by Eddie Vaughan » Mon Nov 28, 2016 6:48 pm
I think I can now answer my own question: is Fomapan 100 a good substitute for APX100? My answer is no, it is not. Not in my opinion, anyway. APX100 had been my favourite medium format film until it was discontinued, and I used to develop it in Rodinal 1:50. I have been trying several films in an attempt to find a good substitute, shooting all with the same Rolleiflex d 2.8 camera and developing them in Rodinal 1:50, and have found Fujifilm Acros 100 ( rated at EI 80), Ilford FP4 Plus (EI 100), and HP5 Plus (EI 320) to be almost equally good. There is not much in it, really. Acros 100 gives good blacks and needs hardly any reciprocity adjustment in poor light; FP4 Plus has lovely mid tones; and HP5 Plus is very useful when using filters or when small apertures are needed. The results from each have been distinctly better than those I have so far had from Fomapan 100.
Perhaps Rodinal is not the best developer to use with Fomapan 100. The results have been very contrasty, which could have been the fault of the developer, and also not as sharp as the other films. I will shoot the remaining few rolls, but am unlikely to buy more. I actually liked the tonality and sharpness of Fomapan 200 better, but that was a difficult film to handle because of its tight curl and consistency was also sometimes a problem. I would be interested to know the film(s) that other members prefer to use in their Rolleis.
Eddie Vaughan