Is APS Film Still Made?

[David Hughes]

Hi,

The title says it all but I'm asking because I keep seeing high prices for APS cameras on ebay from other countries and the Contax Tix - which I love - is maintaining silly/high asking prices.

The highest was sold for UKP 107+ That's over 140 Euros... And they'd probably have to pay 30 to 35 Euros tax and duty extra. That's a lot of money to display something on a dusty shelf, and a lot of dusting.

So the obvious question is, what film is available? Other than out of date and badly stored stuff (and the stock in my fridge is getting low).

Regards, David

 

[Skiff]

AFAIK the last manufacturers of APS film have been Fujifilm and Ferrania. But both stopped production some years ago due to too low demand.
Therefore no fresh stock is around.

I guess the relative high prices for several APS cameras have their reason in the preference of some collectors:
There are some quite nice / cute APS cameras.
And the Canon Ixus for example was a design "revolution".

 

[Addy101]

I'm always tempted by the Canon EOS IX - I already own the matching 24-85/3.5-4.5 😀 - but the lack of APS film puts me off.

 

[nikonosguy]

Have the Leica aps camera, there's an outfit in the Midwest that I send my film to for processing. Old film stock only

 

[eia41]

There was a thread some months ago, about Ferrania ex managers kickstarting finance to re-tool and start production of several types / sizes of film. They would produce 35mm chrome, Colour and B&W negatives and (if I remember well) APS and 8mm cine film!! Their minimum investment target had been already exceeded by far. Could someone check this out, please, as I am in a hurry and already late to catch a plane?
Many thanks

 

[David Hughes]

Thanks everyone.

The post about Ferrania was very interesting, there may be some hope for us.

I always thought that the APS cameras reached maturity and didn't start getting silly like digital ones have. Plus they made some excellent cameras for the pocket and street photography. The best ones matching 35mm film at 8 x 12 but I've not gone beyond that...

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Regards, David

PS And a lot of people will be interested in the old "amateur" cine sizes.

 

[Addy101]

Ferrania film will manufacture 35mm and 120 still formats, as well as Super 8 and 16mm cine formats. There is no mention on their website regarding APS. Somebody asked them and the answer was "We have the ability to finish APS materials, however, we will have a limited production capacity in our early stages and without a significant boost in overall requests, we think it is unlikely."

 

[jschrader]

I do not think they will make APS film. This was a pure "middle-class consumer" concept. Nobody ever developed those films at home.

There is simply not market to set up an APS development service. APS had a small market share when it was at it top. Who would prefer it today over 35mm?

 

[Godfrey]

I have a Nikon Pronea S and a couple of Canon ELPH models, and a freezer with a lot of APS film in it still ... some nice emulsions like the Fuji F100 and Advantix B&W.

I have no time to shoot with these things and use them up before processing services disappear entirely, so if anyone is interested send me a message and I'll give it to you for the cost of shipping it.

G

 

[Mike Fish]

"fresh, cold-stored, expired" APS film here in several varieties.

http://filmphotographyproject.com/store/film/aps-film

To answer the original question - I don't know of anyone making "new" APS.

 

[David Hughes]

I have a Nikon Pronea S and a couple of Canon ELPH models, and a freezer with a lot of APS film in it still ... some nice emulsions like the Fuji F100 and Advantix B&W.

I have no time to shoot with these things and use them up before processing services disappear entirely, so if anyone is interested send me a message and I'll give it to you for the cost of shipping it.

G

Hi,

That's a nice offer and I hope it makes a lot of people happy. My thoughts are the same in that I'm trying to guess when the local lab (or any lab) will abandon it and pace my usage out carefully.

Several APS cameras and film can compete with 35mm, btw. But not for posters but if you are looking at up to A4 or 8 by 12 prints then it competes. BTW, several of the cameras are P&S's with good zooms and primes and AF. Then there's the Contax Tix (mine was sold years ago before I managed to restock the fridge) and the lovely Minolta Vectis S-1, which sells for next to nothing these days and yet is a very well designed SLR for enthusiasts and their non-technical friends.

Regards, David

 

[MDenton]

http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-Advantix-Speed-Exposure-APS/dp/B000050NON

 

[GaryLH]

Cool.. I still have my APS cameras. Thanks for the amazon pointer. I wonder who still does APS developing.

Gary

 

[Godfrey]

Hi,

That's a nice offer and I hope it makes a lot of people happy. My thoughts are the same in that I'm trying to guess when the local lab (or any lab) will abandon it and pace my usage out carefully.

Several APS cameras and film can compete with 35mm, btw. But not for posters but if you are looking at up to A4 or 8 by 12 prints then it competes. BTW, several of the cameras are P&S's with good zooms and primes and AF. Then there's the Contax Tix (mine was sold years ago before I managed to restock the fridge) and the lovely Minolta Vectis S-1, which sells for next to nothing these days and yet is a very well designed SLR for enthusiasts and their non-technical friends.

Regards, David

I did a lot of photography with the Contax Tix and Canon EOS iX for a bit there in the late 1990s. They produced lovely results: Advantix B&W and Fuji F100 were very good films, and the ability to auto-scan a whole roll of 40 with the Minolta and Nikon film scanners without touching a piece of film was actually a very nice thing.

The cameras I have now are the ELPH jr (my daily pocket cam for a couple of years) and my uncle's (the Nikon and I think another Canon ELPH). I sold the Contax Tix some time ago .. It was really the best APS camera IMO, discounting the versatility of the SLRs.

APS film was really the last gasp of innovative new format development. It was just a bit too late, and the photofinishers groused about the investment required which pretty much killed it.

(Far as I'm aware, the local camera shop in Palo Alto, CA, still runs APS film ... I haven't tried in a year and some but maybe I'll punch a roll through and see. ;-)

G

 

[GaryLH]

Godfrey do u mean Keeble & Schucket?

Gary

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey do u mean Keeble & Schucket?

Gary

Yes... too busy, couldnt rememer their name. 🙂
G

 

[Tom hicks]

I'm always tempted by the Canon EOS IX - I already own the matching 24-85/3.5-4.5 😀 - but the lack of APS film puts me off.

Addy I have 3 , love them . all like new in bow for around 25 $ off ebay I also have some 200 plus rolls of film , I develope it myself with modified spools

 

[Bill Clark]

Would this work:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_8n9i9ey6d3_b

 

[ravilamir]

The demise of APS was also due to the lack of availability of the cassettes.
I heard a story years ago (and this might be just a story) that the only factory that did those cassettes went down with the hurricane Katrina.

 

[Tony Whitney]

I have two Canon APS cameras, one is about the last they made and it takes great pictures (at least, it did when I last used it). It's a pity APS faded away, but this brief period in photographic history did produce some weird and wonderful cameras. Both my Canons are as-new and boxed. I always thought they were worthless, but perhaps not....TW