micha
Hi Mirco,
Don’t you think you could give Efke a ring and ask them to improve the labelling on their sheet films a bit? When I’ve been holding an Efke 100 and an Efke 25 in my hands for a month, I can never tell which is which. It works quite well for Kodak and the like, doesn’t it...
Best flat film wishes,
Micha
Gast
Hello Micha,
It really is a bit of a hassle to tell the different Efke sheet films apart. However, there are clear differences in the markings, so it is possible to distinguish the PL 25 from the PL 100:
PL 25 the mark is shallower and closer to the edge,
PL 100 the mark is deeper and slightly further from the edge.
Best regards
Werner Kumpf
www.wernerkumpf-fineartphotographie.com
micha
However, these could also be manufacturing variations. In some packs, though, the difference is very small.
Micha
MirkoBoeddecker
Hello everyone,
As we’re considering having our sheet films processed at a different lab in future, I’d like to thank you all for your suggestions.
How do Ilford and Kodak manage to make everything soooo much easier?? ;-)
I’m not a big user of sheet film. I’ve been using only Efke 100 in my Graflex for the last six years, so I haven’t really come across the problem yet.
Mirko
Gast
Hi Mirko,
Ilford and Kodak basically use exactly this kind of marking, though they also use short/long sequences, albeit only with a depth of up to 3 or 4 characters. These are quite easy to feel. Differences in whether the sections are semi-circular or angular – e.g. VV\__/ instead of UU(__) – are difficult to distinguish (so they could easily be confused). The markings are listed in the Kodak documentation (there’s a little A8 booklet covering all their films). They’re also in the data sheets online, though not all conveniently in one place. Unfortunately, I’ve no idea whether the manufacturers have agreed amongst themselves or if they use the same codes. What does your lab technician say?
Regards
Martin
micha
Hi Mirko.
But I don’t think we’re talking about handling the film in the dark here. After all, you take the film straight out of the packet then. I’m talking about developing the negatives. So if a negative isn’t great, I naturally try to work out the cause of the problem based on my shooting data. I often shoot a subject on Efke 25 and then on Efke 100, because I’ve just run out of Efke 25. So, to be able to say afterwards whether it was down to the film, the development or the exposure, it’s ‘important’ for me to know the emulsion as well.
In daylight, the markings from Kodak or Agfa are easy to spot. I think so, anyway.
Regards, Micha
