RE: [APML] Latest film reviews

["Howard Edin" <hedin@grapevine.net>]

> The old Royal Gold (RG?) 200 was a good one but only availability
> is via ebay it seems and I must be dense but cannot be sure I have
> found the right version that is considered good.

Keith, I have been so happy with RG200 I have spent time researching this.

Based on my experience the RG200 'good' version is marked Royal Gold Select
200 and has an expiration date of 11/2003 or less. Further, the film bottle
has a markable label on the top lid. The 12/2003 - (up to 4/2004?)
production that is labeled Royal Gold Select 200 may be the new emulsion
(not Select) and does not have a markable label on the container lid. I have
not tried hypering that version so I do not know for certain. It is not
clear to me if Don's film test used this or the non Select version.

The Royal Gold 200, not select, certainly is different. The negative carries
the identifier of RG200-3, vs RG200-2 on the good stuff.

I have been hypering the 'good' version in the cassette with my model 600
tank as follows: 1 hour warm up to 50c under vacuum. Two flushes with
forming gas, then 3 hours at 50c w/+5 psi. The film will have a slight
blueish cast as previously noted by Tony. Going past optimum hyper turns the
rebate a slight brownish cast and happened when I accidentally did a roll
for 4 hours in my tank. This is using a hand pump: YMMV with a real vacuum
pump.

I have managed to collect a couple dozen rolls by visiting local pharmacies
(Osco, Walgreens, etc). They do not seem to rotate stock very well. Many
stores do not sell much of the 'premium' film which works in our favor at
this moment. I was told by one store owner that they (Osco?) will drop the
Kodak Royal Gold line since they don't sell much. I even found RG200 Select
in one local food store (Dillons). Forgive me if you have already explored
this method of finding film. The disadvantage to this method is they get
$5.30 a roll.

In the past month I have checked around 10 drug stores and almost half had
some stock of the RG200 I was looking for. Always get a strange look when I
ask them to go through any Select on the shelf and tell me the expiration
date.

I have been debating how much I should buy. In my area another 10 or more
stores need to be checked. If I run across more is anyone interested?


/howard


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