I would be interested to know if anyone has experience with the new Gigabitfilm? If you are not acquainted with this new product, go here: http://www.gigabitfilm.de/

A current article in Photovision magazine has my curiosity piqued. Apparently, distribution is limited at this time, but film can be purchased direct with a ten roll minimum. I am always interested in expanding my 35mm options. Have any of you tried this new product?

-- David Page (pagedt@attglobal.net), August 01, 2001

Answers

http://www.2pics.de/2pics/drf/gbf2_e.htm

I ran a search on Photo.net, and it turned up a link to this guys site.

-- Mark Wrathall (wrathall@laudaair.com), August 01, 2001.

I checked into it a year ago. At that time they did not have a Leica M setup available. They did have a setup for my F5. The problem with it for me, was that it has a large focal length factor; 3:1 as I remeber. Hence, my 17-35 zoom effectively became something like a 51- 105 zoom. Since I primarily shoot with wide angles, I passed it up.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), August 01, 2001.

Jack, you're thinking of that "digital film" insert that would make all camera digital. Gigabitfilm, to the best of my knowledge is a new supposedly fine grain film out of germany.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), August 01, 2001.

Thanks Josh... Please excuse my stupidity. I should have checked out the link before responding.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), August 01, 2001.

Erwin Puts has some experience with Gigabitfilm (it's basically document microfilm in a special developer). Look at http://www.imx.nl/photosite/technical/highres.html for a detailed Erwinesque discussion of high-resolution issues, including high-res film.

My take from his analysis is that film resolution alone doesn't buy you much (if anything), and TMX will get you most of the way there with much less hassle.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul_chefurka@pmc-sierra.com), August 01, 2001.

Mark, thank you for the url. It is the first time an independent test on Gigabitfilm-- beside the pictures given by gigabitfilm them selves

I also read with interest the article by Erwin Puts-- he is very knowledgeable, even about Minox ! Indeed, the unmatched sharpness of COMPLAN lens of Minox camera is heavenly.

Imo, a 900 lpmm film may not help 35mm camera much, because the best 35mm lens is not as high as Minox. On the other hand, gigabitfilm many yield dramatic result for Minox camera.

The result from Kodak Technical Pan from Minox camera is already pretty good, although I have keen interest in gigabit film, I am in no rush to try it.

With gigabit film in Minox 16x20" from Minox is definitely possible--- it is only 2x linearly from 8x10" which I do all the time.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), August 01, 2001.

Making film is a big business, not something which can be done by a startup. It has being known in Minox circle, that the Gigabitfilm actually is Agfa Copex Rapid copy film. People used diluted Rodinal to develop it. Now Gigabit come up with a new developer.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), August 01, 2001.

Erwin Puts is a Leica guru, in the above quoted URL, he mentioned about Minox lens, it is interesting to hear what he said

"

There is much valuable discussion at the several Minox sites, where the maximum of resoltion and fineness of grain is imperative to get the best results from the tiny negatives. The results are often amazingly good and one wonders how that is possible. Let me introduce a not so wellknown phenomenon in optical lore: the best of Minox (sub miniature) lenses deliver a higher performance than the best of the 35mm (miniature) camera lenses. It is a physical fact that lenses that are quite small, can be corrected to a higher degree than their more voluminous companions. So the subminiature Minox lenses are closer to the heavenly state of being diffraction limited than others and with careful technique can deliver (relative) performance on print that will be the envy of the 35mm worker. "

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), August 02, 2001.

The superb sharpness of Minox 8x11 camera is due to two reason,

A, the superb lens

B, a less known fact: Minox 8x11 camera's film plane architecture

Unlike most 35mm camera, in which the film is not directed pressed on to the film plane, but moves somewhat freely within a 200 micron depth film channel ( or film tunnel ); in Minox, there is no film channel, a pressure plate presses the film directly on the film plane so the position of film is extremely accurate-- during film advance, the film pressure plate moves back automatically, let the film moves freely. This film channelless architecture is also used in Minox GT-E

Minox GT-E film plane architecture

In 35mm camera, AFAIK, Minox GT-E and Contax RTS III has no film channel, the pressure plate presses the film to focal plane directly. RTS uses complicated microchip controlled vacuum system to achieve precision film plane.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), August 02, 2001.

A sharper film always improves upon a lens's sharpness.

The question is by how much ?

The sharper a lens is, the more useful a sharper film.

    A 85mm lpmm lens with Techpan film, if change into gigabitfilm
(700 lpmm), the lens would have 100 lpmm, not very much

  One the other hand, a MInox lens with Techpan ylelds about
170 lpmm,  with Gigabitfilm, the lopp would be  240 lppm, a 
substantial increas-- over 40 % sharper.




-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), August 02, 2001.

From the above example how high res film offer more for Minox lens then for 35mm lens, the natural conclusion is

A) For 35mm user, the path of least resistance toward better picture quality is not seek out higher resolution film, because of dimishing return, rather, the easier way to go is to go to MF B) For Minox camera user, because of its super hi res, the limiting factor is the film not the lens, and seeking out higher res film provides rich dividend. better

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), August 02, 2001.