Color film is back, says Ferrania

russelljtdyer said:
Since I'm getting better at writing in Italian these days, I sent an email to the general email address at Ferrania giving them a link to this page. I suggested they might read what people are writing here for more feedback.

They wrote me back about three hours later thanking me. They said they will monitor this thread and site, and they are monitoring several other sites for public reaction to the idea. They said the following in response to some of the negative comments about their film from the past (my translation):

"Here in particular they are correct in saying that the reversal film of the 1970's from 3M was anything but good. We're counting on doing much better with the new version of Chrome."
...
-Russell
Click to expand...

Good idea, Russell.

Dear Ferrania, if you are listening, do what the Impossible Project does in terms of promotion:
Share pictures of your factory, machinery, your team, fill your blog with weekly progress, all these to engage your potential customers. Show that you guys have pride in what you are accomplishing.

That's what we have to do to promote anything in today's world. Just simply creating Twitter and Facebook account without consistent updates, will not get you anywhere.

Wish you guys the best luck!
And if a 100 ASA B&W Ferrania is forthcoming, I'm doubly interested.
 
Well said shadowfox. And since we are wishlisting how's about I raise your b/w statement with an even more dreamy proposal - an ISO 25 b/w 🙂
 
I'm with shadowfox they need to promote this in the BJP, Photo magazines and online media possibly team up with LOMO ; why not letting them sell the first flush to capitalise the project– keep the buzz going and keep everyone informed.

I remember the Scotch films many of them were second tier emulsions sold to third parties for store brands, the film wasn't the best although it did improve with a better dye set in the 1990's.
You can tell the old dye set from the newer one as in the rebate scotch film had a series of repeated dots, the old dye set had red dots (in the negs), the new one green.

They made some truly great emulsions though, some which were unique like the Tungsten 640T slide film which was great.

I wish them a huge amount of luck–create a buzz guys!
 
Two years ago i found a Ferrania Falco ii folder in its leather case stashed in the rafters of the garrage at my grandads. Dont think its been used for 30 years or more and was probably given to him since i never found any medium format negatives in his collection. Loaded it and took it out and loved the experience.

Now if only i had the Ferrania film to go aong with it. This might be my luck. Fingers crossed.
Any company making way for new film is doing us all a favour. With the number of film types vanishing since i started shooting film (only a few years ago) i wonder how many more will go by the time they have something for us to use. Good luck to them and lets hope they give us something that we can keep tlaking about.
 
I would have thought the target market for film was older people who were attracted by the directly visible, archival property of film without a computer having to be in the way.
Resurrecting a shabby old-technology emulsion with not even one generation of archival life in it sounds rather pointless. You might as well fool around with photoshop, print something out on the inkjet and watch it fade away.
 
I think shadowfox has it right, market like hell and play the game, Lomography is a big business and they know how to sell to stuff.

Archival quality is actually not of much interest to me, but I think just because 30 years ago, Ferrania emulsions did not archive all the well, does not mean the new emulsions will be the same.

I'll certainly try out new colour film they make. Right now there are plenty of B&W choices, so I'm all set for that. If they did an XP2-style B&W C41 film, that would be different, would love to try another one of those. A ISO 50, high resolution C41 B&W film would be a great thing to try out.
 
Forza Ferrania

Forza Ferrania

Andrea Taurisano said:
Funny. Italy is going through what's probably the worst crisis of the last 50 years. Factories are shutting down sending unemployment to historical levels (I have relatives seriously running that risk right now). And then comes this good news, which is not only such for us film lovers, as you understand from my prologue. Best luck Ferrania. We'll do our best to help.
Click to expand...

100% agree. Forza Ferrania!
robert
 
Ferrania films are most likely targeted at the instagram crowd. Some of their color films had some crazy zany colors, which while interesting, are not for those who just want a picture they could manipulate in the conventional sense.

