Anyone Want Return of Panatomic X?

I am all for bringing out new films or bringing back old films. It's probably a good thing. I shoot 120 film for a hobby and am using Illford products and mostly Delta 100 film. I am happy with that and do not plan on changing up things. Anyway I am not going to try the film out if they offer it in 120 format. I develop my own film and the chemicals are of concern to me. Currently I pour into a 5 gallon bucket and when it's time I take it to the Hazmat free service we have in our community along with other household products and paints. Anyway not sure about the Cadnium thing and would be fine with avoiding it. I will look up Delta 100 and Ilford products to see if I am already using it.

"Anyone want return of Panatomic-X?"

- No! Ilford's Pan F at 50 ISO was a better film, and T-max 100 actually has a finer grain than either of them.

 

Warning; images seen in your rear-view mirror may appear distorted and not representative of reality.

I take it back, Cadmium was in papers. Here's what Ron Mowrey had to say. All the heavy metals were out of film production by the time Panatomic-X was discontinued. Probably just a matter of demand, not being able to sell one production run of Panatomic-X before it "expired".

 

However, they can't just use the old recipes to do a run of Panatomic-X. It was last made before 2002, when they switched to the new B&W film production line. So they would need to do a bunch of R&D (test runs, etc.) to make it on the new line. Big capital expense, considering it would be a challenge to sell the production run.

While the prospect of its return is not promising, I would gladly volunteer to test some should a test run happen. ;)

Kodak, and presumably other film companies, makes changes along the way, but keep the same name.

 

There are times when, even with the same name, they distinguish the films, with different development times.

 

As long as there is Pan F+, it might be hard to sell another slow cubic grain film.

 

(I don't actually know how Panatomic-X, Pan F+, and TMX compare in grain structure.)

Very true, Glen. For example, modern Tri-X is quite a bit different from the 1954 edition that was released in roll film and 35mm formats. From some old magazines I read about a test of improved Plus-X (1957) which developed faster, was much sharper than the previous version. In the test the author reached the conclusion that the improved Plus-X could rival the results of the current edition of Panatomic-X. Were Kodak were to reintroduce Panatomic-X it might be improved over the last version.

BTW, if anyone's interested, there are several older threads on Panatomic-X (along with photos), that might be fun to read.

That was my favorite film. I loved it in 120. I usually developed it in Microdol but I would often use Rodinal and print it on Agfa grade 6 paper producing images that looked like pen and ink drawings. If Kodak brought it back I'd buy enough to last my lifetime. So far Ilford Pan F plus is the only film that makes me feel as good.

I've experimented enough with Pan F+, that when my stock of cold-stored Panatomic-X is depleted I'll get by with it. Curiously, the closest tonality I've gotten to FX is Rollei Ortho 25, except, of course, for lack of red sensitivity. And with both processed in HC110. However, it's too pricey to use everyday. APX 25 was good, but also hard to find now.

I can easily live without any 'new' Panatomic X, whatever name would apply. I am using Fuji Neopan Acros with incredibly fine grain and that creamy, continuous smooth gradation, holding highlights suggestive of a much larger format. Surprisingly, I'm using Diafine and I'm amazed at how difficult it is to even see the grain with my 10X magnifier while making 10X enlargements. That's a total of 100X magnification.

Acros is a good alternative, but the lack of availability in 100' bulk is a deal breaker for me. I still shoot a roll of it in 120 from time to time.

Acros is a good alternative, but the lack of availability in 100' bulk is a deal breaker for me. I still shoot a roll of it in 120 from time to time.

 

I've never shot Acros, but I've had it in the back of my head to get some in 4x5 while it's still available.

 

Of course, the danger in that is that I'll like it and then won't be able to replace it(for those who follow LF, its discontinuation in sheet film was recently announced).

 

One of the most common things said about it is the minimal reciprocity failure even stretching-I think-into a couple of minutes.

Yes, it's reciprocity failure is minimal. Works well in a variety of developers.

I am in favor of bringing any and all emulsions back to life, particularly Kodak Tech Pan.

The only chance IMHO, and it is a remote chance would be if Kodak's film division were taken over by someone who was a big fan of Panatomic-X. Or if enough photographers pooled their money and bought out that division (no idea how much that would be). If the film division were headed by someone determined to bring back Panatomic-X (or any other film) this person could mandate that R&D could have a certain time interval to bring the film back into production or else be replaced. This is why I think the chances of it returning are very slim.

I suspect that Kodak, and many other companies, use profits from some products to cover R&D for others. That depends on lots of profit from other products.

 

Ii suspect that the cost to get a new B&W film into production is much less than for a new color reversal film.

 

Color reversal films have to be made to tight tolerances, as there is not the expectation of changing the color balance later.

 

Black and White have no color balance to worry about. Well, I suppose there is some to get the right spectral sensitivity, but that shouldn't be all that hard.

I doubt Panatomic-X was ever a moneymaker. I used it on occasion and got great tonal quality, tonal quality I could never get from TMAX-100. I'm happy with Ilford FP-4. The one I'd love to see come back is 4x5 Ektapan, a dual emulsion film with remarkable range and tonal quality.

I'd love to have it come back. But like so many wishes...On one hand I can wish and on the other hand I can spit....at day's end, all I have is spit on my hand.

From a thread in the Classic Manual Cameras I followed a link that shows Yashica may be returning to the camera market. Now, if they'd bring back the Lynx series then I'd really enjoy the return of Panatomic-X.