Anybody tried Freestyle's new AristaPan 100?

[MattKing]

a giant pile of snap

You could write film promotional materials

 

[Adrian Bacon]

You could write film promotional materials

lol... I doubt it. I'm just using terminology that I feel best describes what I've seen of NP-100 in sample pictures online. The mid-tones are downright snappy looking. Granted you could get that look with pretty much every film film by putting the bulk of the histogram in the middle, then adding a nice S-Curve with a curves adjustment (Photoshop) or in the Tone Curve panel (LR Develop module), but NP-100/AristaPan 100 does it right out of the box and even though it's pretty strong, it's not too much. I'll bet that a darkroom enlargement would look great.

 

[npl]

Perfect timing. I got a roll of Wolfen NP100 yesterday and was struggling to find developement times. I'll just use AristaPan's !

 

[John Wiegerink]

This sounds like a very nice film. I would like to try it since those "snappy" mid-tones sound interesting, but I just don't shoot 35mm much at all anymore. 120 is what I'm waiting for.

 

[pentaxuser]

I should probably launch my own new B&W film, and so should my neighbor and my dog.

Yes, why not? Everyone else seems to be doing it

pentaxuser

 

[Chuck1]

Anyone know if 120 will happen?

 

[removedacct3]

Anyone know if 120 will happen?

Like most of us here I too am clueless, but looking at their current portfolio I noticed that they do not sell any product in 120 format. Looks like ORWO does not have any interest in or lack the production facilities to produce 120 film.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

Like most of us here I too am clueless, but looking at their current portfolio I noticed that they do not sell any product in 120 format. Looks like ORWO does not have any interest in or lack the production facilities to produce 120 film.

That may just be due to the fact that 35mm outsells 120 several times over. I run an Amazon storefront that sells film products and even though I try to carry as many formats as economically possible, even 35mm 24 exposure rolls sell more than 120 does, and 120 outsells sheet film by a huge margin. I'd imagine they wouldn't even consider 120 until enough people were requesting it.

 

[Anon Ymous]

@Adrian Bacon So, how many 135 films do you sell for every 120 film being sold? I always wondered how much 135 outsells 120.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

@Adrian Bacon So, how many 135 films do you sell for every 120 film being sold? I always wondered how much 135 outsells 120.

That depends quite a bit on the emulsion. For every case of Portra in 120 that I manage to move, I move at least several cases in 135 format. A case is 20 pro packs, which contain 5 rolls each. For black and white it's even more pronounced. 35mm is the king and 120 and larger formats just don't move much in comparison. With some black and white emulsions, it's absurd. Arista.EDU and Fomapan both move multiple cases in the time it takes to move ~20 rolls of 120. Ilford HP5 is about the same. 120 does sell, but when you're buying at wholesale prices, if you buy the same amount of 120 as 135, you're going to be sitting on a bunch of inventory waiting for it to move.

 

[Craig]

I always wondered how much 135 outsells 120.

About 15 years ago, Simon Galley said that 35mm outsold 120 by "many, many times".

 

[Adrian Bacon]

About 15 years ago, Simon Galley said that 35mm outsold 120 by "many, many times".

He wasn't lying. Sheet film and 120 for many emulsions would have been discontinued long ago if the film manufacturers were making decisions purely on economics alone. Fortunately for us, they're showing their commitment by making as many emulsions as they do available in 120 and sheet form, and they're using part of the proceeds of 135 sales to subsidize it. I wish I had the capital available to just simply carry all the sheet film made, but the reality of the matter is, it moves so slowly that it's just not economically feasible for me to do so. A bigger outfit like B&H, or Adorama, or Freestyle can do it, but the best many of us smaller players can do is make it available as a special order item, and carry enough 120 for the more popular emulsions that we can say we carry 120, but the real money is in 135.

 

[Prest_400]

A bigger outfit like B&H, or Adorama, or Freestyle can do it, but the best many of us smaller players can do is make it available as a special order item, and carry enough 120 for the more popular emulsions that we can say we carry 120, but the real money is in 135.

The insight on 35 vs 120 film sales is interesting. Lately I end up mentioning Fuji around, they seemingly are supplying 35mm here and there but 120 is very limited in availability and somehow even Fuji 400H 120 still lingers in some stores. In a very positive note, my (EU) country's film distributor (mostly Ilford) created a film based event and mentioned that the demand for film increased (paraphrasing) about 10 times in the last 5 years. I noticed this through much better and competitive availability of film, including 120, in the store countries. Previously I went with group orders to the big German stores.

