Opinions on KONICA MINOLTA film

[Taipei-metro]

Conclusion:

Unless someone convinces me that the seemingly randon grain/exposure issues are not a problem with the film, but my (camera's) problem or a problem with the developing, I will not buy this Konica Minolta 400 again. It might be a bit cheaper, compared to Kodak or Fuji, but if these are the results one can expect I consider the quality unacceptable.

After I finished the other two rolls I bought (I bought a three-pack) and find that these problems are consistant, I will stay away from Konica Minolta film.

Hi,
I've shot hundreds of rolls of Konica 100, 200, 400 starting when they're called Sakura.
I would suggest, bring your K film to Fuji lab, if you don't like their prints, ask your photographer friends, which lab they frequented, or ask the lab people if there is any better labs around.
This labs charge 10 to 15 cents per print which is very cheap. Kodak labs charge more, you can take your Konica to them to see if they did better than Fuji.
Use a Slr and 35 f2 lens to test indoor shoots.

 

[julio1fer]

I've shot several rolls of Konica VX100, all of them developed in a Fuji Frontier lab with good results. One of those rolls was shot in a half frame Olympus Pen, and one of those half frames went up to 8 x 10 without much trouble at all. Grain is not much different from Fuji color film IMO.

IMO with color neg film the lab matters as much as the film.

 

[Taipei-metro]

I've just got back a roll of Minolta 400 color negatives, developed by the couple 'o hours here. I'll post some of them when I get back from dinner. There were some good ones, but I noticed some seemed a bit to bright. As if they were overexposed, which they weren't.

Konica Minolta film is a lot cheaper than the others here in Taipei.

Michiel, I forgot,
Welcome to Taiwan...You may hate her in the summer though...and fungus may have grown in your Epic already...
C-41 process is pretty much all in automation, it's for each lab to replace developer as necessary, some labs may not follow the rule especially nowadays in Taipei, 95% or more young photographers are using digital cameras.
If you are not comfortable w Konica film, Fuji is not that expensive, psychologically, I'd trust Fuji over Konica, if, you're doing magazine assignments. (Underexposure may also bring out grains from your 400)
All over Taiwan, you can easily find Konica, Fuji and made in China Kodak film cheap. Again, because most if not all youngsters...gone digital.

 

[Michiel]

Michiel, I forgot,
Welcome to Taiwan...You may hate her in the summer though...and fungus may have grown in your Epic already...
C-41 process is pretty much all in automation, it's for each lab to replace developer as necessary, some labs may not follow the rule especially nowadays in Taipei, 95% or more young photographers are using digital cameras.
If you are not comfortable w Konica film, Fuji is not that expensive, psychologically, I'd trust Fuji over Konica, if, you're doing magazine assignments. (Underexposure may also bring out grains from your 400)
All over Taiwan, you can easily find Konica, Fuji and made in China Kodak film cheap. Again, because most if not all youngsters...gone digital.

Thanks for your comments, Taipei-metro. I know about the summers.. for me even winter here is too hot already, but at least not as moist 🙂

I have shot some color film by Fuji and Kodak here already, so that is what I compared the Konica Minolta film to. Maybe mine was just a bad batch, like Gabrielma said, or not done right by the lab, but the results are really very poor..

Anyway, your experience and that of the others here seems to say that overall, the film is good. For me buying this was a small experiment, I normally don't shoot color but because it was so cheap I wanted to at least try it.

I love it that film here is so cheap! I don't want to hijack the thread (can't send you a pm or e-mail), but wanted to ask you if there is any place here that sells the Chinese B&W film Bill Mattocks imported? I'd like to try it, see how it compares to Agfapan and Kodak Tmax. I mainly use Agfapan APX 100, it costs NTD 70 per roll. The shopkeeper tells me he'll sell me 10 rolls for NTD 600. Compared to Europe it's a bargain, but I can't help feeling I can get it cheaper here in Taibei somehwere.. I'm planning on buying at least 50 rolls and send them home before I leave.

 

[Taipei-metro]

Thanks for your comments, Taipei-metro. I know about the summers.. for me even winter here is too hot already, but at least not as moist 🙂

I have shot some color film by Fuji and Kodak here already, so that is what I compared the Konica Minolta film to. Maybe mine was just a bad batch, like Gabrielma said, or not done right by the lab, but the results are really very poor..

Anyway, your experience and that of the others here seems to say that overall, the film is good. For me buying this was a small experiment, I normally don't shoot color but because it was so cheap I wanted to at least try it.

I love it that film here is so cheap! I don't want to hijack the thread (can't send you a pm or e-mail), but wanted to ask you if there is any place here that sells the Chinese B&W film Bill Mattocks imported? I'd like to try it, see how it compares to Agfapan and Kodak Tmax. I mainly use Agfapan APX 100, it costs NTD 70 per roll. The shopkeeper tells me he'll sell me 10 rolls for NTD 600. Compared to Europe it's a bargain, but I can't help feeling I can get it cheaper here in Taibei somehwere.. I'm planning on buying at least 50 rolls and send them home before I leave.

Hi,
BrianPhotog may know better( Cosina-voigtlander.com) about b&w films. I don't shoot b&w any more. 10+ years ago I was buying 100 feet bulks of Agfa, Neopan or Tri-x, Plus-x, but not now.
Bo-ai Rd camera streets near Taipei PO have many big photo stores you may want to check them out. But I've never notice if any one store sells them.
Era 100 was very well received amongst Chinese user, almost everybody loved it. I've never heard about it until Bill's sale in RFF.
If it was produced in Shantou, Fujian, than it is quite near to Taiwan actually, you can take the ferry from Kinmen to Shamen City( as an adventure), where it's about 100 miles north of Shantou. Rumor says they're seizing the production.
It's called 'Kong-yuan', or 'The Year of the Lord' in China. As low as 65 cents per 36 ex. roll. Good luck!

 

[Taipei-metro]

10 rolls for NT$600, that's about $1.85 per roll, not too bad. Agfapan is very good of course.

 

[ZorkiKat]

"Gong Yuan" (工元）

"Gong Yuan" (工元）

Hi,

It's called 'Kong-yuan', or 'The Year of the Lord' in China. As low as 65 cents per 36 ex. roll. Good luck!

"Gong Yuan" (工元） might be the more recognisable pinyin in the PRC. 😀 This film was my staple for years until its local importer closed shop. I liked it very much. Started using it in 1985 (20 years ago!) in its 120 roll format, and then mostly as 35. I also got it in 30m long rolls (more consistency at least in terms of speed and developing times). I found it to vary in speed- the GB21/100ISO emulsions tended to have real EIs between 64 and 125, though EI 80 seemed to be the norm. Also developing times were not consistent. Most developed right at 10min/20C in straight D76, though some needed 12 mins. The instructions did say 10-12 mins.

 

[Heath]

I have used the 400 C-41 B&W film that Konica-Minolta makes and have gotten some great results from it.

Heath

 

[ZorkiKat]

I have used the 400 C-41 B&W film that Konica-Minolta makes and have gotten some great results from it.

Heath

Heath

Would that be the Konica Monochrome VX-400? That was a great film. It was the most "colour-negative"-like of all chromogenic BW films I tried. As such, it's easier to get more neutral toned monochrome grey prints on colour paper printed by 1 hour labs. It's perhaps of its more defined orange mask, similar to that in colour negatives.

 

[palabras]

sometimes i used konica color film as a black&white film, developing it with rodinal.

it gives strange surprising results!