it's viability has taken an enormous hit as one of it's prime markets was the fashion shooter, most of who have gone to digital.

As to "any" b/w film being reversible, that is true to some degree, but only a few respond in a decent manner. The quality suffering to a large degree . . . from pretty good, the rest down to real crap. Scala utilizes a real reversal process designed specifically for it(similar to old Kodak Ektachrome requiring a light-reversal step).

There is no afterthought light/chemical reversal process (Kodak direct positive included) that can begin to approach the tonal range that Scala gives. The Kodak outfit comes close, but just doesn't match Scala.

Ilford used to publish a brochure/booklet on how to reverse process a large selection of b/w negative films. It was very detailed and was a good step for the "experimenter" amongst us. The only real hang-up was that it required a bath with a fairly strong sulfuric acid solution (not for the faint-hearted, nor the idiot who doesn't take precautions). Look for it on the Ilford site. If you can't find it, email me directly and within a few weeks I could rustle it up and send you a copy . . . I don't have a lot of free time so it wouldn't be a priority, but I will find it.

I wouldn't worry so much about Scala being dropped in the immediate future as much as I would worry about the labs processing it. There never were too many, and now there are even less (obviously that would become the kiss of death soon enough). Turnaround time is becoming a real issue.

Film isn't dead, not by a long shot. Some narrow minded twit on this list or another, proferred that Epson, Sony, etc are the new leaders and Kodak, etc are dead meat. Never. They are certainly going through an upheaval in the artist/professional market (a small market at best), but ultimately it will settle down . . . sadly without a lot of the products we have grown to love, but maybe we had too many in the first place????

good luck

Paul Aparycki