I am across the pond in EU so not much insight on this film, however, Lomography's Potsdam and Berlin are supposedly Orwo films:

Is Lomography Potsdam UN54?

I've read that the Lomography Kino films are really just ORWO cine films... which has got me thinking, is potsdam UN54, and would that make the berlin film N74, or are ORWO cine films different emulsions?

www.photrio.com

 

[lamerko]

About 15 years ago, Simon Galley said that 35mm outsold 120 by "many, many times".

That's logical. The reasons are complex, but it all revolves around mobility. There are quite compact 35mm cameras that can be with you at any moment. The medium format, with a few exceptions, is quite bulky, for the large - there is nothing to talk about.
Historically, the digital camera boom gave birth to ultra-compact cameras that took a large share of DSLRs. With the development of smartphones, the compact cameras became history. On the other hand, DSLRs went the same way with the advent of mirrorless cameras. And all this in the name of compactness. A phone will always be with you, but you wouldn't take Mamiya 67 away anytime.

 

[Anon Ymous]

@Adrian Bacon Thank you for your insight.

 

[synhare]

If you have shot and developed this film? What is the closest film you would compare it to? I'm not knowledgeable enough to be able to read the spectral graphs. I usually do a comparison between my current film stocks every year by shooting the same scene.

 

[bluechromis]

The Orwo website, dated 2022, says, "NP100 has been made available on a strictly limited run of 36,000 cassettes..." Hopefully, the limited run thing is out of date, and we are not going down the road of Silvermax 100.
https://www.orwo.wtf/blog/introducing-wolfen-np100-our-brand-new-black-and-white-photo-film

 

[Adrian Bacon]

The Orwo website, dated 2022, says, "NP100 has been made available on a strictly limited run of 36,000 cassettes..." Hopefully, the limited run thing is out of date, and we are not going down the road of Silvermax 100.
https://www.orwo.wtf/blog/introducing-wolfen-np100-our-brand-new-black-and-white-photo-film

36,000 cassettes is approximately one master roll.

 

[cmacd123]

The Orwo website, dated 2022, says, "NP100 has been made available on a strictly limited run of 36,000 cassettes..." Hopefully, the limited run thing is out of date, and we are not going down the road of Silvermax 100.
https://www.orwo.wtf/blog/introducing-wolfen-np100-our-brand-new-black-and-white-photo-film

The German "Camera" Magzine (issue #2) did an interview with the Leader of "Original Wolfen" - Mr. Seal - and he stated thet they were planning to use one of their weeks on the Coating machine to make another batch of B&W film. (the machine is apparently now actually owned by "Polaroid") the articles implied that the master rolls are then sent to Wolfen, where a few people slit the film and perforate it on machinery handed down from the former ORWO motion Picture film finishing department. the article mentioned staffing levels that sound fairly low to me... If you can get a hold of a copy of the magazine, it is interesting reading, and issue #2 is about half about the Original Wolfen folks - (who are now using that name on their packages as they only have the rights to use ORWO in some countries, although they have not had fights with the forlks who own the ORWO name in Germany, who are also tenants in the same building)

 

[braxus]

So if Aristapan 100 is basically Wolfen NP100, would there be any quality difference (or quality control) between these two films? Its a 2 dollar difference between them on Freestyle. Anyone shot these two side by side to see if they are indeed the same film?

 

[JWMster]

What Was I thinking Headslap: Well.... I guess the whole of Adrian's notes show how bonkers I am: When I got into LF, part of my premise was that sheet film was so simple to produce it might be the last to go. Looks like that was about as far off the mark as you can get as the reality would be that simplicity wouldn't motivate the same way as actually selling whatever a confectioner/distributor produces. Another false premise is that the images would involve less post production work at the computer. Probably the only verity I've found is that there's more engagement required and somewhat more fun in an analog process, and that using cameras that are simple removes some complexity (at least one time and within limits) allowing my brain to focus on capturing the scene rather than configuring the buttons (and yes I shoot manual 99% of the time with my digital cameras). Moreover, the crash in film camera prices (at least at one time) means that I can now afford cameras (also I do have a bigger self-funded allowans as an adult) I could only dream of as a kid, AND view cameras provide a more elegant means of controling perspective than "keystoning" in a darkroom or in software. My handicap is that once you see it can be done in camera, you can't unsee it. Meantime the digital skill set evolves in ways that marry the two (like for flash photography).

