Tim Rudman, Spring Lith News

Tim Rudman, a well-known promoter and practitioner of lith printing techniques, has a number of projects in the pipeline for this summer. First, is his self-printed photo book of Iceland, done in conjunction with American photographic artist, Bill Schwab. Tim setup his own printing company to meet his exacting standards and requirements, Opas Books. The book is 'Iceland, an Uneasy Calm' and will be printed in hardcover and bound by cloth in Verona, Italy. The plan is for an initial run of 1,000 books with a limited run of deluxe copies housed in a silk or cloth clamshell case. The book will contain at least a 100 plates.

Tim also mentions that Foma has shipped to him several samples of updated printing material with updated technical notes for lith printers. He will be reporting on his results with these papers later in the summer.

Wolfgang Moersch, a powerhouse of darkroom chemistry, has also sent Tim a sample of a new product 'Lith G' for the enhancement and control of image colour. Tests of this product are also forthcoming.

Film Ferrania Delayed by Harsh Winter

The Film Ferrania project recently released a blognote with a new schedule to take into account a litany of setbacks that are slowing progress to the first batch of film. The project hopes to start film production around this month, with rewards delivered starting the end of May. See the revised schedule here.

Review of the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art lens

Roger Cicala of LensRentals compared and contrasted the new Sigma 24mm Art series lens with Nikon and Canon 24mm lenses along with a comparison to the Rokinon 24mm. While the Sigma may be as good as, if not marginally better than the Nikon or Canon lenses on the optical test bench, Roger concludes that "the old rule that the best 24mm f/1.4 is a 35mm f/1.4 and a few steps backwards is often true." The article has detailed MTF charts for all the lenses mentioned and pinhole test images of the Sigma.

The conclusion from all the testing is that the Sigma, Nikon and Canon lenses are all pretty sharp at the center, but focus and constrast fall off quickly towards the edges. The exception was the Rokinon, which had a fairly flat response to the edges, but was not as sharp and contrasty at the center. Roger says that in the "outer 1/4 of the image it [the Rokinon] is as good as the Sigma, or perhaps a bit better." Depending on price and what you want, the Sigma is a strong cnotender against the Nikon and Canon lenses, and the Rokinon may be more consistent overall and just as good off-center as the others.

If you are looking for newer designed lenses for your kit, Roger declares the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens to be the best 35mm wide. Being full-frame lenses, these lenses should work with compatible film cameras. To keep costs down, keep in mind eBay and the B&H Used Department.

The Passing of Rollei

While the world of film suppliers has been booming, with Film Ferrania, Bergger and more introducing new films for our photographing pleasure, the camera supply side has not been so good. The maker of the iconic Rollei twin-lens reflex camera has filed for bankruptcy. The receiver is auctioning off the factory and everything it contains. Photographs of the factory contents are available on the auctioneer's site.

Having seen a local pro lab being auctioned off years ago, it is a sad thing to see. Pros used up film and equipment in the pursuit of their vocation and a large industry built up around this. The decline of film use by pros means this industry must shrink. One can only hope it stabilises for those who produce art, life long images and memories with film cameras.

Link from Petapixel.

Bergger Film for Large Format

Bergger film is releasing a new large format film, Bergger Pancro 400. Available in 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 sheets, they are introducing this film on the Bergger Facebook page. Founded in 1995, the company offers papers, chemistry and uncoated cotton rag paper for alternative processes. A selection of paper developers are available, including a lith developer. Also available are toners and a hypo test solution. Well worthwhile to visit for those in Asia, Europe and Mexico, there are dealers in those areas. While this blogger has never used their products, having a supplier with such depth for silver and alternate processes is fantastic.

"How film is made" Kodak 1958 factory documentary (part 1 of 2)

This is an overview of how Kodak made film for many years.  Later processes used similar equipment, just with more automation and greater sophistication.  The giant iron wheel was used to make film base up to the end of Kodak's production.  Note that Kodak tested film throughout its production, which can be seen in this video.

Film Ferrania Starts Towards Making the Rewards

The Film Ferrania team is making progress to produce the rewards, that is actual film. The first step is to clean the precision film coater, Little Boy. The coater has been idle for nearly a decade, so is in need of a thorough cleaning. A special soap is required to clean the machine, as no trace of residue is acceptable. As little as 1 part per million (ppm) of lead or mercury contaminiation is enough to ruin the emulsion. It is cold in the building, so work is slow. Good luck to the team!