Black-and-white negative film · Discontinued

Agfa Isopan Rapid

Agfa Isopan Rapid is a black-and-white negative film rated at ISO 250, developed in Black-and-white. Below: specs, an exposure guide and similar stocks.

ISO 250Black-and-whiteDiscontinued135635935
ISO 250
Box speed
Black-and-white negative
Type
Black-and-white
Process
Discontinued
Status
c1958–1964
Years made

Film specifications#

Manufacturer
Agfa
Film
Isopan Rapid
Speed
250
Process
B&W
Formats
135, 635, 935, SL, 127, 120, 620, 116, 616, sheet film
Base
Triacetate
Made in
GDR
Status
Discontinued — replaced by ORWO NP 27

Character & history#

General purpose high speed super panchromatic film.

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

Exposure guide at ISO 250#

Sunny 16 for this film: f/16 at 1/250 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——1/2500 s1/640 s
EV 15 · Bright sun——1/1250 s1/320 s
EV 14 · Hazy sun—1/2500 s1/640 s1/160 s
EV 13 · Cloudy-bright—1/1250 s1/320 s1/80 s
EV 12 · Overcast / open shade1/2500 s1/640 s1/160 s1/40 s
EV 10 · Sunset1/640 s1/160 s1/40 s1/10 s
EV 8 · Bright interior1/160 s1/40 s1/10 s0.4 s
EV 5 · Home interior at night1/20 s1/5 s0.8 s3.2 s
EV 3 · City street at night1/5 s0.8 s3.2 s13 s

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 125Lower contrast, finer grain
Push 1 stopEI 500More contrast and grain
Push 2 stopsEI 1,000Strong contrast, coarse grain, blocked shadows
Push 3 stopsEI 2,000Strong 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 Isopan Rapid?

250 — set your meter to ISO 250 for box speed.

Is Agfa Isopan Rapid still made?

No, it has been discontinued (c1958–1964).

How do I develop Agfa Isopan Rapid?

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 Isopan Rapid available in 35mm?

Yes — formats: 135, 635, 935, SL, 127, 120, 620, 116, 616, sheet film.

Sources & licences#

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

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