Mike wrote: I have some similar 800ASA (for Cath's Espio 140 [f10!!]) which I cannot get to expose properly. It always turns out muddy, even when I've tried it in another machine with a bit of overexposure.
Is it a house brand? A lot of them use Ferenia (3M) which I don't think is as good as the 800 speed film from the other "big four" manufacturers. Also, if you're talking about the prints looking muddy, a lot of labs don't know the little tricks to determine what channel to print it on, so when they come up with a house brand film with a new ID code they will either guess, print on whatever channel the last roll was, or print on a generic "mix" channel. The worst is the (processed) film with no bar codes, brand, or speed marked on it. Luckily, that is usually only on no name recycled (reloaded) one time use cameras. The trick to determine what film it is. USA or Italy is usually Ferenia, Japan is mostly Konica, though you will occasionally see some Fuji. The Fuji will have the 3 colored lines running through the sprocket/bar code area. Germany is usually Agfa. E.U., unfortunately, could be Agfa, Konica, or Ferenia. Usually the film cassette will have the "film manufactured in" somewhere on it, often in tiny print on the bottom side of the exit lip, sometimes on the box. If it lists multiple chemistries (almost all will list C-41) the first listed, or first after C-41 can give a hint. AP-70 is Agfa, CN-16 is Konica or Fuji, usually Konica. If the lab backprints info onto the back of the print and you see something like <4A> 23 +01 NNN you can ask the lab tech what channel they printed the film on (hopefully they'll be able to give you an answer). See if it jives with what you think the film actually is. Butch Each man had only one genuine vocation - to find the way to himself. Hermann Hesse (Demian)
