Rollei RPX 25

wosis123 · 2017-07-25T08:26:06+00:00

Wollte mal den Rollei RPX 25 (120) ausprobieren, als Entwickler habe ich Adox Silvermax, hat das schon mal jemand ausprobiert?

wosis123

I wanted to give Rollei RPX 25 (120) a go; I’m using Adox Silvermax as the developer. Has anyone else tried this before?

KlausWehner

Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer to this simple question. ? Firstly, it is important to note that this is a surveillance film. ? One must therefore naturally expect the following characteristics: a non-linear characteristic curve, colour sensitivity that is determined by technical specifications and does not necessarily correspond to human visual perception, sensitivity that extends slightly into the IR range (shooting with a 720nm cut-off filter is possible), the film’s sensitivity tends to be higher than its nominal sensitivity. ? Which developer suits the film depends very much on the characteristics you wish to achieve. ? I believe it is necessary to test your ‘favourite developer’ individually. Firstly, it is important to know the actual speed. It helps to perform an exposure on a “Zone I” negative at different speeds (but bear in mind the non-linear progression of the characteristic curve). ? Generally speaking, I wouldn’t use this film to photograph high-contrast subjects (the film is optimised for rendering 3 zones). ? An interesting possibility is taking IR-like photographs. With the 720nm cut-off filter, the “Wood effect” can be observed under favourable conditions. The speed for IR photography (with an IR filter) is approximately ISO 1.5/3 to ISO 3/6. ? It is in these specialist applications that the film really comes into its own. It’s worth having a bit of a experiment. ? Best regards Klaus

grommi

Seriously? ? https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=rpx%2025

KlausWehner

Really!

moregothic

Where did you get your information from? To me, the technical data sheet looks just like that of a standard low-sensitivity black-and-white film. Also, a surveillance film with an ISO of 25 doesn’t seem to make much sense to me. The films of this type that I’m familiar with all have an ISO of 400.

KlausWehner

Hello moregothic and a warm welcome to the forum! € Agfa Gaevert in Belgium also produces low-speed aerial photography films. You can find the product data sheets here: € http://www.agfa.com/specialty-products/solutions/aerial-photography/aviphot/ € Some of these films have already been made available for amateur use. € I’m no expert in aerial and surveillance photography either. However, I suspect that specialised, fast lenses are used for this purpose, meaning that films with speeds of ISO 25/15 can certainly be put to good use. The existence of the Aviphot Pan 20 proves this. The Aviphot 400 S, on the other hand, is no longer listed here at all. So it is mainly medium and low speeds that are available for aerial photography. € Best regards Klaus €

Klaus_H

RPX 25 develops superbly in our host’s Atomal 49. This developer manages to transform the film’s typical density curve into a perfectly usable flat S-shaped curve. € As a “normal film” (with restrictions) 32 ASA. As an “IR film” 3 ASA (with RG715 filter). € Atomal 49 1 +1 approx. 11.5 minutes, agitate continuously for the first minute, then agitate three times every 30 seconds. € I prefer to use this film as an "IR film". The grain, resolution and sharpness are impressive. € € € €

tinikinar

I wanted to give Rollei RPX 25 (120) a go; I’m using Adox Silvermax as the developer. Has anyone else tried this combination?

In my opinion, Rollei RPX 25 (120) is well suited to aerial photography, as it offers good contrast and high sharpness. It all depends on the purpose of the photography.

KlausWehner

Hello Tinikinar! A warm welcome to the forum. You’re absolutely right: this film is ideal for aerial photography. That’s exactly what it was designed for. Do you use the film for that purpose? Otherwise, you just have to see how you can apply the film’s specific performance characteristics to your own photographic ideas. For me, surveillance films hold a unique position amongst all films. Now that all ‘genuine’ IR films are no longer available, this is the last analogue film material with which near-IR photography is still possible. As Klaus has already pointed out, cut-off filters from 615 nm can be used (I use a 620 nm filter). Personally, I see this as the great significance of this special material. In my opinion, it is underused. It’s worth experimenting! Warm regards Klaus

wosis123

I've just finished watching the film; Silvermax runs smoothly at 1+29, 8.5 minutes.

tinikinar

Hello Tinikinar! A warm welcome to the forum. You’re absolutely right: this film is ideal for aerial photography. That’s what it was specifically designed for. Do you use the film for that purpose? Otherwise, you just have to see how you can apply the film’s specific performance characteristics to your own photographic ideas. For me, surveillance films hold a unique position amongst all films. Now that all ‘genuine’ IR films are no longer available, this is the last analogue film material with which near-IR photography is still possible. As Klaus has already pointed out, cut-off filters from 615 nm can be used (I use a 620 nm filter). Personally, I see this as the great significance of this special material. In my opinion, it is underused. It’s worth experimenting! Best regards Klaus

Hello Klaus! I tried this film for nature photography; in my opinion, the shots were brilliant. I’ve heard this brand is very popular with Harold Feinstein :rolleyes:?...Not quite on topic, but I found an interesting post about the most expensive photographs: fixthephoto.com/blog/deutsch/die-teuersten-fotografien-der-welt.html If anyone’s interested, I’d be happy to discuss the topic :spudnikwaving:?. Best wishes Tinikinar

KlausWehner

A few tips on using the film for general photography. Compared to the eye’s spectral sensitivity, both blue and red appear too bright. Using colour filters can bring about significant improvements. € For landscape photography, particularly when the sky is blue with white clouds, you should use a filter with high density, such as a yellow filter, or possibly an orange filter. Without a filter, a blue sky appears light grey to white. A polarising filter could also help in this case to better distinguish between the blue of the sky and the white clouds. € For portrait photography, you could try to render skin tones and red lips with the correct tonal values using a green filter. Reproducing skin tones is always a bit tricky. Especially here. € As a general rule, it is advisable to limit your choice of subjects to those with low contrast. An example would be distant views in landscape photography. € Best regards Klaus € €