Beautiful tonality High contrast Can be pushed to 1600 easily

Very grainy in enlargements (35mm) High cost Can only be processed in special Scala labs (only 1 in the UK)

Stunning B+W slide film. Luminous, excellent even for high contrast scenes, has tonality similar to that of APX 100. 35mm can be very grainy if printed and enlarged beyond 8x12", but it is definitely a film for everyone to try at least ONCE. The tonality is rich and very remarkable. The only drawback of this film for some people is the cost - and the dearth of Scala labs. I am fortunate enough to work 15 mins away from the UK's only Scala lab but the majority of people will have to resort to mail order.

Customer Service

Wrote to Agfa Customer Service once to complain about Joe's Basement Scala processing, they were extremely responsive and helpful, so no complaints here!

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No other B+W slide film available

Everything if you love B&W slide film.

Nothing if you love B&W slide film

Well, this is my favorite film of all time. I love B&W and love slide film. Print film is for wimps. So, if you put B&W and slides together you get this film. It took me about 5 rolls to dial it in and know how to shoot it, as do all films with me. I shoot it in the studio as well, where you need to be spot on with your metering. I am lucky to have a lab within 10 miles of me, one of only three in the US. I love this film, and god help me if they stop making it.

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none

Slide Film Great contrast. Good Price. Versatile.

None really.

This is a great B&W film.....and it's a slide film!!! Over the course of 7 months and at least 30 rolls, I have to say that this film excels at architecture shots...especially in high contrast conditions. Excellent with people shots too! Very versatile film. If you want to increase constrast, can be easily pushed a couple of stops. Want less contrast? Just pull it a stop. Either way, you get wonderful results. The only downside is that it may be inconvenient to process, as this film uses a proprietary method. Luckily for me, the only Scala lab in Canada is a two minute walk away from my condo. (There IS a God!)

B&W slide film! It has a good "silver" sheen on some of the highlights.

Shadows blocked up once in a while

It worked really well with my fisheye lens if I metered on the blue sky or any other midtone object. I liked the exposure values the film reproduced. It's a little different than its wonderful discontinued (alas!) Agfapan 25 brother. I bought 10 rolls of the ASA 25 and I'm going to use them both when I go to California in Sept!

Customer Service

None needed

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Only factory film like this

Wonderful tonal values - I get a "fine-art" look without really trying. The film seems to have an amazing "depth" to it - the subject and the backgrounds all carry good tonall values without blocking up

Processing is a real pain. Only three labs (that I know of). Not for those who need quick turnaround.
Making prints is a challenge - I've had the slides loaded to photo CD and made Iris prints, but that's expensive too. "R" prints have come back with an undesirable color cast. If you can scan your own and make digital prints this film will give you great results.
Local dealers (Dallas) reluctant to carry a large stock, because it sells slow.

I love this film. I'm moving from photojournalism to fine art, and this film is going a long way toward making me look better than I really am.

Customer Service

I've only used the lab in Miami. Some dirty slides, once they failed to push a roll. I plan to try the lab in Ca. next.

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This is a unique product

Fine grain
Pull/Push 100-1600
Wonderful shades of gray (Don't really know how to say it, it just looks good)

Price
Developing

This is one terrific looking film. The same way that color slides usually look better than prints, the same is true w/B&W slides. I've pushed this to 800 and it looks better than 400 speed film shot @ 400, there is just not much grain. I've only shot about 20 rolls of it but I haven't been dissapointed by it yet, I get the slides and put them on the viewbox and love what I see, they often look like some of the custom prints I've seen. I would like to try having an Ilfochrome made from one of the slides I've shot, just to see if it would do justice to it. If you love shooting B&W and your not in a grainy mood, you owe it to yourself to try a couple of rolls

Customer Service

Never tried Agfa's, but on a related note, the lab in Miami that I mail the film to have given me no problems. I usually send 3-5 rolls at one time via Priority Mail, and I get the slides back the same way within 2 wks (These are the mailers from B&H).

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There is nothing similar.
But as far as B&W I've used:
Kodak TMax 100,400,3200,TriX,T400CN
Ilford XP2

I am a color slide shooter. I thought I would never try B&W since I don't own a darkroom. When Agfa first introduced this B&W slide, I was very anxious to try it. The results were beyond my expectation. It's a well-designed slide film. I pushed this film to 400, the contrast was good. I made direct prints from this film, and the results were excellent. The black is intense, and the white is almost silvery. I love this film.

It's expensive. This film can only be processed by special labs across USA. The processing price is a little expensive too. Availability is very limited at my place. Same as any other slide films, a good exposure is paramount to get a good result.

This film allows color slide shooters to enjoy the classical world of B&W photography. This is the definite answer for us who don't have enough budget to build a darkroom, but love B&W photography so much. I am just hoping that Agfa will come up with a processing method that allows this film to be processed widely across the country. The availability of this film is still a little troublesome.

Similar Products Used:

None. This is one of its kinds.

Depth of Image
Contrast
Sharpness
Ability to Push/Pull

Lack of processing centers
lack of mid-tones
Hard to Print

I love this stuff. If you are a 35mm shooter, this is the only way to get the detail of medium format in black and white. The deep blacks and shimmering whites come at the expense of the middle tones-- and this might be a weakness of the product-- but if you like the high contrast look, then it may work for you.
Printing this stuff is a pain. Ilfochromes come out with a color cast. The best way to go is to get a drum scan and an Iris print. This can break the bank, however.
The lab in Miami is OK, but they use cardboard mounts, and their packaging is not the best. I will be looking elsewhere in the future. I will be excited to use the Scala with my new Contax 645, which I will be purchasing next spring. The sharpness may be too much with the Zeiss lenses.
It is such a unique product, that you cannot compare it to anything else in terms of value. For the tech-heads out there, you will want to stay with the Ilford. If you like the deep ,dark, edgy style that this film produces-- you will find a use for it.

Customer Service

N/A

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Tri-x
Ilford(all speeds)

Whites
Blacks
Sharpness
Well controlled grain
Able to push/pull tolearnce

Greys
(What greys? This is *black* and *white* film!)
Only one processor in UK.

A unique experience. A reasonably fine grained, sharp ISO 200 film. Lacks mid tones, but gives excellent blacks and whites. The most fun I've had in years! Not for the novice, as it is a challenge to get the best out of this film. The results are worth the effort, though. Value only 4 stars because this film is *expensive*.

Customer Service

Excellent (processing lab).

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There are no similar products.

I love what this slide film does to clouds and landscapes - with a wide-angle lens (18-20mm say) they are rendered with a fine-art/oil painting look which I really like. I like high contrast black and white photography and prefer slides to prints, so this film was a godsend. Although I'm relatively inexperienced and using mid-range equipment I've got excellent results with this film, particularly in magic hour or using orange or red filters in strong light.

Cost (but this is one product where you definitely get what you pay for...)
Only one processor in the UK.
Poor availability, I normally have to order my film online, which adds a delay of a few days.

I got into photography to take the kind of shots that this film lets me take. Friends ask me for prints of some of my Scala shots, which almost makes me feel like a pro photographer! Despite the cost and inconvenience I expect to be a regular Scala user for as long as Agfa make it...

Customer Service

I don't like the mounts the processor uses - the slides pop too much when projected. You have the option to mount the slides yourself though, which I recommend. Other than that excellent service and turnaround - I normally get the slides within a week, which is quicker than Jessops colour slide service.

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Only shoot slide film, so there's nothing else out there.