Re: [APML] Agfa Colour Optima 400

[George Anderson <georgea@cam.org>]

Hi Philip

Those are really impressive shots! Unfortunately Agfa has followed the
cue of other film manufacturers and shifted the red response. Although
it now peaks just around 650nm the older Optima peaked around 660nm
before starting its steep decline. Agfa descibes it as "Eyevision
Technology". Trying to match the films response to the eye rather than
what we actually want (my words).
I suspect the stuff that Don tested and what is available on the shelves
now is the new and improved Optima.
Too bad for us. I'll keep surfing for more film manufacturers that are
semi-common as I wouldn't want to find the ultimate film but was only
available in Bratislava during the Varkenfest.

George Anderson
Montreal Canada

Clear skies and good health

Philip Perkins wrote:
> 
> Hi George,
> 
> I always thought this film had some potential - I took a couple of very
> limited test exposures but unfortunately never took it further because PPF
> was still around at that time.  The test exposures were taken in poor
> conditions so didn't reveal very much, but even so I thought the film has
> potential.  Philipp Keller was also experimenting with it and sent me a
> couple of test negatives because we were running tests on scanners at the
> time.  His results were much better than mine - I am sure Philipp wouldn't
> mind me showing them:
> 
> Philipp took the following two images in Namibia using the same equipment,
> and I think the conditions were pretty much identical.  The first one was
> exposed on Fuji NHG II 800:
> http://www.astrocruise.com/misc/b33_nhg.jpg
> 
> And the second one was exposed on Agfa Optima 400:
> http://www.astrocruise.com/misc/b33_opt.jpg
> 
> They are both medium format raw scans, scanned on my Sprintscan 45
> Ultra.  There is a strange artefact in both images near the Horsehead -
> this is an optical reflection.
> 
> I think the comparison is quite interesting.  The Optima curves have
> characteristics that are quite close to the Kodak films we were using at
> the time.
> 
> --Philip
> -------
> 
> At 00:03 15/07/2004 -0400, you wrote:
> >Has anyone tried this film? The graphs show good response to 650nm. Not
> >sure how the reciprocity failure is on this though.
> >If no one has tried it I may buy a roll and give it a shot along with
> >another film I am testing. If we ever get clear skies again...  :^)
> >
> >George Anderson
> >Montreal Canada
> >
> >Clear skies and good health
> >_______________________________________________
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> >Astro-Photo@seds.org
> >http://seds.org/mailman/listinfo/astro-photo
> 
> Philip Perkins
> <pgp@astrocruise.com>
> Wiltshire UK & Luberon France
> www.astrocruise.com
> 
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