Lomopedia: Azopan PS-21

2

In this edition of Lomopedia, we're talking about the rare gem that is Azopan PS-21. Despite the lack of information and even photos taken using the film stock, it still definitely has some interesting story worth knowing about.

Let's dive into it!

Credit: Wikipedia

The Azopan PS-21 is a 35 mm black and white film rated at ISO 100. It was manufactured in Romania by the Azomureș company's Photosensitive Materials Plant, which made photographic materials in Târgu Mureș from 1990 until its closure in 2003. Azomureș manufactured black and white as well as color photographic paper and film.

As seen in these photos from community members taken with the Azopan PS-21, the film stock is capable of great detail and tonality.

Credits: aka_papu, systemdevice, cristina_badulescu & norris

During their run, the company also produced cinematographic film before factors such as competition with larger companies, high production costs due to outdated production technology, the rise of digital technology and more led it to stop its film production.

Credits: aka_papu & brouillard23

While there are only a handful of photos tagged under the Azopan PS-21 on the Lomography website, and although the Azopan's history can be considered short compared to some larger film stocks, Azopan's influence especially in Romania is immeasurable, even inspiring local shutterbugs to archive film photos and name it the Azopan project.

Under the project launched in 2019, friends Lóránd-Félix Furó, Lóránd Fülöp and Edgár Szőcs encourage locals to share their film negatives to be digitized and collected in the photo heritage site.

Information for this article was sourced from azomures.com, Ziarul Financiar, Transylvania Now.

Do you have experience shooting with the Azopan PS-21? Share it with us below!

written by sylvann on 2024-02-08 #lomopedia #romania #lomopedia #azopan-ps-21

2 Comments

  1. hervinsyah
    hervinsyah ·

    B/w film eventhough expired for a long time mostly never disappointed like vinnegar smell color negative film

  2. brouillard23
    brouillard23 ·

    Azomureș also produced a 200 ASA PS24 black and white film. I bought these films at a fotographic store in Cluj during my geological field trips as a student in the late nineties - and much of black and white paper of the larger sizes that I used for prints in a darkroom these days.
    Nice to see my picture of the bauxite mines between Roșia and Dorbrești. The mines were closed a couple of year later, the working conditions looked like the third world.

    I have shot some PS24 films the time after my field trips, perhaps I upload some of the sets I can find.

More Interesting Articles