[Leica] FYI: Fresh 5222 avail direct from Kodak

[kingfisher at halcyon.com (Larry Bullis)]

Don Cardwell, Lee Lumkin, Thomas Bertilsson and myself did a continuing 
study on Edwal 12 a while back. XX was a film that I took on as my 
personal project. I sort of dropped it because the sole supplier "film 
emporium" couldn't seem to get it any more. Kodak supplying it in bulk? 
Very hard to imagine.

So I have pretty good data with this obscure, obsolete (!) chemistry 
with a pretty obscure, BUT entirely appropriate chemistry. Everyone has 
forgotten about this. I can tell you that it is amazing. But I can't 
show you much. Why? because IF words and images can say the same thing, 
one of them is lying. I do not maintain an online presence, but if you 
wish, I will attempt to put something up you might relate to.

If anyone is really serious about pursuing this (and, I REALLY mean 
REALLY, I'm not interested in casual unless there's enough serious 
interest to support it) I would be interested in either creating a new 
group to study it, or, maybe more likely to bring additional research 
into the existing group. I can't speak for my dearly beloved fellows, 
but I can't imagine them not rising to the concept, even though they may 
stop short of the densitometer. Don't worry, though. I have one or two 
of those awful arcane things, too.

I do think though that this film with this particular amazingly 
appropriate chemistry is something that surpasses any particular 
existing loyalties - especially given the way things are going right 
now. I think that if we have interest in stuff like this, the time is 
RIGHT NOW to express that interest and create whatever body of research 
we possibly can. Otherwise it will go the way of that other XX - the 
super one, that I miss so desperately. It is time for us to speak up and 
demand that film persists. It is stupid to abandon a peak technology for 
something that can't replace it but could provide yet another viable 
medium. Photography as we knew it is like engraving was in 1860 right 
now. Looked at a dollar bill lately?

I don't think that you're going to find a better place to start. The 
film is wonderful. Do you like the 1960's aesthetic, as I do? The 
research team already at hand for the developer is a great place to 
start. At least, I'm ready to go.

The film is one that we've all seen in the movies - but we're sure not 
seeing it any more.

L

On 11/13/11 8:41 PM, lug-request at leica-users.org wrote:
> Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2011 11:53:32 -0800
> From: Richard Man<richard at richardmanphoto.com>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] FYI: Fresh 5222 avail direct from Kodak
> To: Leica Users Group<lug at leica-users.org>
> Message-ID:
>       <CAF8hL-FPxy1Q4nAKVAdGvbtbqU7Rssm8_brDVkDrwHzB6W8e7w at 
> mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Isn't this the XX film? Phil Forrest gave me a roll (thanks!) in NYC, and
> it does appear to be close to "old school" film. Of course I really don't
> know much about old school film but it does the job competently, even in
> this era of mixed analog/digital workflow. In the "Mark is sometimes right
> even when he is wrong" department, I have settled on Acros 100 for
> landscape at ISO100, TriX for people/landscape at ISO320 and low light
> stuff of Neopan 1600 at ISO1000, all souped in the 2-bath Pyrocat-HD. I
> would gladly use the XX for Tri-X stuff but the Tri-X works so well that
> there's hardly any need. I buy the Arista Premium from Freestyle which is
> Tri-X for just over $3 a roll so the cost is not bad either.
>
> On Sun, Nov 13, 2011 at 11:46 AM, Lew Schwartz<lew1716 at gmail.com>  
> wrote:
>
>> >  This film c