Ansco Super Hypan

<p>From my research in photo magazine back issues from the late 50's I learned about this film. None of the stores where I lived carried this film. By the time my family opened a camera shop Ansco was GAF and all we stocked was some of the GAF movie film. What I am asking is how did this film compare with Tri-X? I already have a pretty good idea about how the Ilford and Agfa offerings compared.</p>

<p>It did not..... It was 3rd world Just kidding. And I only used the GAF stuff and then it was still in Diafine about 1 stop slower with more grain.</p>

<p>Dunno, Mike, seems like I used some GAF b&w film back in the '60s as a kid for my box cameras, but don't remember much about it. I still have some of the contact prints I made, but doubt I still have the negatives.</p>

<p>Wasn't GAF still selling film under their own name up 'til the early '70s? I seem to recall some TV ads with Henry Fonda and a wee li'l Jodie Foster. I can still remember Fonda pronouncing "Gee-Ayyy-Yeff" like he was gnawing on a tough steak.</p>

<p>General Aniline and Film had several divisions including dyestuffs, plastics, chemicals, and photo (under the original name of Ansco). It would take me several pages to describe how the federal government virtually destroyed GAF/Ansco. It had to do with the fact that prior to WWII, Agfa owned 70+ percent of Ansco because Ansco knew more about color film making than anybody else and during the war the Feds took over Ansco under the "Alien Properties Control Act", then after the war it was supposed to be released within one year, but the government played games since they could appoint highly paid people from their own parties (both of them) and after it was destroyed, the only thing left was the chemical, floor tile, and detergent component businesses.</p>

<p>Originally during civil war time: The E. & H. T. Anthony companies merged with Scoville Manfuacturing Co. They were then known as Anthony and Scoville. Around the turn of the 20th century, they shortened their name to Ansco and put their headquarters in Binghamton, NY. In 1941 it was taken over, it took until the 1960's to destroy the most imortant professional photography manufacturing company in the world.</p>

<p>Super Hypan was a good film, I used it somewhat more often than Tri X in large format, 120/35mm I used mostly Tri X. They also made a 100 speed B/W film that was unbeatable in 35 through 8x10. They made the first 100 speed chrome film (about 1954), excellent color print papers, and good color print films, but the "appointed management" wrecked the company.</p>

<p>Lynn</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks for the responses. <br>

Lynn- I have the back issue of U.S. Camera where they actually tested Super Anscochrome (the first 100 ASA slide film). It remained speed champ until Kodak released High Speed Ektachrome. The cover photo of that magazine, BTW, was made with Super Anscochrome.<br>

The only Ansco black and white that I ever used was Ansco All-Weather pan in 127 size back in the 60's with my Imperial(Sears) Cubex camera.</p>

<p>I was just starting to develop film when Super Hypan was introduced. IIRC it was slightly better than Tri X, until Kodak made some improvements in that film c. 1959 or 60. All in all, the two films were pretty comparable. FWIW I preferred 120 size Ansco Versapan (ASA 100 or 125) over Plus X in the early '60s.</p>

<p>Used several hundred feet of it in the late 50's early 60's loved the pronounced grain and it's differences to Tri-x. Also used Isopan Record a LOT. Both great films when used on the street.Just bought some 5x7 that was said to have been refrigerated ... All I have to do is find my darkroom notebook for the processing times... Bill</p>

<p>My dad worked in R&D in Binghamtom and was very dedicated to Ansco/GAF. They had some great films. The X-ray film was way ahead in it's day. We even grabbbed an machine dsigned by Ansco and developed 16mm color film. Film was on par with anything Kodak had in the 1970's. My dad was so angry at the goverment for how it killed a good product. Digital killed everyone. I lov film but who uses a buggy whip? </p>