Black-and-white negative film · Discontinued

Agfa Isochrom Portrait-Film

Agfa Isochrom Portrait-Film is a black-and-white negative film rated at ISO 50, developed in Black-and-white. Below: specs, an exposure guide and similar stocks.

ISO 50Black-and-whiteDiscontinuedsheet film
ISO 50
Box speed
Black-and-white negative
Type
Black-and-white
Process
Discontinued
Status
c1952–1964
Years made

Film specifications#

Manufacturer
Agfa
Film
Isochrom Portrait-Film
Speed
50
Process
B&W
Formats
sheet film
Base
Triacetate
Made in
GDR
Status
Discontinued

Character & history#

Orthochromatic film for portraiture in daylight. Sold with glossy or matte base.

Description adapted from Wikipedia’s “List of discontinued photographic films” (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Exposure guide at ISO 50#

Sunny 16 for this film: f/16 at 1/50 s in bright sun. Negative film tolerates 2–3 stops of overexposure; slide film needs accuracy within about ⅓–½ stop.

Lightf/2f/4f/8f/16
EV 16 · Snow / beach, bright sun—1/2000 s1/500 s1/125 s
EV 15 · Bright sun—1/1000 s1/250 s1/60 s
EV 14 · Hazy sun1/2000 s1/500 s1/125 s1/30 s
EV 13 · Cloudy-bright1/1000 s1/250 s1/60 s1/15 s
EV 12 · Overcast / open shade1/500 s1/125 s1/30 s1/8 s
EV 10 · Sunset1/125 s1/30 s1/8 s0.5 s
EV 8 · Bright interior1/30 s1/8 s0.5 s2 s
EV 5 · Home interior at night1/4 s1 s4 s15 s
EV 3 · City street at night1 s4 s15 s> 1 min

Push & pull options#

Tell your lab how many stops you pushed or pulled so development is adjusted for the whole roll.

AdjustmentRate the film atEffect
Pull 1 stopEI 25Lower contrast, finer grain
Push 1 stopEI 100More contrast and grain
Push 2 stopsEI 200Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows
Push 3 stopsEI 400Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows
Developing Black-and-white: Traditional black-and-white development (e.g. D-76/ID-11, HC-110, Rodinal, XTOL) — easy to do at home.

Long exposures#

Most films suffer reciprocity failure beyond about 1 second: they need more exposure than the meter says. As a rule of thumb add ⅓–1 stop for 1–10 s and 1–2 stops beyond 10 s for older emulsions; modern T-grain films (and Fuji Acros) need much less. Check the manufacturer's datasheet.

More Agfa films#

Frequently asked questions#

What ISO is Agfa Isochrom Portrait-Film?

50 — set your meter to ISO 50 for box speed.

Is Agfa Isochrom Portrait-Film still made?

No, it has been discontinued (c1952–1964).

How do I develop Agfa Isochrom Portrait-Film?

B&W process. Traditional black-and-white development (e.g. D-76/ID-11, HC-110, Rodinal, XTOL) — easy to do at home.

Is Agfa Isochrom Portrait-Film available in 35mm?

Not according to our data — formats: sheet film.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources