For Sale [DEADLINE PASSED] Astrum/Svema B&W film group buy! Cheap sheet film of ANY SIZE, and bulk DOUBLE PERF 16mm film, 35mm film, and 120 width roll film!

MCB18 · Mar 30, 2023

I am planning on doing a group buy from Astrum/Svena, which has very good prices even compared to the likes of Foma/Shanghai. Shipping costs from Ukraine will be split based on how much you order. I have a spreadsheet that helps calculate prices of sheet film, as well as explaining labor and shipping costs (for US buyers). Shipping from Ukraine is probably around $50, so depending on how many people participate, it will probably be between $5-10. If interested, PM me and I can send you the link to the sheet.

A few questions that I have been asked by others, and that have been answered by the folks at Astrum/Svema:
-16mm film is double perfed.
-Sheet film comes in FN-64, and Foto 100, 200, and 400.
-FN-64 and Foto 100 films are coated on a 0.12mm base, and Foto 200 and 400 are coated on a 0.08mm base. All 4 are coated on ultra-clear Polyester.
-FN-64 and Foto 100, 200, and 400 are all UR-sensitive to 750nm, best used with a strong IR filter, such as the Hoya R-72.

The price sheet for film is attached below.

Payment is via PayPal, if using G&S the buyer must cover the fee.

I am planning on ordering the film on Monday, April 3rd.

Kino · Mar 30, 2023

Are there online data sheets for these stocks?

MCB18 · Mar 30, 2023

Kino said:
Are there online data sheets for these stocks?

Sadly, no. Your best bet is looking at Aviphot 100-200 data sheets, as it seems as though that is the film they are using.

cptrios · Mar 30, 2023

Hmm looks like an interesting proposition. Any idea what the final shipping costs might look like?

armadsen · Mar 30, 2023

Any idea what their cassettes are like? Are they metal or plastic?

AnselMortensen · Mar 30, 2023

PM sent re: sheet film.

MCB18 · Mar 30, 2023

cptrios said:
Hmm looks like an interesting proposition. Any idea what the final shipping costs might look like?

Looking at the Ukraine Post website, after figuring out WTF I’m doing seeing as how I don’t know Ukrainian, EMS to the US would seem to be $41, and regular air service seems to be $33. Call it $50 to be conservative.

armadsen said:
Any idea what their cassettes are like? Are they metal or plastic?

They are newly manufactured reusable cassettes, plastic type. A couple folks on here recommend them as bulk film cassettes, as the felt doesn’t immediately die and get all over your film/camera, unlike the new ones from Kalt/freestyle.

Donald Qualls · Mar 30, 2023

Sheet film: "other sizes, including inch calculation, 1 sq.m – 42 EUR" -- that's about 77 sheets of 4x5 (hopefully they know American 4x5 film is actually no larger than 99.6x125.0 mm?) for ~US$45 at current rate. A 100 sheet box would be a right around $60, which is about 2/3 the per-sheet price of Fomapan or .EDU Ultra -- but not much saving over B&H after shipping unless I buy more than one box. Sadly, my tax refund is already earmarked to get my 127 mm RB67 lens shutter repaired, and if there's any left, get my laptop battery cells replaced (discontinued part) -- but I might be able to spare enough to get a couple hundred sheets of 4x5.

Also, do we know if these will come in standard sheet film packaging and labeling, or are boxes and black plastic bags extra? What emulsion is the sheet film, also Aviphot 200 (= Catlabs Xfilm 320?).

Horatio · Mar 30, 2023

I can’t believe anything is shipping from Ukraine.

MCB18 · Mar 30, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
hopefully they know American 4x5 film is actually no larger than 99.6x125.0 mm?

I didn’t know that, although it looks like they are aware (see image of box below). Are all sheet film sizes about 2mm smaller than the direct inch to mm conversion? If not, where can the actual dimensions of film? I am looking at ordering some 3x4 film, and would like to be sure it will fit in my camera, lol.

Donald Qualls said:
a 100 sheet box is about 2/3 the per-sheet price of Fomapan or .EDU Ultra -- but not much saving over B&H after shipping unless I buy more than one box.

I get 56.40 for a box of 100, adding S&H that comes out to 80.06, assuming shipping from Ukraine gets split $15 per person (which is almost certainly worst case territory), and includes US shipping at $10.20. That’s a little over half what foma charges per sheet. Please do let me know if I somehow made a large math error, as that could be bad.

Donald Qualls said:
Also, do we know if these will come in standard sheet film packaging and labeling, or are boxes and black plastic bags extra? What emulsion is the sheet film, also Aviphot 200 (= Catlabs Xfilm 320?).

Sheet film will come in a box with a black bag, the box will look like this:

(Sorry for the not great picture, this is the single picture I could find of the box)

Kino · Mar 30, 2023

Horatio said:
I can’t believe anything is shipping from Ukraine.

I have had 3 cameras sent in and out of Kiev in the last 6 months for repairs and a 35mm rangefinder from Ukraine is waiting for me at my post office right now.

The Ukrainian Post Office is excellent.

MCB18 · Mar 30, 2023

Kino said:
The Ukrainian Post Office is excellent.

So I have heard. I know someone who’s camera was in a processing facility that was hit by a rocket, and the camera still showed up 2 weeks later (even though he had written it off and had bought another by then, oops!). So I think “excellent” is a good conclusion.

Simon Benton · Mar 30, 2023

I bought 2 lenses from Ukraine last November and they arrived in Canada in less than 3 weeks.

Terence · Mar 30, 2023

Horatio said:
I can’t believe anything is shipping from Ukraine.

