Russian film?

[BILLC]

Has anyone used Russian film? Do they make film? We can get film from China, the Balkens(sp), the UK, and the US, but the FSU? Do they put T MAX or pan f through their old Feds like I do?
Bill

 

[Jocko]

Hallo Bill - the Russian film industry (so to speak) is smaller that it was (surprise) but you can buy some of their products in the west - and many other interesting films - here: http://www.retrophotographic.com/tasma.htm

Cheers, Ian

 

[KoNickon]

I hav wondered for some time just what film is used in Russia. I bet it's interesting, "old look" stuff, but the fact it's not available except for reloadable cassettes makes me lose interest. I bet if they decided to offer the film in standard cassettes they would have a market in the West.

 

[Jocko]

I agree Nick - although the 100 ISO film is available in cassettes. I'd really like to see some fast Russian film: I have visions of marvellously thumping grain and film noire grittiness.... Heaven!

Ian

 

[VinceC]

In the late 1980s, before the communist governments fell, my future wife visited Prague. I asked her to bring back a roll of film for me to put on my photo display shelf (just one shelf back then). She returned with a roll of Kodak Gold 100 and a small portfolio of several official-looking papers bearing multiple government stamps -- it had taken her the better part of a day to get permission from Communist authorities for a foreigner to buy film, then had to visit two separate administrative offices in the city to get the stamps and approval letters. This also garnered her surveillance by a plainclothes security detail for the rest of the day.

 

[Evgeny S]

Guys, FYI the only film manufacturer in Russia is TASMA plant. It produces the classic bw film, based on the "retro" technology. Although I didn't use TASMA film (because it's a bit difficult to buy it even in Russia itself), I've heard that this film can produce good pictures (sharp and with some kind of "retro" look).
BTW, another Russian pland still produces the photographic plates 😀

 

[bmattock]

TASMA is in Tartarstan, and SVEMA is part of the SUMI OBLAST in Ukraine.

I have been trying very hard to get in touch with either of these to purchase some of their film for export to the USA. I understand that Retrophotographics in the UK sells Tasma, but I'm hoping to get a connection closer to the wholesale level.

I'm intensely curious about both of them. There is also a Russian company that I believe makes glass plates but not photographic film, but I forget the name at the moment.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[rbiemer]

I bought some Svema 64 speed film(a whopping two rolls) from Alex[on ebay] the last time I got some other stuff from him just to put on the shelf with the FSU cameras. Cassettes look like the re-usable ones you can buy for bulk loading and are packed in foil in side the boxes.
Rob

 

[bmattock]

I bought some Svema 64 speed film(a whopping two rolls) from Alex[on ebay] the last time I got some other stuff from him just to put on the shelf with the FSU cameras. Cassettes look like the re-usable ones you can buy for bulk loading and are packed in foil in side the boxes.
Rob

How did you like it?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[rbiemer]

Haven't actually used it. I couldn't resisit my curiosity and opened one of the boxes.
Don't think I'll be using the other--for the forseeable future I'm not processing my own--shoot mt a PM, Bill and I'll send it to you.
Rob

 

[lushd]

A few years ago a Russian friend who works at an institute in St Petersberg emptied the cupboards of their old film stocks and gave me a few rolls of Svema 64 in 120 size. I have to say it was poor but it was out of date. Fuzzy, low contrast etc. Not a fair trial though.

 

[lynn]

I hate sounding like an broken record (record? what's a record?) so I've been hesitant to join this discussion.
But: I shot one of my three rolls of very old Svemapan a while back. I posted the results here - somewhere (the thread had something to do with "logic", as I recall) - and on my photoblog.
The scanned images needed a fair bit of photoshopping, but I was happy.
I'm easy to please, though.

 

[bmattock]

Cool! I didn't know about it, and I'll look for it.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Evgeny S]

Comparing to the TASMA film, any SVEMA film is a real bullshit now. SVEMA plant was practicaly "ruined" during the last 10 years. There are rumours (99% truly, because I've heard this from different photographers) that all they can do now is to cut bulk outdated (!) Forte film and put it into cassettes under SVEMA name.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Svema found in a FED-1

Svema found in a FED-1

I once received a FED from the Ukraine with film still in it. The film developed well, save for fogged portions, likely caused by opening the camera's bottom plate when it changed hands. Film turned out to be Svema. I sent the seller scans of the negatives, asking her if she knew who these were, when these were from, and where from the Ukraine. She could only answer in the negative in all counts- plus saying that there were many places in her country that hardly changed in over a century, and it was quite hard to assess information from the costumes of the people seen there.

The pictures were snaps of children, pets, their Ded/Babushka, and some village scenes. These photos meant a lot to this people, and its so sad that they never got to see their snaps. There is a mark on the film strip which said "4 СВЕМА 01.92." which may well indicate its date of make. If so, the shots may have been from the 1990s.

Attached is a scan from a couple of strips from that Svema roll:

 

[Jocko]

Jay, that's amazing! One of the things which most intrigues me about our cameras is their "prehistoric" (pre-ebay) life: what things they must have seen! you are very lucky!

Ian

 

[BILLC]

Thanks for the link Ian, I will try some. Those shots found make me want to go there and use it there. My high school russian is 40 years rusty but it would be fun.
Bill

 

[Evgeny S]

This is the example of the TASMA Type-17 (400 ASA) film: picture. It's not mine, so I don't know which developer was used.

 

[AlexBurdov]

How did you like it?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

I am live in Russia and regular use TASMA and SVEMA B&W film. It quality such FOMAPAn - but it save temperature great 21C for FOMAPAN 😀

 

[ed1k]

TASMA is in Tartarstan, and SVEMA is part of the SUMI OBLAST in Ukraine.

I have been trying very hard to get in touch with either of these to purchase some of their film for export to the USA. I understand that Retrophotographics in the UK sells Tasma, but I'm hoping to get a connection closer to the wholesale level.

I'm intensely curious about both of them. There is also a Russian company that I believe makes glass plates but not photographic film, but I forget the name at the moment.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

Bill,

www.tasma.ru is a web site of the Tasma company. This site is in Russian, so you need translator (maybe some on-line engine can do it sufficient to get understanding). They have warehouse in Moscow
www.lasso-centre.ru
lasso-centr@telcomnet.ru

Or you can contact directly sales@tasma.ru. Probably best language for communication is Russian anyway, I don't know. I'm interested to get a few rolls of FN-32 and Type 17 aerofilm (400 ISO). I hope some of my friends in Russia will pick it up for me and I will be able to play with it this fall. I'm not intersted to setup a business and sell this film in North America though.

Svema, according to my research, doesn't really make film anymore. In photo stores across the Ukraine one can still buy Svema brand, but it's expensive and you never know what's inside (rebrended Forte or something similar). 25 years ago, Svema was much better than Tasma to my taste.

Regards,
Eduard