Future Film, Past Film

Well, the major blogs are covering developments in the film world so fast, it is hard to keep up.  They are working full time on it, though.  Here are three stories making the rounds:

Petapixel amongst others are reporting on the collaboration of Kono! and Dubbel to bring us Dubbel films.  These are creative films made from repackaged Kodak film with special effects added, such as sunstruck or moonstruck effects.

On a sadder note, was Japan Camera Hunter's eagle eye finding a dull page on Fujifilm's site announcing the end of several films over the next year.  Petapixel has a link to the original story at JCH, worth a look, and a clear summary of the films to cease production.  On the bright side, we still have Adox, Bergger, Ferrania, Foma, Ilford, Kentmere,  Kodak and more left to source from for B&W, at least.

On the films being introduced side of the equation, a Russian group is looking to introduce Silberra B&W film.  The IndieGoGo campaign seeks $115,000 with a flexible goal.  This means that the project will be funded even if the goal is not met.  The plan is to produce both orthochromatic (blue sensitive) and panchromatic (all colour sensitive) B&W films, offered at ISO 25, 50 and 80 for ortho films and ISO 50, 100 and 160 speeds for pan films.  The Pan offerings will include a limited ISO 200 version.  Ortho films were the original B&W films, quickly superceded by pan films.  It would be interesting to shoot such a film, with the white skies typical of such emulsions.

Blog note:  film speeds edited for accuracy, 2017-10-31

Even More Instant Film News

As if this blog did not already have enough coverage of instant film, our friends over at The Phoblographer have a guide to the current instant film options available.

Next up, Fujifilm announced a new product using their new square format Instax film, the SP-3 SQ printer.  This device connects to your phone, tablet or Fujifilm digital camera wirelessly and prints 62mm by 62mm instant photos.  The resolution is nearly 320dpi according to specs, so plenty of detail in each print.  The phone or tablet app includes a minimal editor so that one can touch up an image before printing it.  This device bests the SP-2 printer, which only used Instax mini film.  The Phoblographer has a review of the SP-3 SQ already.  This is great news for those invested in the expensive SQ10 camera or the Lomo'Instant Square, since it offers more chances for the square format Instax to be a success.

Not only that, but Emulsive reports that Instax Wide Monochrome is real, nudge nudge wink. Not sure if this is a poke at those who would love to see this product or not.   None of the major retailers offer this alleged product at this time.

There is a tonne of news otherwise in the film world, from Silberra to Fujifilm's announcement of cuts to film production. More as the week progresses.

Reflex S Camera

The Reflex S Camera is the first newly designed manual SLR film camera in over 25 years.  There have been new electronic SLR film cameras since, but not manual cameras.  The project claims that the camera they will be producing will have updated technology.  Information is scarce, however if one signs up for their newsletter, you may receive more information and the announcement of their Kickstarter campaign.

The Kickstarter campaign will be announced to those who have subscribed to the newsletter before the public announcement along with community early bird offers.  The date for the Kickstarter is set for November 7th.

The project is developed by the team behind If You Leave.  If You Leave is a bit mysterious, but a search on Kickstarter turns up an IYL project.  That project in turn has a link to Tumblr.

No information is currently available on the lens mount system or the source for parts, such as the mirror or shutter, in case one wants to do repairs.

Followup on Instant Photography

To follow up on last week's instant film article, some further research turns up these tidbits:

• Fujifilm is releasing Black Instax (Facebook link).  The mini Instax film with a black border.  Looks great on an pumpkin orange background.  Available at B&H, Amazon and more for under $10 a pack.
• Also seen online is the Instax Mini Holiday Film bundle with 3 packs which have 10 different holiday themed borders.  No word from Fuji on this, but it is out there.
• Instax film is widely available if one looks:  big box electronics stores, big box office supplies stores, pharmacies, your local photo store if you are lucky enough to have one and more.  Of course, there is always online!  Just google for it.  Ken Rockwell recommends these online stores.
• Dan Bullman demos the Impossible I-1 camera on a portrait shoot.  Both colour and B&W I-type film are shown and he gives a peak at some of the features available with a smart phone.  This camera is still available as of writing on Amazon and B&H, but not seen on the Polaroid Originals USA site.  Maybe it is just me, but only the OneStep2 is displayed there.
• Unboxing of the Lomography Lomo'Instant Automat camera.  This camera comes with a box load of accessories and takes Instax Mini film.
• Review of the Mint Camera InstantFlex TL70.  Pricey, but most flexible in terms of creative control.  It does have its disadvantages, though.  Be sure to check the unboxing, see the links in the Youtube description.
• Keep exploring Youtube if you want to know more, it is out there!

Links: Instant Film Photography Today

Along with the resurgence of film is the resurgence in instant film.  Are the two tied together?  Or is it something else?  Whatever the reason, there are now more choices in instant film  and instant film cameras today than five years ago.  With the entrance of Fujifilm Instax and the revival of Polaroid Originals, came new instant film cameras and new instant film formats.

The Phoblographer featured a piece on the eight reasons photographers should shoot instant film.  To summarize, you should, it will teach you things as a photographer, and its cool.  Check it out.  Embedded in the article is the video of the author of these eight reasons, New York City-based photographer Josh Katz, listing these items with his take on why each is important to you.  Like all Youtube videos there is the rabbit hole at the end where Youtube lists possible videos of interest.

Here are a few of those videos that might be worth watching, for when you pick out your new to you Polaroid or Instax camera:

• Instax Wide Shootout!  This 20+ minute video covers the two leading Instax Wide format cameras in great detail with comparison shots from each camera.  Summary:  Lomo Wide for creativity and features, Fuji Wide for ready out of the box and gets the job done.  Worth the time.
• Polaroid 600 vs. Fuji Wide 300.  This video covers in depth pros and cons of Polaroid vs. Instax in under 8 minutes.
• How To: Getting Started with 8x10 Instant Film  An overview of Large Format instant film.  The core of which is the Polaroid 8x10 film processor, without which one has no final image.  Polaroid Originals (formerly Impossible) makes colour 8x10 instant film.
• Fuji Instax Mini: Mini 8 vs. the new Mini 9  The Mini 8 is no longer made.  This 8 minute video gives an overview of the new Instax Mini 9 format camera.
• The Ultimate Fuji Instax Camera Comparison 2017  The Ultimate comparison of the Fuji Instax lineup.  Just over 21 minutes.
• 12 Mistakes to Avoid with Instant Photography  Lauren and Rob list the pitfalls of instant photography and how to avoid them in ten-ish minutes.  Instant film is $1 a frame and up, mistakes can be costly!
• Polaroid Originals  The modern Polaroid fim maker.  Maker of the I-Type and OneStep2, and also sells vintage, restored Polaroid cameras, such as the Type 600, Spectra and SX-70.

Kickstarter: K-Pan: the 3D Printed Panaromic Camera

With explosive Kickstarter projects like the Lomo'Instant Square camera, it might seem that successful film camera campaigns are the norm.  Unfortunately, the K-Pan 3D printed camera is short of its £40,000 goal with less than a week to go.  At just over halfway, anyone who wants to see the gorgeous 6x14 panaromic chromes that can come out of this camera should visit the site.  Even if just to see the photos.  Bidding means you will either get the camera if the goal is met or your money back if it does not.  So no risk if you want such a beast.

Campaign ends October 24th.

Review: FomaPan Classic 100

Your blogger in chief picked up a roll of Foma B&W film, FomaPan 100 Classic.  This film cost less than $5 a 36 exposure roll in 35mm format and is DX coded.  A sample photo (below) taken from the roll was shot with a Deep Yellow Y15 filter in the afternoon.

The film lays flat with very little curl, making it easy to scan.  Being a traditional emulsion, there is some grain, though not much.  Tonality is good, and there is some latitude available when shooting in shadow.  The image shown could be adjusted to obtain just a bit more detail in the near shadow area.  Something in the workflow is doing autolevels, but it seems to work fairly well for the most part.  Image is unretouched but for autolevels, cropping scanner edges away and sharpening.

