Ferrania has a new owner

[DownUnder]

Do they manufacture bulk film in 30 meter or larger cans? I've looked and looked but couldn't find the answer to this.

Ferrania was available in Canada in the '60s when I first got into photography. Kodak and Ansco dominated the markets then so it was never that popular, but I did use it and I was always satisfied with the results. A few other European film brands were also around back then, but have all vanished now. Perutz for one. Also Efke, which I used in 120 up until about ten years ago when it disappeared from the retail outlets in Australia. Now no more. Sad, it was good to use.

In the crazy world we now inhabit it's fun to relive the past in wee small doses. Film is one I've always enjoyed and I want to get more into it again. Increased production from Ferrania in the future may mean more of their film stocks will be available, and that's a good thing.

This to say thanks, Jack, and go for it!!

 

[Mackinaw]

Do they manufacture bulk film in 30 meter or larger cans? I've looked and looked but couldn't find the answer to this.

They did sell P30 in 30 meter cans, but it's listed as "out of stock" on their website (along with everything else).

Jim B.

 

[Bingley]

Fingers crossed this works out. The P33 emulsion is great… v. close to Plus-X… but is not currently available. I made some photos with it and developed it in D-76…:

Crossings by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Vintage Olds by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Morgon by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

 

[Freakscene]

Fingers crossed this works out. The P33 emulsion is great… v. close to Plus-X… but is not currently available. I made some photos with it and developed it in D-76…:

Crossings by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Vintage Olds by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Morgon by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

It does look really nice. I was really put off by the first batch of P30 which did not develop to a normal curve. This looks _much_ nicer. The sunstars on the cars are a bit odd - does it have a relatively low efficacy antihalation coating?

Low availability is not restricted to Ferrania. Almost all B&W film options apart from Kodak and Ilford have periods of non-availability.

But I'm still not buying any. Did you notice on the data sheet that they recommend development times that produce CIs of 0.44-0.63?! It shows that they still don't really understand or care about what they are doing. I never liked Agfa's recommendations, for example; they were all based on a CI of 0.65 (too high), but they were all a roughly even starting point from which you could easily work a way to get to where you wanted to print. Trying to figure out how to get a negative that prints properly at grade 2.5 from a CI of 0.44!? You need to start yourself, pretty much from scratch. Maybe if they are under one ownership the ORWO/Wolfen staff who have some knowledge of sensitometry can come and put together some consistent times for them.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Did you notice how several of the links referred to the owner as "Jake Seal Orwo"? 🙂 Let's hope this works out. (Why doesn't he go buy up FotoKemika (Efke) too?)

The Efke factory in Croatia was demolished years ago and the equipment scrapped. There's nothing to buy.

 

[Freakscene]

The Efke factory in Croatia was demolished years ago and the equipment scrapped. There's nothing to buy.

Quite a bit of it was bought by Adox/Fotoimpex, but a lot of it was worn out and got trashed. Adox also bought some gear from Forte in Vac, Hungary before the same thing happened there.

 

[SilverInversion]

Just a quick update (not a good one): the site https://www.filmferrania.com/it has been unavailable for some days now.
Draw your own conclusion...

 

[luuca]

😔