To wit:

The Street Corner by NazgulKing, on Flickr
 
I shot Solaris 400 once .. actually two rolls. I found the grain way too gritty. I rather shoot cheap Kodak.
If they cough up new emulsions I'm totally willing to try their stuff.
Slide film would be nice
 
thegman said:
Seems very harsh and insulting without any detail as to why they are clowns. I've not used their product but they seem to be doing more for instant film photography than most.
Click to expand...

their products are incredibly expensive and fade quickly. while it is impressive what they've done from scratch and how much they're improving, there's no justification for the cost as of yet. my ex took some pictures that in a few months were already mostly faded.

as for ferrania, i'm really excited that they're going to make a new emulsion/revive old formats. i think this is the future of film, there are just too many expensive cameras for people to let them become defunct. while the big boys may discontinue it, or go out of business, the smaller companies (of which ilford i have the most hope for) will always be around, i think.

it would be smart to team up with lomo, although i can't shake the stigma with them that i have (as well as impossible) where they promote that badly taken or bad looking pictures = good picture
 
grapejohnson said:
their products are incredibly expensive and fade quickly. while it is impressive what they've done from scratch and how much they're improving, there's no justification for the cost as of yet. my ex took some pictures that in a few months were already mostly faded.
Click to expand...

Impossible has made abundantly clear from the very beginning that their films are a "beta" work in progress. Their consumers are simply helping out with their R&D process, otherwise it would have never gotten off the ground.

If you want an archival Polaroid type film that isn't prone to fading, then by all means wait a few years until they consider their emulsions finalized. I don't have any interest in instant film, so I haven't purchased their films, but I think they deserve a major amount of credit for bringing integral instant film back from the dead, and helping to spark further interest in non-digital photography as a result.

As for Ferrania, I hope they can come back stronger than ever and with better quality.
 
@grapejohnson, to be fair, they don't make you pay their prices, it's a choice, same a Leica. As Terry says, they're completely open that their products are not perfect.

If Impossible were misleading people then fine, but they're not, so you're free to buy the products or not, knowing what you're getting into.
 
Rangefinderfreak said:
Whatever ferrania does, it certainly is more interesting what those clowns at "Impossible" are doing...
Click to expand...

I disagree on two counts:

1. If Ferrania does not do what the "Impossible Project" does in terms of marketing, their comeback will have as much impact as a drop of water in a bucket.

2. The only difference between the Impossible Project vs those Kickstarter projects is that they don't ask for money in advance with only a promise in return.
 
C`moon guys.. have you shot Fuji FP-100B or FP-100C... I have, a lot of both, and continue to do, as long it will be available (FP-100B) and also the 3000 iso variant.
I shot one box if Impossible, and will never waste my money on that again...
As for ferrania: The C-41 is interesting because I use the Maco/Compard C-41 kit and scan with hasselblad flextight also the "scotch E-6" developed as cross process in C-41 will be OK for me when post processed in Photoshop. With impossible, that`s the "end product" what you get when peeling the print out, for me- straight to the waste bin...
In my mind, the Impossible guys got the premises and machinery, O.K. but not the "know how". I want to pay for the end product, not for the "research"...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40146285@N08/3730107400/

If I can get results like this with the ferrania, I am more than happy...
It is FUJI Provia 400 35mm, developed in C-41 as negative and scanned with Flextight. Not so much post production as the grain is there with extended C-41 development. Compare this with
"Impossible ".... huh...

(for those wondering with what it was shot? It is with Nikon F5 and 200mm:2 ED Nikkor, with both 2x telexender AND autofocus 1,7 X tele xender stacked together. That makes a 680mm lens, hand held...)
 
NazgulKing said:
Ferrania films are most likely targeted at the instagram crowd. Some of their color films had some crazy zany colors, which while interesting, are not for those who just want a picture they could manipulate in the conventional sense.

To wit:

The Street Corner by NazgulKing, on Flickr
Click to expand...


Whilst I obviously wouldn't shoot this for everything, I have to admit that that has a very pleasing palette and I'd definitely shoot a bunch of it.
 
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