"New" ISO400 BW film from Japan Camera Hunter!

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Bellamy is reviving an old traffic-camera emulsion for use in 35mm cameras, and has opened preorders. Shipping in a few months. Looks cool!

http://www.japancamerahunter.com/2016/03/film-news-announcing-jch-streetpan-400-film/

About a year ago I started to make inquiries about what I could do and the options available. That was when I decided I wanted to start off with a 400 monochrome film as it the sort of film that I shoot the most and I was terribly upset when Neopan was axed. I wanted something bold, slightly grainy and with a strong contrast.

Now, I couldn’t have a completely new emulsion made, so I decided to go with an old discontinued surveillance film that was original made by AGFA. And thus JCH StreetPan was born! So this is a re-born film, not a re-spooled film that is still being sold.

 

[Keith]

Seems like a great idea ... but at nearly twelve dollars a roll Aust it ain't cheap.

 

[jsrockit]

Good for him... nice little project that I'm sure felt good to get done. I do love the "come show your support" type of marketing though.

 

[calebarchie]

dear dear... bless him.

 

[Scapevision]

now I only wonder where this place is called Belguim

 

[BillBingham2]

Every box sold is a good box as they will bring profit to the company and they will "make" more!

B2 (;->

 

[mfogiel]

I am really happy for Bellamy, especially because it was his birthday when he wrote this, but can someone explain to me, how this film would be twice better than HP5+, given that in Europe it will be twice as expensive? Contrast or spectral sensitivity can always be adjusted with filters and development. I think that if one wants to sell one apple at the cost of two, he really has to be convinced his apple is an outright winner.

 

[jsrockit]

I wonder how the price of this film compares to similar film in Japan?

 

[BLKRCAT]

Im confused by the dev times... 22 minutes for rodinal at 1:50? 17 min for xtol 1:1?? yet ilfosol 3 and hc110 seem to have normal times to every other film.

R09 One Shot (Rodinal) 1 + 25 10:30
R09 One Shot (Rodinal) 1 + 50 22:00
R09 Spezial / Studional 1 + 15 8:30
R09 Spezial / Studionial 1 + 31 17:00
Rollei Supergrain 1 + 12 7:00
Rollei RLS (ISO 200/24°) 1 + 4 14:30 (24°)
Ilford Ilfosol 3 1 + 3 5:00
Illord ID-11 / Kodak D-76 1 +1 10:50
Ilford Perceptol 1 + 1 10:00
Kodak HC-110 B (1+31) 5:00
Kodak X-Tol 1 + 1 17:00
Tanol (ISO 200/24°) 1 + 1 + 100 19:30

 

[joeswe]

I am really happy for Bellamy, especially because it was his birthday when he wrote this, but can someone explain to me, how this film would be twice better than HP5+, given that in Europe it will be twice as expensive? Contrast or spectral sensitivity can always be adjusted with filters and development. I think that if one wants to sell one apple at the cost of two, he really has to be convinced his apple is an outright winner.

I guess in Europe you could simply order Rollei Retro 400S from Maco for 4.30 Euro/roll, but of course you would miss the flashy box and the film wouldn't have to travel all the way to Japan and then back.
Be prepared for some extended testing, this film is quite finicky when it comes to exposure and development. At least this is my experience. I gave up after 5 rolls (this was in 120), but your mileage may vary.

 

[joeswe]

Im confused by the dev times... 22 minutes for rodinal at 1:50? 17 min for xtol 1:1?? yet ilfosol 3 and hc110 seem to have normal times to every other film.

R09 One Shot (Rodinal) 1 + 25 10:30
R09 One Shot (Rodinal) 1 + 50 22:00
R09 Spezial / Studional 1 + 15 8:30
R09 Spezial / Studionial 1 + 31 17:00
Rollei Supergrain 1 + 12 7:00
Rollei RLS (ISO 200/24°) 1 + 4 14:30 (24°)
Ilford Ilfosol 3 1 + 3 5:00
Illord ID-11 / Kodak D-76 1 +1 10:50
Ilford Perceptol 1 + 1 10:00
Kodak HC-110 B (1+31) 5:00
Kodak X-Tol 1 + 1 17:00
Tanol (ISO 200/24°) 1 + 1 + 100 19:30

This seems mostly spot on for Retro 400S (or Agfa Aviphot 400S for that matter), but I guess some typos (llfosol 3?) may have happened when the dev times were put together from different sources.

