grommi
Hello everyone,
Despite all the doom and gloom, we can still look forward to a rich and high-quality selection of films. However, I realise that, given the tense market situation, developing and producing new films is an extremely difficult task. I’ve avoided Efke films due to their well-known quality issues, but with the revival of the CHS 100 II, AdOX has hit the mark in terms of quality. I’ve seen this for myself. Whether it is or will be commercially successful, I’m naturally not in a position to judge.
However, I do see a certain potential worldwide for one particular film: a genuine infrared film like the late, great Efke IR820. If this film can be revived to ADOX standards, it should, as the only one of its kind, be possible to sell it at a profitable price in the long term. ADOX has already proven that it can easily surpass the original.
Best regards – Reinhold
TiMo
That would be nice. However, I fear that IR is already a very small niche market.
With Superpan (and similar films) and Ilford, you can already do quite a lot when it comes to IR.
But an Efke 820IR on a par with Adox would be brilliant.
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Reinhold, if you still need IR820, I’ve got quite a few left in stock.
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Cheers, Tim
Renate
Infrared film creates a nice effect. But effects tend to lose their appeal quickly and are rarely used creatively. So I have very little need for infrared film.
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Best regards
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Renate
CPD
That would certainly be nice. It’s just that it’s been quite a few years since I last used IR film. I also find it hard to imagine that there’s much demand for it. Unfortunately!
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Bye!
grommi
There might not actually be any need for high demand. When I see just how dense the 100-speed market segment is, and that it isn’t worth launching the 400-speed ADOX given the prices that can be achieved, I wonder what the situation would be like with a film that has no competition, costing roughly €10 per roll. After all, this wouldn’t be about yet another Kentmere, APX-N, RPX, Berger or whatever-you-call-it clone, but a unique product that simply isn’t available anywhere else, no matter what price you’re willing to pay.
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So, it should actually be possible to sensitise the CHS 100 II for infrared. If Efke could do it, why not ADOX?
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Best regards – Reinhold
AntiLynd
I’m sorry that we’re all a bit overwhelming you here with our completely different priorities, but I agree:
if anyone currently has the patience, time, energy or money for film development and marketing, they should please invest those resources in something more worthwhile. For me, that currently means, above all, roll film.
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For example, I can only think of a single colour slide film currently available in this format. It was therefore a brilliant idea to use the RSX-II-200 raw material—which, thankfully, a North German film company is currently processing into various affordable narrow-gauge and 35mm formats—to also produce a 120 format. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it was carried out by the wrong supplier. Nor is it particularly sustainable, because at some point the material will simply run out, and we’ll be left with nothing but Velvia again. So what’s needed here is a genuine new development as a real alternative to the latter.
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It would also be wonderful to see a revival of the 220 format, be it in colour or black and white.
Neutrino
A new, good infrared film would obviously be something, but I too doubt whether it would be a great success. Of course, you can’t rule anything out, but the very fact that there are currently at least three films suitable for infrared photography (even if their sensitivity doesn’t quite extend that far into the IR range) makes me a bit sceptical.
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AntiLynd, what do you mean when you say there’s currently only a single colour slide film in roll format? I count four: Velvia 50, Velvia 100, Provia 100F and, of course, the Agfa, which is available under the Rollei and Lomo brands.
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Unfortunately, the 220 format is indeed rather limited, but at least there’s the Portra 160 and the Portra 400 in 220 format. Sadly, the price is twice as high as if you were to buy two 120 rolls. So you end up paying more for the same amount of film. For a larger shoot, where you don’t want to change the film too often, it might be worth it, though.
AntiLynd
Well, I’ve taken the liberty of treating Velvia 50 and 100 as a single film, as I’m really looking for genuine alternatives. I haven’t been able to find Provia in my usual shops for some time now, which is why I assumed it had been discontinued. If I’m mistaken, that’s good news, of course, as it would indeed be an alternative to Velvia (which isn’t really my thing). And finally, the Agfa you mention – as far as I know, that’s the film I mentioned above, which is currently available under various brand names and with significant variations in quality.
Neutrino
I think I can put your mind at rest – the Provia 100F in 120 format has definitely not been discontinued. Well, you can never be absolutely sure, of course, but at least there are no signs of that. All the major online retailers have it listed, and here in Vienna the camera shops (the ones that still deal in analogue) stock it as usual. What was really sad, though, was the discontinuation of Provia 400. As a medium-format user, I didn’t even get a chance to try it out. There is still Agfa as a higher-speed transparency film, but the quality simply doesn’t come close to Fuji’s.
grommi
That's great for you, Isabella.
AchimBauer
Hi Reinhold,
It’s not quite true that there’s not much new happening. In the US, you can get new Svema and Tasma films again, as well as hand-rolled speciality films, and they’re actually quite cheap if you don’t count the postage and other costs.
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As for infrared film, why not make it yourself?
I’ve been reading about it on Aphog over the last few days; someone there is looking for people to help with re-sensitising film.
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I don’t know if it works, but do have a look there.
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Regards, Achim
Wolfgg
With new colour films hopefully arriving from Italy soon, here’s a look back at the situation in 1983:
Scotch Chrome 100, with its subdued colours and characteristic ‘edge signature’, purchased, exposed and developed in 1983:
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
And the 640T, a real treat back then, also purchased, exposed and developed in 1983:
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
All developed by myself at the time using original Kodak E6 chemicals, scanned only with an Epson 4870, no further processing.
Regards, Wolfgang
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