It's a Tragedy!!

[BobF]

I've just found out that there's only one, ONE, Scala lab left in North America. Agfa stopped making both the film and the chemistry and as stocks ran out, labs stopped processing the film. My lab in Toronto kept going as long as they could but even they stopped about a year ago. I've still got a bunch of the stuff in my freezer. I LOVE this film. I'm going to lobby to change the name of the Paul Simon song - 'mama don't take my Sca-aaa-aaala away'



Anyone got any good links on reversal processing?

[drh681]

http://www.dr5.com



they are(were?) doing some cool things with normal everyday black and white film.

[BobF]

Thanks Don. I know about DR5. 2500 miles is a long way to send film. Their process involves a staining step that imparts a slight sepia colour cast to the film. Not sure I want that on everything. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's not an option or one that I won't try, just saying it may not be my first choice.

[drh681]

Bob, might I suggest you take another look at the site?

There is a choice you can make for most films. a neutral tone, and a warmer "stained" version.

they go into great detail on what fims are best served by their techniques and go so far as to refuse to process some in their reversal system because the results do not meet their quality criteria.

I dont understand your objection to shipping your film. The company is now in Denver and will use the standard express shipping services.(which I gather you needed to do with Scala anyway)

[BobF]

Thanks Don. It has been a while since I looked at their site. I

probably should go back and have another look. I didn't know,

obviously, that they'd moved to Denver. Last I knew, I thought they

were in California. As for Scala processing, I was lucky to have the

only lab in Canada about a 10 minute drive from my house when I lived

in Toronto. Now they're about a 45 minute drive since I moved, but

still reasonably close. I'll check the dr5 guys out again. Thanks.

[kilroi]

I just got 10 rolls of Scala from Midwest Photo in Columbus Ohio and they didn't have enough mailers for the 10 and are "ordering more" . Now I wonder if I'll ever see them?



Love Scala - am enlarging some landscape shots for a local contest and have gotten some nice feedback on them. Will be sorry to see it go - PS not the same



Kilroi

[bsdunek]

There are a couple of ways to achieve the same result, although I cannot vouch for the quality. This guy does it the hard way, but it should work: http://www.angelfire.com/wi/spqrspqr/photo/bwreversal.html



This is from Ilford: http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/pdf/reversal_web.pdf#search='reversal%20processing%20b lack%20and%20white'

I would assume that Ilford data should be good, I like their products, and always have good results.



Hope this helps,

[BobF]

Thanks Bruce. I had the Ilford link saved from a while ago. The other one on chemical reversal is new for me. Some claim the light reversal process is not as good (DR5 being one). Not having done either myself I can't vouch for which, if either, is better. Both are definitely a bit tricky I'd think but it might be interesting to have a go and see what the results are. Setting up a small, 12" fluorescent lamp in my darkroom wouldn't be too difficult.

[BobF]

Well, perhaps it's not quite a tragedy, or only a partial tragedy. There's still only "authorised" lab left doing Scala but the film is still being made. From what I can find out, AgfaPhoto, which took on the photo side of Agfa's business when they reorganised a few years ago, either went gams up itself has reorganised or was taken over by Lupus Imaging Media. They are still manufacturing Scala but apparently are concentrating distribution in Europe and parts of the eastern hemisphere. Doesn't do a lot for us here in N.A. unfortunately. We may have to rely on B&H and Adorama to import themselves.

[ProfessorLynn]

Hi Bob,



I'm curious to know why anybody would want b/w reversal film except for projection. I tried the stuff when it first came out and said, "OK it b/w reversal film, so what".



Seriously, if that is what you need, several labs can do b/w reversal processing from both TMX and TriX400 with no particular problem. I was an EK professional motionpicture licensed lab general manager and cranked out thousands of feet of 16mm & 35mm b/w reversal film a week in addition to tens of thousands of feet of color negative and color reversal film weekly. If you decide to get b/w reversal processing for your films, be sure to get instructions from you lab, you will need to alter the exposure.



I guess I'd like to know what is special about Scala since you love it and I just said OK if you like it. I'm not being a wise guy, I really would like to hear these opinions, I have 6 decades of experience and am a photo professor, but like to learn what I can to use or pass along.



In the meantime, I shoot D100, TMX, Acros, PXP, and TMY for b/w (I don't like digital for b/w), process it, scan it, and print it on Epson Ink Jet machines. In color I mostly do digital image capture but in some instances still use color films.



Lynn