 

[oftheherd]

Seems like a great idea ... but at nearly twelve dollars a roll Aust it ain't cheap.

I like the idea of the film, and at about 8 dollars or so a roll US, it is a little expensive. Still, a brand new run of film, and a near IR film at that, maybe it isn't so expensive, just not the film to take out and burn multiple rolls at every outing.

I'm going to try it and hope the price starts going down if enough other people start buying and using it.

 

[Skiff]

Looking at the description Bellamy Hunt gives, this film is the discontinued Agfa Aviphot Pan 400. This film was used both as aerial and traffic surveillance film. Same is valid for Aviphot Pan 200 and the old Kodak Hawkeye, all used both as aerial and surveillance films.
I've used the Aviphot Pan 400 (at that time it was also available as Rollei Retro 400S, first version).
But I got the result that the Aviphot Pan 400 was only 1° DIN = 1/3 stop faster than the cheaper Aviphot Pan 200 (Rollei Superpan 200). Therefore I stayed with Aviphot Pan 200 / Superpan 200.

After the discontinuation of Aviphot Pan 400 Rollei put the Aviphot Pan 200 in the Rollei Retro 400S boxes.
Therefore now Aviphot Pan 200 = Superpan 200 = Retro 400S = Rollei IR.
That is fresh film, current production. And almost identical to the former Aviphot Pan 400 = JCH film.
But the current Rollei options are much much cheaper than the JCH film (which is old stock).

My conclusion: Buying the JCH stuff has only disadvantages compared to buying the Rollei Stuff.

 

[nhchen]

I've been using a Maco AQS surveillance film which I think is rebadged rollei retro 400s. It's still quite inexpensive, you can get it here in Australia for $65 for 150ft. If you roll it out yourself that's only $2 a roll.

 

[Range-rover]

That is great news, I'm hoping that someone makes some more color film. I was in
B&H last week standing on line buying film and as I looked around their were three
other people buying film as well, so I guess the more film the better.

 

[Perks]

Hi nhchen, I would be interested in your experience with Maco AQS. I have been working a bulk roll myself and have been planning to start a thread on it, as info is pretty sketchy.

I have worked out some times for exposure at 320 and 640 in rodinal 1+25 but am looking to work some out for ei 400 in D-76 for use in a point and shoot.

Please look out for thread later on today and share your experiences!

 

[jbielikowski]

The only product I liked from Bellamy was the kimono strap which he sadly discontinued before I decided to buy it.

But hey, it's a surveillance film, it was made for street!

 

[Particular]

Agfa surveillance film? This is begging to be released in Robot cartridges.

 

[HHPhoto]

Sorry friends, but how ridiculous ist that film??
Bellamy Hunt is always complaining, extremely loud and harsh, about discontinued films, and now he is introducing a
discontinued film!
Leftover film stock from a corner in a warehouse, which has absolutely no future, because that film type will never be produced again.
When the stock is depleted, its over for this film!

And the customer don't get any additional benefit at all!! If you want that film look, just use the (almost) identical Rollei Retro 400S, Superpan 200 and Rollei IR (= Agfa Aviphot Pan 200).
Then you have fresh film from current production, not many years old stock like the JCH film. And it is cheaper, too.

And photographers who are buying this film then have not the money anymore to buy film which is really currently produced at active manufacturers like Adox, Ilford, Fuji, Kodak, Foma, Agfa.
This relabeling of old warehouse stock is only decreasing demand for currently produced film! We don't need that at all!!!

Looks like B. Hunt is thinking we as customers are so stupid not to be realising that we are being ripped off.
First this stupid and counterproductive bashing campaign against Fuji, and now this.
I've completely lost my trust in JCH.
What he is currently doing is very bad for the film community.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Paul T.]

What a silly over-reaction. He is increasing choice, being completely open about what the product is, and therefore manifestly not ripping anyone off.