Thanks to a generous gift from a reader, I have a couple of rolls of original Agfa APX 100 in 120 to shoot. It expired in January of 2008, but has always been stored frozen. I attended a work event in the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis recently, so I loaded a roll into the Pentax 645 and brought it along. I walked the area for a little while afterward making photos. The padlocks above are on a former railroad bridge over the Central Canal.
The Pentax 645 has a 75mm f/2.8 SMC Pentax-A 645 lens attached to it. It feels about like a 50mm lens on a 35mm SLR in terms of its field of view. It’s just fine for walking around in this urban area.
I developed this film in Rodinal 1+50 and scanned it on my Canon CanoScan 9000F Mk II. The original APX films are said to look terrific in Rodinal, and that’s been my experience. The same reader sent me a couple rolls of original APX 25 in 120 as well — I’m looking forward to seeing how that film looks in Rodinal too.
Broad Ripple was out in the sticks a hundred years ago. It was essentially its own little town, accessible by streetcar or the Westfield Road. But Indianapolis grew to encompass it and it’s now just part of the city.
Right now, the main drag through Broad Ripple is all torn up as the street is improved with new stormwater drainage, wider sidewalks, and a 12-foot-wide multi-use trail. That should make it a lot nicer to bicycle through Broad Ripple!
The 645’s grip made this heavy camera relatively easy to carry on my walk through Broad Ripple. I normally reach for a light, compact 35mm SLR for this kind of photography, but I’m getting used to the bulk and heft of the 645 on these kinds of walks.
Original APX 100 is a wonderful film with good tonality and contrast, and the ability to make shiny subjects really pop. I’ve shot a few rolls in 35mm in the past, and am happy to now try it in 120.
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