Gigabitfilm any user?

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Hi

Did anybody else also work with the sharpest film sofar? It is the sharpest film in all categories: 25 ASA 4x5 inch resolution of 900 linepares per mm. German Fotomagazin testet it by Hans Bortsch and stated " Super" for fine art B/W workers. He stated against Technical Pan is he clear better! Its a film only for your sharpest lenses and the best f stop! With thad film you find out wich is your sharpest objectiv very soon!

-- Armin Seeholzer (armin.seeholzer@smile.ch), April 13, 2001

Answers

Armin: most interesting but you take a lot for granted: Who makes it? who sells it? what ASA rating?, what format sizes? excuse my ignorance. Thanks

-- Julio Fernandez (gluemax@ora.auracom.com), April 13, 2001.

I really doubt we'll ever see Gigabit film here in the US. That Gigabit can't even get around to translating the web site into English makes me feel that it'll be a hard-to-find niche product. Not that I'm so etnocentric, but imho the English-speaking market constitues a rather large market for the product.

Erwin Puts tested it (reports in the Leica Users Group archive somewhere) and liked it; he reported that the film is actually Agfa Copex microfilm, to be developed in Gigabit's special developer. I'll bet the developer is pota or very similar.

This appears to be a repeat of H&W Control Ultra film (another Agfa microfilm) and H&W developer. I think it was somewhat better than the current Tech Pan and its appropriate developers but it was hard to find in the US.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), April 13, 2001.


Interesting info - thanks Arnim (by the way, the proper tranlation of the German word "Objektiv" is "lens"). The question is, whether our aesthetic vision is limited by the grain of our current emulsions. I use mostly Hasselblad, and I can detect image details in the negs (under the microscope) that remain invisible in prints, even when enlarging to 20x20 inches (i.e. about 10fold). Beyond that, I feel I am seriously limited by my enlarger and dark room techniques.

From time to time I get the urge to move to large format, but not because I need less grain, but because of the advantage of having lens movements.

While we are at it: My impression is that a "touch of grain" actually helps with sharpness. I believe it is an optical illusion, nevertheless, if you have areas in the photo which are slightly out of focus, I find these look a bit sharper if there is a hint of nice, tightly packed grain structure. But it depends on the photo of course.

-- Andreas Carl (andreas@physio.unr.edu), April 14, 2001.


Armin, here is a website with some tests done with gigabit film (also compared to TMAX100 and Tech Pan) http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/film.html

-- Dave Anton (daveanton@home.com), April 14, 2001.

...sorry, i forgot to mention, you have to scroll down and click on "Gigabit high resolution film and lenses study", its near the top.

-- Dave Anton (daveanton@home.com), April 14, 2001.


Hi Julio

You get information on the homepage www.gigabitfilm.de in german and french, english follows very soon! And sorry for my mistake with the objectiv it means lens of course, it was a little bit late in the night! I did a expanded testing with all my lenses and I can`t work anymore with my older lenses with thad film, it dos`nt make sence. Only my Symmar f 5.6 210 from 1967 is still sharp enough! Not a problem with the never ones, so lens seller can be happy!

-- Armin Seeholzer (armin.seeholzer@smile.ch), April 14, 2001.


hallo Armin

yes, I do use the Technical-pan for shots of white architecture modells - mostly very difficult and critical shots. Im my opinion and after my tests, its the best !! A 6/9Tpan has a better definition and is sharper than other 4/5-b/w-films !! You can enlarge a 4/5 neg until 100/140 cm-print without any grain. And you can pull this film too. But I'll add to that the developement shoud be done with the Technidol, and its a bit tricky, as the 120 more than the 4/5- emulsion reacts very fast to unequal developing. Theirefore I'm doing it in the JoBo-drums. And watch out of the water quality, never touch the wet film

regards, Michael

-- montespluga (montespluga@mac.com), April 21, 2001.


I'm refering to my todays response, and I'll add that I did not test the Gigabitfilm (I've been reading a bit fast, und supposed that "gigabitfilm" would be a expression fot these types of films.) Anyway after reading it all, if the Gigabitfilm would been easier in the dvelopement, that could be a reason, instaed of Tpan.

-- montespluga (montespluga@mac.com), April 21, 2001.

I've shoot 35mm Copex developed in Technidol. It is indeed sharp and high contrast and slow. As I recall the EI was 3.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@att.net), April 22, 2001.

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