Spanik
Well-known
Would you care to put the date on that question? We are now what, two years?, further or so and there is only a b&w that replaced nothing and added nothing. The kickstarter proved that there is a demand for slide film. You really think that Ferrania will ever make that slide film?
I'm still waiting for those films from the kickstarter but I'm not holding my breath. When my freezer is empty I go digital so they have still 2 years or so.
I'm still waiting for those films from the kickstarter but I'm not holding my breath. When my freezer is empty I go digital so they have still 2 years or so.
brbo
Well-known
Some more samples from Vario Chrome (shot at iso400):
Skiff
Well-known
I have to disagree.
All other manufacturers have stopped reversal film production.
All but Fujifilm!
Fujifilm has been the only manufacturer which has kept reversal film alive during the last five years. They are producing the films, the E6 chemistry (both for prof. labs in bulk and for amateurs with the excellent Fuji Hunt E6 home kit), and they are even running some big mass volume professional labs which offer E6 development at very low prices.
Only because of Fujifilm's commitment to reversal film the whole global infrastructure for E6 has been kept alive!
Only because of Fujifilm's brave behaviour now Film Ferrania and Kodak have the chance to enter the reversal market again.
If Fujifilm would have followed Kodak in 2012 by stopping the whole reversal film production, too, then the whole infrastructure would have collapsed in the last years, and with it any chance for a reversal film revival.
Therefore: Kudos and a big thanks to Fujifilm for keeping slide film alive despite all the severe difficulties in the market!
And as explained by me in my posts above, Fujifilm is listening. And when in a segment there is new, increasing demand they react positively with new products.
But if the demand is decreasing and going under a critical level for a certain product, they must react as well to protect the other films with sufficient demand.
No matter which manufacturer: They only discontinue products in the following cases:
- collapsed demand, volume too low to keep the line running
- loss of essential raw materials
- new legal restrictions.
In most cases it is collapsed demand. If photographers stop using a product, the consequence is the discontinuation of this product.
The bitter truth is:
The films we have lost in the past were lost because of the behaviour of us photographers. Photographers have discontinued films by stopping buying them.
And not because a manufacturer is "evil".
If we change our behaviour, increase our demand again, get additional photographers hooked in using film, then we will see re-introduced films in the future!
We want Provia 400X and Astia 100F back on the market again?
If we increase our demand for Provia 100F (and / or its derivate AgfaPhoto CT Precisa) and the Velvias and give Fujifilm a clear signal for the reversal film revival, they will react in a positive way.
There is no or little R&D necessary to bring these films back. So if there is new and sufficient demand, it makes economic sense for them. And they will take the chance. As they did with Instax.
Skiff
Well-known
Some thoughts concerning that:
1. Film Ferrania has to start at some point, with one film. And as their former ISO 100/21° has been their most modern slide film (AFAIK), and this speed is the most popular by demand in the market, it makes of course sense to start with such a film.
2. Film Ferrania has said that if the 100 speed film is a success, they plan to introduce the following former reversal films as well:
- ISO 400/27° day-light
- ISO 800 (P3200) day-light
- ISO 640 tungsten.
3. Fact is that we have more than ISO 50 and 100 reversal films today:
You can push and pull all current Fujifilm reversal films without problems by 1 stop with good to excellent results.
Especially Provia 100F is excellent and extremely flexible in that regard:
- Excellent results at ISO 50/18° with one stop pull process
- Outstanding and benchmark at box speed
- Excellent at ISO 200/24° with one stop push process; at this speed it is even better than all former original ISO 200 slide films!
- and even still very good at ISO 400/27° with two stop push process; at 400 Provia 100F is even finer grained and has higher resolution compared to the former Ektachrome 400X and the former 400 Ferrania / Scotch Chrome film.