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New Agfa S8 and 16mm 200D color reversal stocks from Wittner Cinetec


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Hi everyone...

 

apparently Witter-Cinetec is about to release a new color reversal film.

The stock is re-slit AGFA Aviphot Chrome 200 (same emulsion as Agfachrome RSX II 200; also distributed as Rollei CR 200 slide film). This has an estar base and will be available in Super 8 and 16mm. I'm trying to get hold of a roll for testing, will keep you posted.

 

Original announcement in German:

http://www.wittner-c....php#20130205-1

 

Greetings,

Marc

Edited by Marc Roessler
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Very great news!

 

I've shot this stock in color slide form, (available from Freestyle as "Rollei CR200"). Unfortunately this is not the same as "RSX 200" (which was produced by Agfa Photo, Germany--bankrupt in '05). This stock is a different animal, produced in a different factory (Agfa Geveart, Belgium). It has an estar base, and at this point it probably will (unfortunately) remain so for us cement splicing dinosaurs. I believe it was originally an aerial surveillance film. My impression of it: is significantly lower in contrast than Ektachrome, with a muted color palette but still with that characteristic reversal "pop" in particular with reds. Very sharp and fine grained (finer grained than Ektachrome 64T but more than 100D).

 

I am very eager to shoot some of this, because I believe this will finally solve the problem of contrast build up when making internegatives (should make for easier transfers too.) And I like a little grain in my images, so this could be a real revelation, with new possibilities of color subtleties.

 

And the best news for last, it seems to be extremely reasonably priced, on the order of 15 cents a foot for 16mm (this was what I pieced together from a forum in German, to get that low of a price is by purchasing directly from Agfa, with a minimum of something like 130,000 feet on 1000ft rolls. Surely an American distributor could get on board for this and make a healthy profit while still beating Kodak's prices--hello Christy's? Freestyle? anyone?).

Edited by Timoleon Wilkins
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WIth Kodak discontinuing color reversal film, I knew that some smaller company will take its place.

 

Still, Ester for use in camera? You really have to be careful loading that thing, or else it'll damage the camera.

 

Should be OK in cameras that don't have too much torque driving the claw or registration pin. I'd be a little wary of running it through pro cameras like an SR3 or 416 (especially at high speed), but S8 cameras, Bolexes etc have claws that are either spring-loaded or will slip under pressure. Fuji's Single 8 system used a polyester base.

 

I've heard stories of Estar stock destroying Mitchell movements though.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I developed two test cartridges of Avichrome 200 D yesterday (yes, regular E6) and captured them off the wall with my iPhone -- not great, but good enough to show how little light this stock needs and how amazingly good it is with mixed light situations:

 

Or in Big

 

Please note that the projection (as usual) looks ten-fold better. Also, this is a beta product, the release version should get to market in a few weeks.

Estar base provides the best registration and the smoothest run I have ever seen with Super 8 at all. Even cameras I considered as dead transported this without any hassle, including crossfades on the last feet.

 

I am deeply in love with this stock already.

Edited by Friedemann Wachsmuth
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Okay, Wittner has the price up for Wittnerchrome 200D in cartridges.

And.. well, to be honest I feel somewhat disappointed. I mean, if 72½ meters of this film costs 49,90 euros, how come one cartridge of about 16 meters length costs 22,90 €? Is the work involved really that high? The price per meter for bulk S-8 is 0,69 € and --- for cartridge -- 1,43 €.

I guess I better buy some refillable cartridges and try that approach.

Edited by Heikki Repo
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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Just for the record:

 

Wittner is now selling the unmodified AGFA Avichrome 200 in large amounts in 16mm and for quite a good price:

 

732 meters: 499,00 €

and when buying more than one package of 732 meters:
3 packages à 469,00 €
5 packages à 419,00 €
10 packages à 379,00 €

 

What are the differences between this and Wittnerchrome 200D? Some have proposed that Wittnerchrome is lubed for motion picture use and for this reason plain Avichrome might not run as well. Caution might be necessary.

Edited by Heikki Repo
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