Like the others are saying, I've ordered a fair amount of stuff (cameras, parts, and other stuff) from Ukraine in the last 6 months, and everything has gone very smoothly. If anything, I've gotten them faster than similar products from Hungary, Germany, and France during the same time. Among other stuff, I got a very nice Rolleicord II, and a Fed 10. Very pleased.

I'm a few beers in, so math is hard. What would it cost for say 100 sheets of 8x10?

MCB18 · Mar 30, 2023

Terence said:
I'm a few beers in, so math is hard. What would it cost for say 100 sheets of 8x10?

That’s going to be around $290 total, and I looked on B&H cause I was curious, that is about half as much for the same amount of Foma.

Terence · Mar 30, 2023

MCB18 said:
That’s going to be around $290 total, and I looked on B&H cause I was curious, that is about half as much for the same amount of Foma.

Thanks. Definitely interested at that price.

MCB18 · Mar 31, 2023

Terence said:
Thanks. Definitely interested at that price.

Alright, I’ll send you a message with the link to the spreadsheet.

Donald Qualls · Mar 31, 2023

MCB18 said:
Are all sheet film sizes about 2mm smaller than the direct inch to mm conversion? If not, where can the actual dimensions of film?

Roundly, yes. There's an ISO standard at least for 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10; possibly not for 2x3 (correctly 2 1/4 x 3 1/4), 3x4 (properly 3 1/4 x 4 1/4), and "plate" based sizes (full plate, half, plate, quarter plate, sixth plate, eighth plate, some of which are the same as certain inch sizes). This is because these sizes were originally for glass plates, which were (for example) exactly 4 inches by 5 inches for a 4x5 -- but then there were "film sheaths" (similar to a septum from a Grafmatic, for an example that's easier to find a photo of) that allowed loading sheet film into glass plate holders, and those are folded sheet metal with some thickness, and need a little clearance so the film sheet can slide under the lip. The end result is that, yes, sheet film is about 2 mm narrower and up to the same amount shorter than the nominal size (length has greater tolerance, because there's only one folded end on the film sheath and the other end of the film isn't constrained).

And of course, since the film had been standardized in glass plate days, when dedicated, standardized film holders came along, they were made to fit the existing film.

BTW, this is also true of metric sheet films -- 9x12 is actually 88x118 mm.

Donald Qualls · Mar 31, 2023

MCB18 said:
Please do let me know if I somehow made a large math error, as that could be bad.

I think your calculation is correct -- I was rounding and doing the math in my head. And there's not a huge difference between "a little over half" and "roughly two thirds" unless you're several boxes in. Let me get my taxes done (this weekend) and see if I can afford a couple boxes.

MCB18 · Mar 31, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
Roundly, yes. There's an ISO standard at least for 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10; possibly not for 2x3 (correctly 2 1/4 x 3 1/4), 3x4 (properly 3 1/4 x 4 1/4), and "plate" based sizes (full plate, half, plate, quarter plate, sixth plate, eighth plate, some of which are the same as certain inch sizes). This is because these sizes were originally for glass plates, which were (for example) exactly 4 inches by 5 inches for a 4x5 -- but then there were "film sheaths" (similar to a septum from a Grafmatic, for an example that's easier to find a photo of) that allowed loading sheet film into glass plate holders, and those are folded sheet metal with some thickness, and need a little clearance so the film sheet can slide under the lip. The end result is that, yes, sheet film is about 2 mm narrower and up to the same amount shorter than the nominal size (length has greater tolerance, because there's only one folded end on the film sheath and the other end of the film isn't constrained).

And of course, since the film had been standardized in glass plate days, when dedicated, standardized film holders came along, they were made to fit the existing film.

BTW, this is also true of metric sheet films -- 9x12 is actually 88x118 mm.

This is good to know. Thanks for the heads up.

Donald Qualls said:
I think your calculation is correct -- I was rounding and doing the math in my head. And there's not a huge difference between "a little over half" and "roughly two thirds" unless you're several boxes in. Let me get my taxes done (this weekend) and see if I can afford a couple boxes.

Alright, cool. I plan on start the process of collecting payments and orders on Tuesday, so as long as you get your order in before end of day on the third (or maybe the morning of the 4th) you’ll be good.

Concord_850 · Mar 31, 2023

I am in Europe so I realize this group purchase isn't directly relevant to me, but can you tell me where I should contact Astrum to buy direct from them? Their website at www.astrum-ltd.com looks like it hasn't been updated in years, so I'm not sure if I should use their contact details from that.

MCB18 · Mar 31, 2023

Revenant said:
I am in Europe so I realize this group purchase isn't directly relevant to me, but can you tell me where I should contact Astrum to buy direct from them? Their website at www.astrum-ltd.com looks like it hasn't been updated in years, so I'm not sure if I should use their contact details from that.

Sure, they are on Instagram as Svema_Official, you can contact them there.

Concord_850 · Mar 31, 2023

MCB18 said:
Sure, they are on Instagram as Svema_Official, you can contact them there.

Thank you!

henryyjjames · Apr 2, 2023

Revenant said:
I am in Europe so I realize this group purchase isn't directly relevant to me, but can you tell me where I should contact Astrum to buy direct from them? Their website at www.astrum-ltd.com looks like it hasn't been updated in years, so I'm not sure if I should use their contact details from that.

Same haha. We can do our own order to Ireland?

Concord_850 · Apr 2, 2023

henryyjjames said:
Same haha. We can do our own order to Ireland?

Ah well I already put in an order for 10 rolls but maybe for the future it would be a good idea! It came to €62 but I'm not sure how much of that is postage costs. I'll send a follow-up question to them about that.

For Sale [DEADLINE PASSED] Astrum/Svema B&W film group buy! Cheap sheet film of ANY SIZE, and bulk DOUBLE PERF 16mm film, 35mm film, and 120 width roll film!

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