(Repost as I accidentally posted this on the 400, which I haven't tried)
This is an interesting film- combining pleasant, smooth tonality, well controlled grain and tolerant developing and not costing a fortune. It delivered a lot more than I expected.
It's not a film you'd load for extreme drama, crushed shadows or wild crunchy grain. It's not a film you'd load for wild anything. It's for relaxing and shooting, safe in the knowledge that you'll get detailed, pleasant images that won't scare the horses but which retain some of that film charm. You can still crank the aperture open on a sunny day and get a bit more contrast and grain if you want, but it will still feel like it's working with you rather than against you.
Developing is straightforward. Stand developing in rodinal doesn't even provoke a violent reaction, giving clean and attractive results. Nothing in particular to fret about.
If all of this sounds like faint praise, it's not meant to be. This film works well and is a great palate cleanser at a fair price. If you're getting overwhelmed with choice paralysis and the cost of more boutique films, this might feel liberating to shoot. I've shot a couple of rolls of this now and have been impressed with the results.
I love being a crunchy grain high drama edgelord with film, but it's nice to take a day off sometimes and just relax. APX 100 is a gift for that.