the sharpest b&w film?

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Check this out: http://www.gigabitfilm.de/

-- joep jacobs (joepjacobs@hetnet.nl), March 13, 2002

Answers

Come on - no commercials....or is it that I don't speak German?

-- Anam Alpenia (aalpenia@dasar.com), March 13, 2002.

I thought the Gigabit film company had died! :-)

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), March 13, 2002.

Maybe you're thinking of SiliconFilm (the "digital film cassette").

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), March 13, 2002.

anyone know german that can tell us something about this film? i'm confused

jeremyT www.lifeinblue.com

-- jeremyT (jerthomas@earthlink.net), March 13, 2002.


Hi all, I am German. Yes, it is a commercial... It seems that the company still exists. It is a black&white film availabe for 35mm and 4x5". Purchasing only though a dealer's shop. But stop, nothing for this forum.

-- Joachim Oberhauser (joachim.oberhauser@epost.de), March 13, 2002.


it caused some uproar in german magazines when it came out, but i have never heard of anyone using it. it was said to deliver the highest line/mm resolution of any film ever and is supplied with its special developer. the sensibility is 40asa. a 1000 time enlargement can be seen here:

you can read the time on the girls watch!!!

in short: they claim that large format quality is possible with 35mm!

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), March 13, 2002.


you can obtain this wonder at:

http://www.monochrom.com/

or here:

http://www.oehling.de/

though i have no idea whether they send their stuff abroad.

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), March 13, 2002.


ok, oehling doesn't sell it anymore, but monochrom does:

http://www.monochrom.com/MonoC/asp/main.asp?wb=657

if anyone should try this out, don't forget to post examples!

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), March 13, 2002.


Here's a rough translation of the Product Page using the Altavista Babelfish translator: " Babel Fish Translation, In English: Single dump from the product list the complete product list you can downloaden here. (status: October 2001) Gigabitfilm 135/36. ISO 40/17 DIN together in a packing are the Gigabitfilm miniature film 135/36 from 700 Linienpaare/mm dissolution, film carrier polyester, and the glasflaeschchen Gigabitfilm chemistry with 24 ml contents for dose or rotation development, the packing is 6.3 x 3.5 x 7.8 cm large and with EAN coding distinguished. A detailed guidance with the Gigabitfilm Computer for all possible development times is attached. Note for dealers: Minimum order quantity 10 packings. Dealers request please the price list for retailers. Gigabitfilm flat film ISO 25/15 DIN - 4 x 5 inch (9 x 12 cm on request) consisting of a packing with 50 pages Gigabitfilm flat film, 900 Linienpaare/mm, with Gigabitfilm chemistry 3x 115 ml + 3x 24 ml, depending upon selection type II or type IV. With detailed guidance. Chemistry type II: designated only for 38°C, 1+9, 6.5 minutes in the rotation. Optimum utilization of sensitivity. During development time extension (about by mistake) only somewhat the veil, all other values does not rise remains constant, the basic gamma by for instance G = 0.55 changes! Erroneous trends are thus impossible! Ideally for studios, which process otherwise only C-41 or E-6. Chemistry type IV: is suitable for box, bowl and rotation at normal temperatures and times. Contrary to type II here higher gammas are possible. For dilutions from 1+9 to 1+25. Immediately the Gigabitfilm flat film with new chemistry type IV for box, rotation and bowl is delivered. For those, which want to continue to work with chemistry type II worked meanwhile, this is available further. They can send either this provided chemistry type IV at Gigabitfilm for conversion for type II or be able to do you the type II chemistry to acquire separately. (27 November 2001)

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), March 13, 2002.

Go to the web site, click on the upper right hand icon, it will take you to a page that will then lead you to at least seven different laguages - including English (and French, Italian, Dutch.) I have used this film, and am trying to figure out how best to use it again. Some sunny days might help. Being smarter than I am might help too, but the sunny days are likely to happen first. :-)

-- Margaret (fitz@neptune.fr), March 13, 2002.


I doubt that being smarter would help. Being strong enough to carry the Tripod necessary to do this film justice would be much more important. Unless, of course, you can momentarily stop your heart- beat, drastically reduce your blood pressure, hold your breath AFTER exhaling, and still be able to trip the shutter.

-- Ned Learned (ned@kajabbi.com), March 14, 2002.

This film is available at:www.fotoimpex.de. They will ship throughout Europe and the U.S. They sell it as a kit including the developer. My understanding is that it is manufactured by Agfa or at least a division of Agfa. I'd love to try it but couldn't carry all the equiptment necessary. Perhaps I'll travel to France, and Carry Margaret's tripod. We could co-author a book on Arches and Doorways of Paris.

-- Ned Learned (ned@kajabbi.com), March 14, 2002.

Hey there Ned, Arches and Doorways of Paris would be interesting, but I am in Grenoble, and there are plenty of those to start with. :-)

What I meant when I said that being smarter would help is that my preferred film is the Delta 100, and the Gigabit has a very different result. The range of greys is wonderful, but there is less contrast. So before using it again, I need to go back over what I have done, and reconsider light and subject matter. I printed a contact sheet for a friend who had used it also, and just from the sheet he seems to have had better success than I did.

The difficulty in focusing the enlarger with this film is another matter, as there is very little grain.

As for needing a tripod, in fact it wasn't necessary.

I do think it is worth trying, and since there is one last film in the fridge, will eventually do so.

-- Margaret (fitz@neptune.fr), March 15, 2002.


Dear friends, my preferred films are KODAK technical pan and GIGABIT films. Exceptionnal resolving power is not visible on 35mm films, even the best lenses can't follow those film performances. The absolute performances are tested with slitted films for my MINOX 8x11 cameras, the resolving power of their lenses are 2 or 3 times better than best 35mm lenses. In those conditions you will appreciate the difference and GIGABIT films are, by far, the greatest. IMHO, my choice in 35mm films is also GIGABIT, not for the resoving power but he is easy to use (individual developping products, confortable 40 ASA, good contrast if developping conditions are strictly respected). Best regards from Belgium, Michel.

-- michel vandeput (michel.vandeput@ville.namur.be), March 15, 2002.

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