For all those who miss the Scala, there is now hope. Maco is bringing out a transparency that anyone can develop themselves. According to the press release, it is due to be available soon as 135-24, and in other formats from April 2007.
However, according to Mr Schroeder from Maco, the details in
the published
data sheet are not entirely accurate; the speed is actually 10/20 ISO. (Mirko: Perhaps you could publish the data sheet on your site as well; I’m reluctant to link to another retailer’s page here)
Here is the email from Mr Schroeder:
Thank you for your interest.
The ROLLEI RSD film (Rollei Slide Direct) was initially produced exclusively as a prototype
and offered in very limited quantities to interested parties at Photokina.
The official market launch of this film is scheduled for April 2007 (the education season in the USA)
.
The speed is 10/20 ISO.
Development must be carried out in a STRONG developer;
we have achieved good results with Rollei RHS, dilution 1+7, approx. 10 minutes,
and better results (higher maximum density) with Rollei RHC, dilution 1+4, approx. 8 minutes.
The initial designation ‘Retro’ and ‘50’ was due to a misinterpretation by a new employee
and the rush leading up to Photokina.
For us, ‘Retro’ stands for TRIACETATE. However, as the RSD is cast on PET (ESTAR),
‘Retro’ must not be used.
The number 50 originates from an internal evaluation series and should never have been made public,
as there is now a risk that photographers will assume the number is linked to the
ISO value. That is definitely not the case.
As you can see, where people work, mistakes can happen; fortunately, we and
our customers still have time before the official market launch to provide more detailed information
.
The RSD will be distributed via the same dealers/importers as all other
Rollei products from Maco.
Best regards
John
