LRF Engines Restarted!

Film Ferrania is pleased to announce that its engines are restarted! The Big Chiller and Little Chiller are being prepared for permanent installation. This is the final step and the elimination of a huge roadblock in the progress of making film. Both Chillers are involved in the climate control of various rooms in the LRF building and for cooling the film after coating. The film is coated with chemistry in a gelatin suspension (called the emulsion). Like supermarket gelatin, the emulsion must cool and set before the film is wound onto a spool for cutting.

The next major hurdle to overcome is accreditation of building's services by the Italian government. More surprises are expected, so a there is no schedule for delivery of Kickstarter rewards yet. The Domino effect that has delayed production so far is being righted, so stay tuned for more developments.

News from the Front

Tim Rudman issued his latest Lith printing newsletter, with news of the latest happenings in the anolog photography market. Being that film photography mostly requires someone to make the materials we use, this is always interesting. First up, was the acquisition of Ilford Photo by Pmeberstone. Tim notes that the announcement may have caused some shortages in the market as people stocked up, but that Ilford will continue to produce film and paper for osme time to come.

Next up is news from Adox, who have purchased a medium-scale coating machine to produce sufficient papers and films for their market on their own. Note that Ilford Switzerland, which sold the machinery, is a separate entity from Ilford Photo/Harman in England. Tim speculates that Adox will be able to produce a paper similar to Forte's Polywarmtone variable contrast paper. The plant will also be able to produce film, so coating their own CHS 100 film (review) may be a possibility.

Mr. Rudman is now back on schedule in publishing his photo book 'Iceland. An Uneasy Calm'. His book should start shipping mid-October for the first edition and should be released for all editions in time for Christmas. Due to the slippage in release, Tim has printed extra books, which are available for order here.

If you like Tim's photo books, he recommends his fellow photographer, Craig Alan Huber, who has a Kickstarter campaign for his latest book, 'The Spirit Within Saint Junipero'.

Visit Tim Rudman on on Facebook for more info and tips.

Voigtlander Rangefinder Cameras Discontinued

It has been widely reported that the Voigtlander flim cameras are being discontinued due to declining sales. Rangefinder Forum reports the loss. These cameras were known for their wide angle capabilities and for covering four of the major lens mounting systems, including Leica screw, Leica M, Nikon Rangefinder, and Zeiss Contax Rangefinder. The cameras, sold under license by Cosina have a storied history. Founded by bJohann Christoph Voigtländer in 1756. company was sold to Rollei, then a company called Ringfoto that in turn licensed the Voigtlander name to Cosina.

The Physics of Multi-coated Filters

A part of nearly every photographer's kit are lens filters. These simple, but effective items transform the light entering the lens for effects that are difficult to obtain otherwise. A UV or haze filter can penetrate haze and distance to bring in a clear image. A polarizer can darken blue sky and eliminate reflections from glass. However, cheaper filters can introduce a haze of their own, from stray light reflecting off the surface of the filter itself. This is one reason that many people recommend against stacking filters on the lens.

So, how can this problem of stray light be avoided? Simple, by applying special coatings to the filter. If one coating is added, the manufacturer usually refers to the filter as coated. If more than one coating is applied to the filter, the term multi-coated is often used. There is no way to easily tell if more than two layers are used, though better performance can be had with more coatings.

To understand why, Hoya FIlter, a maker of glass filters, explains the physics of coatings. While Hoya advertizes their solid glass filters, most filters have glass on the outer layers and so work similarly. The issue with light reflecting on the outer (front) surface of the filter is the main cause of issues. Ken Rockwell has a simple method to identify coated filters, simply hold a pen a few millimeters above the filter (not touching it). If you see the pen reflected twice in the surface, the filter is not coated. That is light that is not making it to the lens and a source of ghosting (usually not noticable, but it reduces the efficacy of the lens).

Ilford Bought Out by Pemberstone

Yesterday, Harman Technologies, which manufactures Ilford photographic materials, was sold to Pemberstone, a UK based investment company. Ilford was last bought out by the employees of the company, who have since maintained the profitable production of black and white photographic materials and even expanded the selection of materials available. One example of a new product is the positive image paper introduced recently. Pemberstone is impressed by the adoption of analogue photography by young people, and would like to reach out to this sector. A brief press release is available here.

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CineStill 800T Test Run

A quick note on the first roll of CineStill 800T run through my camera. The results showed well for interior shots, while some frames exposed outdoors at dusk had a blue cast that permeated the highlights. Scanning negative film means that eliminating the blue cast from most of the frame is fairly easy, but the highlights in some areas had a blueish tinge that is tougher to remove. The feared halos due to the lack of an anti-halation layer were not much of an issue. Another roll that may have more challenges in this respect is in processing. Unfortunately, the lack of facilities to get C-41 film processed is becoming apparent. Even the local photo store does not have a working lab anymore. Keep the local lab supplied, if you can!