The Changing Market As of November 1st the Agfa Imaging division will be carved out of Agfa Gevaert. It will become a new independent company named AgfaPhoto. Forecasts show the new company in a very strong position. Dan Unger of Agfa U.S.A. assured me that they retained an enthusiastic commitment to film in general and black and white film in particular.
The best remark I overheard this photokina was, "My tripod, it has three legs." Um, yes. This is one of the problems when you are reviewing new tripods. They all have three legs. But what makes a tripod special is the material it is made of, the way it folds up, or a new design of leg lock. This year I found all three.
Several years ago Luminos Photo had to cease production of their silver paper: the paper stock they had been coating became unavailable. Since then they have been searching for a replacement. Now they have it, and it is very nice.
Most enlargers look much the same: a tall column, with the lamp and negative holder at the top, and a baseboard at the bottom. But given that a cheap, used enlarger with a good lens will, unless badly out of alignment, outperform a brand-new, state...
"Sorry, that's been discontinued." The salesclerk shakes his head. And that, you realize with sinking heart, is that: no more of your favorite film, paper, developer, whatever. These are trying times. What do you do?
First of all, make sure he's telling the truth. Far too often, "That's been discontinued" actually means...
Large format is fun: magical tonality, and detail in the print that goes on and on. Better still, it's easy. If you already have a darkroom, you probably have everything you need to make large format contact...
Everyone gets them: negs that just won't print. Sometimes, you can see why: they are hopelessly thin; far too contrasty; or flat and muddy. At other times, they look fine. You can have plenty of detail, just the...
A good darkroom is a joy to work in. A bad darkroom can be so inconvenient and uncomfortable that you find excuses not to use it, and at its worst, it can even endanger your health.