Copyright 2017 Ag+ Process.  Captured in Program Mode @ 24mm, Y15 filter

Sale: Lomography 15% Film Discount

Until October 17th, Lomography is offering 15% off film with the coupon code CHEER15 .  Find 35mm, 120 and even subminiature 110 format drop in cassettes of a wide variety of Lomo film.

From Lomo Purple and Redscale flim, to colour negative and slide film and even B&W.  Lomo also offers Super8 and 16mm motion picture film in the colour twisting Lomo Purple emulsion.

Just enter the coupon code (CHEER15) at checkout to claim your discount.

Offer ends October 17th!

Film is Not Dead: Interview with Kodak Alaris

Our friends at the Film is Not Dead blog posted an informative interview with Lars Fiedler of Kodak Alaris.  Delving into the supply issues of Portra negative film and the announcement of the return of Ektachrome, Charlie susses out that the market for silver halide is showing positive numbers and is a market worthwhile for Kodak Alaris to expand into.

The company is teaming up with Eastman Kodak Company to introduce Ektachrome on 35mm still format and 8mm movie format, Alaris producing the former and Kodak the latter.  EKC is backed by orders from the major movie studios, so has the wherewithal to re-introduce the emulsion.  Of prospects at Kodak Alaris, Lars puts it simply, ``we have no plans to reduce our portfolio!''

Bravo.  The choice in film is at new heights again.

JCH: Dan K on the Top 10 Manual Film SLRs

Japan Camera Hunter reminded us of a featured article by one Dan K. from nearly half a decade ago.  A top ranking page even today, this Top 10 List of Manual 35mm Film SLRs is worth a read.  The list comments on each camera, labelling one as ``agricultural'' and another as ``by far the most expensive camera mentioned in this review.''  No, that latter camera was not a Leica, either.  The comments are insightful and worth perusing.

So, while we take in this holiday weekend, lets give thanks for all the great hardware and glass that is available to us today.  There are plenty of places to pick up a film camera or lens:  KEH, B&H Used, eBay, Japan Camera Hunter or even ask Bellamy to find one.

JCH: The Plethora of 35mm Film Available Today

Japan Camera Hunter (JCH) recently posted a guest article, Why Film is Booming Today, by Stephen Dowling of Kosmo Photo fame.  In the article, Stephen estimated that that there are 75 different film emulsions available to the modern 35mm analogue photographer.   He lists them exhaustively, with reviews and links, in his blog entry, These are are the 35mm Films You Can Buy Today.

The article is broken down into three sub-parts, listing films from Adox to Fomapan, Fuji to JCH Street Pan and Kentmere to Rollei.

JCH released Street Pan 400 only 18 months ago, but is already busy announcing a new project, a compact 35mm camera.   What better way to use up all that film than putting it into a new camera!  Kosmo Photo estimates delivery sometime in 2018.  Some sources say that Bellamy, founder of JCH, rejects Kickstarter, so we shall see how it works out.

This past September has been jam-packed with analogue film news, from the widely report announcement of the return of Ektachrome by Kodak to the mysterious announcement of the first film SLR in 22 years, named Reflex-S.

Teardown of the Miniolta 40-80mm f/2.8 Gearbox Zoom

One of the weirdest lenses made, the Minolta 40-80mm f/.8 Zoom used a gearbox-like arrangement on the side of the lens for zooming and focussing. This is pretty much the only lens that used this arrangement.  LensRentals.com did a tear down of this fascinating Rokkor MC lens.  After opening up the lens and looking at how the lens focussed and zoomed, in their own words, "This is an intense little mechanical computer."
The report comes complete with an optical testing section, which provides a set of nice results for a 40-odd year old lens.  While wide open at 40mm to stopped down to f/5.6 at 80mm, the testers pretty impressed.
Minolta was pretty innovative it its heyday, and this is just one example of that.