Very curious about Adrian's views on Adox CHS II as I have a bunch in the fridge I have yet to try given a slide up the ISO to 400 (HP5 and Delta 400 as my defaults). Yet with both color and B&W, I'm feeling the pull back to ISO 100.

FWIW but off topic: My most used camera is my Fujifilm XT-4. With film, my pocket size MF's (Pentax 645N and Mamiya RB67) get carried with me everywhere so I can instantly post to social media whenever 4X5 won't serve the same purpose. Yes, I'm joking. I've kept the 35mm Nikon F4 just for new film trials and debugging developers, but really, digital APC's handle the functional travel and family photos better and scale out smaller even if they're probably nowhere near as rugged.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

Very curious about Adrian's views on Adox CHS II as I have a bunch in the fridge I have yet to try given a slide up the ISO to 400 (HP5 and Delta 400 as my defaults). Yet with both color and B&W, I'm feeling the pull back to ISO 100.

What do you wan to know?

 

[cmacd123]

Hi, some detailed notes. I ordered some of the Arista Pan from Freestyle, and just want through paying the Brokerage fees - seems that Fed EX paid the governement 30 dollars of Duty on 300 dollars of film, Plus teh 13% HST (canada's Version of VAT) so they were not trying to get the best rate.. Package is due to be delivered Next week. and I may have more details of what I am seeing then.

I got a few rolls today from B&H and here are my initial observations.

Artista EDU Ultra. - Came in the "filc film" style cassettes - but in the same Black Cans that I am used to see on Foma and EDU Ultra film. film is labeled "Made In Canada". the Filc Ultrapan is in a Flic cassette and a clear plastic can. All with KS perforations. May have to set aside my remaining older EDU Ultra for the Canon Cameras that don't like the plastic cassettes.

Flic Brand "wolfen" 100. in a flic cassette, film with dark Back (anti-Holo-dye?) and BH perfs.

Original Wolfen NP100. Also in a flic style Cassette. KS perforations, also Dark back side (Anti Halo?) Box says Filmotec GMBH and says "Please Not our instructions" also the box lists "Process C-41"!!! although the label on the cassette says Process D96 or Orwo 17... Plastic can SIMALAR to those used by Flic.

Original Wolfen UN54. In metal DX coded Printed on the metal, Crimped end cap Cassette. Lighter coloured Back (no ANti-halo Dye?) also KS perforations so this is not just reloaded Movie Stock... Box also says Filmotec GMBH and this one refers to Process D96, as does the label on the Cassette. No hints as to what Facility did the conversion and loading.

It might be spring before I get to shoot and develop a couple of these and see what if anything the edge print reveals. Winter is not a great time to stroll in the woods, now that my Knees have decided to show their age.

I did put the NP100 also on my Freestyle order and it will be interesting to see if that film is packed differently

and for those who are uninterested in the details, My appology for being a film Packaging Nerd.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

and for those who are uninterested in the details, My appology for being a film Packaging Nerd.

This is great intel

 

[lamerko]

FilmoTec / ORWO's marketing is terrible.
At first, they produced the films themselves - substrate, coating, emulsion... Some time ago, they exported the film to an external company for winding into cartridges. But they had a lot of problems and delays, so they invested in their own machine to make 35mm cartridges.
Their products are generally film stock and technical. In the beginning, the first UN54 and H74 films were sold in large boxes, without markings. Marketing then forced packaging in 135/36 these same films as well as some technical ones like PF2. Their color films are also film stock. For this reason, in the technical specification it is written to be processed in D-96 or ECN-2. The only change is that for colored in 135/36 there is no added rem and accordingly it can be developed as C-41. Another possible difference with UN54 in boxes and cartridges is the perforation - those in boxes are BH.
The P400 and NP100 films are newer - the former is a surveillance film and I generally wouldn't pay that much for it. The NP100 is a more modern film, apparently the only one aimed at photographers. This film is probably a modified UN54 with an added anti-halation layer. There are even some interesting mistakes made in the technical specification of NP100 - in places they mention UN54. Apparently they themselves don't make much difference between the two films... And for some reason, it is cheaper than UN54.
I have a 400ft box of UN54 - it behaves decently as for filmstock, but the lack of antihalation is sometimes a big minus.