Anyone know about Samsung 200 ISO film?

xypex982 · Jun 17, 2010

I've been shooting .99c store film in my underwater and toy cams, and I just stumbled upon a film Ive never seen before. It's Samsung 200 iso 36 exposure, and it's made in the PRC and packed in Mexico. Has anyone else used it or have any ideas of what film it actually is since I'm guessing it's re-rolled.

It has much more color in it than the better known ".99c brand" Memories film, and more exposures on the roll too! However Memories is fresh, and this Samsung stuff expired in 08. The box gives a website http://www.samsungfilm.com but the site doesn't give any info about the film.

quiver · Jun 17, 2010

If it is China then it probably is Lucky.

FedericoMP · Jun 18, 2010

If you can read in the canister "CP36", it surely Ferrania film.

Ten301 · Jun 18, 2010

If it was made in China, packed in Mexico and expired in 2008, it almost certainly was Kodak. Most Kodak "Gold" films were temporarily being manfactured in China a few years back, and finished in Mexico, so a box of Gold 100 and 200 from that time period stated "Manufactured in China. Finished in Mexico". The expiration of 2008 would also be just about correct. Kodak moved the manufacturing back to the U.S., but most of the films are still finished in Mexico. So...the short answer: it's most likely Kodak Gold 200.

xypex982 · Jun 19, 2010

Ten that does sound like it could be true, I came into this assuming it would be Lucky but you may be right here. Or Federico could be as well since it does say CP36 on it.

The mystery continues!

AgX · Jun 19, 2010

But Ferrania offered the whole package for private label films. It would not fit into their concept to have their films converted by others. And I don't know of any conversion facility in Mexico aside of Kodak.

Ten301 · Jun 19, 2010

I do know that Ferrania doesn't have film manufacturing facilities in China, or finishing facilities in Mexico. The only manufacturer that I can think of that does (or did) is Kodak. Lucky 200 isn't nearly as saturated as Gold 200, and since the poster stated the color was better than the usual Chinese-made films, my guess is Kodak when they were producing films there. The expiration date of 2008 does make sense, as some of the last emulsion runs of the Chinese-made Kodak Gold films had a 2008 expiration date. I don't know...maybe more infomation could be gathered by examining the processed negatives. Ferrania, whether under their name or manufactured for others, will have their characteristic green dots and "+" symbols on the negative edge. If manufactured for others, Ferrania usually uses only a black cannister with a sticker stating the "house" name, however, the "CP36" will be boldly printed near the "lip" of the cannister in white letters directly on the cannister. Also, Ferrania usually still keeps their name on the edge of processed negatives, even when producing for another company.

Hope this helps

Photo Engineer · Jun 19, 2010

Kodak has moved all finishing operations from Mexico to the US (Rochester) as of 2009.

PE

xypex982 · Jun 20, 2010

The negatives actually say Samsung 200 on them and I don't see a green dot or + on them.

Brac · Jun 24, 2010

Samsung labelled films were at one time made by Ferrania in Italy, but what you have got would appear to be something different. Probably it is Kodak but not Gold. Kodak have a cheaper line that goes under various labels such as Kodak Color Plus. This is usually found at discount stores, or given way by those few mail order labs that still exist, who give you a "free film", when you send a film in for processing. I bought two rolls of 24 exp Kodak Color Plus (ISO 200) earlier this month at a discount store. The expiry date is 08/2012, and they are marked as "Made in USA. Finished in Mexico for Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY14650." Elsewhere the box says (C) Eastman Kodak Company 2008. I guess the boxes are old stock being used up, as the expiry date would seem to indicate this film left the factory fairly recently, but whether that factory was in the US or Mexico I have no idea!

w9cae · Jun 24, 2010

Not sure how true this information is but Lucky has Kodak control or money running the operations. So Kodak film made in China possibly could be made by Lucky ?

altair · Jun 24, 2010

I don't have the Samsung 200ASA film mentioned by the OP, but I do have 2 rolls of "Samsung Primecolor" film, ASA 100 that I bought from a camera shop that's closing down. The box is blue in color, and it's written there "Made in France", expiry date is 2006. I've shot a roll of it, and I can't recall what the edge markings are. Does anyone know what film this is? I'm pretty sure it's rebadged too.

The mystery deepens!

FedericoMP · Jun 24, 2010

But IIRC TriX and PlusX were the very first films that have been rebadged by Kodak. There was some kind of policy againt rebadging films (from Kodak) before.

Brac · Jun 25, 2010

altair said:
I don't have the Samsung 200ASA film mentioned by the OP, but I do have 2 rolls of "Samsung Primecolor" film, ASA 100 that I bought from a camera shop that's closing down. The box is blue in color, and it's written there "Made in France", expiry date is 2006. I've shot a roll of it, and I can't recall what the edge markings are. Does anyone know what film this is? I'm pretty sure it's rebadged too.

The mystery deepens!

It seems that Samsung, like so many others, sourced their films from various manufacturers. The "made in France" would seem to indicate it was made in Kodak's French factory, probably a couple of years earlier. I think the faqctory closed in 2005 or 2006. The last French made Kodak film I've seen had a 2007 expiry date. By the early 2000's I don't think there was any other film manufacturing plant in France.

As to Kodak and Lucky, Kodak took a stake in Lucky at one point, but whether they still have it I don't know. Kodak had its own large film plant in China while Lucky continued to make its films in its own facilities. From what I've read, I don't think Kodak still make film in China, but Lucky continue to make their own small range of black & white and colour films there.

altair · Jun 25, 2010

Thanks for that helpful info, Brac. I've yet to check the rebate markings on the Samsung 200 film...

Ten301 · Jun 25, 2010

I believe the mystery is pretty much solved.

If the film box states, Made in China. Finished in Mexico" or "Made in China. Packaged in Mexico", it can only be Kodak. The only mystery is whether it is Gold or an earlier, economy emulsion like Color Plus. We've ruled-out Ferrania, as the negatives don't match, and they don't have facilities in China or Mexico. It can't be Fuji for the same reason. Konica Minolta is out of the film business, but it couldn't have been theirs for the same reason. Agfa? Ditto (at least as far as mainstream consumer films are concerned). Lucky? They don't "finish" or package film in Mexico. That leaves us with only one company that fits the criteria...Kodak.

I believe Kodak sold its stake in Lucky a few years ago, and have also moved their manufacturing back to the U.S. and out of China. I've heard that they did help Lucky with technology when they did have a stake, which greatly improved Lucky films.

Anyone know about Samsung 200 ISO film?

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