Film Ferrania - Developments from October 2023 onward

[albireo]

From what I remember, Dave Bias stopped posting around the time Film Ferrania decided to engage less with forums and social media....again, due to threats, insults and abuse from people who accused them of fraud, lies and worse.....people who don't understand or didn't read the Kickstarter....believed they had ordered film and got angry when they discovered that what they'd actually signed up for was to donate towards saving equipment to manufacture film.

From what they've said, I think they are concentrating on B&W as it is something they can now reliably manufacture and actually brings in funds. P30 was an unusual film, one I happen to like in certain circumstances. P33 seems more "general purpose" and I've not used it yet but have seen some truly lovely photos taken with it. There was a rumour they were going to release P36 too (320ASA) but that hasn't happened yet. They did mention a good while back that research was continuing in the background on colour film. But as they have consistently stated in recent years, they are only going to release news when they are ready to share a product with us.

That strategy is supposed to put an end to the entitled folk who cry and scream about Ferrania being crooks every time this small company misses a target that was always aspirational rather than realistic....or when the Italian government cuts their campus in two and turns off the gas and electricity.

Thanks for the summary Gulliver

 

[CMoore]

I doubt they'll abandon colour.

Ferrania once were one of the largest producers of colour film in the world. And the equipment that was saved by the people behind the current version of Ferrania is/was capable of much of what is needed to bring it back.
It takes a lot more than equipment to bring it to fruition.

Sorry
I meant the modern day company.
"Abandon"............ are they making it now.?

 

[Angarian]

Sorry
I meant the modern day company.
"Abandon"............ are they making it now.?

Due to the latest official comments I've seen from them:
There is at least some R&D for color film going on at Film Ferrania.
I wish them all the best, and success with their research. And I also wish Harman technology, InovisCoat, ADOX and Lucky success with their efforts in color film R&D. And I hope that when Fujifilm has finished their huge investment in their film factory and increasing the instax film production, that their next step will be a full resurgence of their 135, 120 and sheet film production.
We definitely need more variety and competition in the color film market.

 

[koraks]

Fujifilm has finished their huge investment in their film factory

Did I miss anything? When did they invest in any film factory, apart from the regular investments to keep a production system from the 1970s-1990s from collapsing?

 

[Angarian]

Did I miss anything? When did they invest in any film factory, apart from the regular investments to keep a production system from the 1970s-1990s from collapsing?

Yes, you have indeed missed quite a lot:
1. During the last decade Fujifilm has announced at several times big investments in the instax film production.
2. Last autumn they published an official press release saying that they will invest 30 million $ in film production, increasing the capacity by another 20%.
These investments are so fundamental that implementation needs the time span from autumn 2023 up to summer 2025, as explained by them.

 

[koraks]

Ah, thanks. No, I didn't miss anything going by what you've said. They coat Instax on their age-old production line in Japan, which has been around since, like, forever.
Let's get back ontopic.

 

[miha]

ontopic.

Where can I find P33 in 120 format?

 

[Angarian]

Ah, thanks. No, I didn't miss anything going by what you've said. They coat Instax on their age-old production line in Japan, which has been around since, like, forever.

I don't think that is any problem at all, as long as such a line is modernized and updated regularly. Harman's coating machine is originally even older, from the 60ies, and Kodak's Building 38 started 1990, so that machinery isn't a teenager anymore, either

 

[Agulliver]

Where can I find P33 in 120 format?

You cant yet....they have thus far only launched it in 135.

 

[miha]

All right, perhaps one day.

 

[Angarian]

All right, perhaps one day.

As they already have introduced their other films in 120, I think you won't have to wait long.

 

[cmacd123]

You cant yet....they have thus far only launched it in 135.

they do have a page at

Products

Explore and purchase our photographic films, capturing the imagination of filmmakers, photographers, and artists worldwide. The film that shaped the history of cinema has returned to tell stories through the art of analog photography. In black and white.

www.filmferrania.com

which shows the products that they have released so far.

 

[cmacd123]

and Cine still is the US distributor and they have this to show...

Film & Camera Supplies

CineStill's primary purpose is to fuel the analog film renaissance, by demystifying the photographic process (simplify, educate, inspire, and equip) and securing the continued production and availability of essential analog photography materials and services.

cinestillfilm.com

 

[cmacd123]

someone on Facebook Pointed out that the Film Ferrania web site is now showing P30 as "The very Last Production. with all the other products sold out..

 

[pbromaghin]

someone on Facebook Pointed out that the Film Ferrania web site is now showing P30 as "The very Last Production. with all the other products sold out..

What the heck does that mean?

 

[cmacd123]

someone on Facebook Pointed out that the Film Ferrania web site is now showing P30 as "The very Last Production. with all the other products sold out..

What the heck does that mean?

exactly! does that mean P30 is discontinued in to make room for other products? anyone live in the north of Italy?

I have been holding off my Fall Film order from B&H to wait for them to get more P33. even hoping to see the 120 version of P33.

 

[MattKing]

It could also be a poor translation from the Italian.
"The very last production" instead of "The latest production".

 

[koraks]

di nuova produzione

Literally "new production", which I'd translate as something like "freshly produced" or simply "fresh". Maybe one of our Italian participants could chime in.

I don't read anything worrying in the original Italian text.

 

[albireo]

someone on Facebook Pointed out that the Film Ferrania web site is now showing P30 as "The very Last Production. with all the other products sold out.. View attachment 379630

I think @koraks is right. The issue here is probably a false friend in the Italian>English translation.

I think what they meant up here is 'latest' but they went for 'last' instead.

'Ultimo/più recente' <-> 'latest'
'Finale' <-> 'last/final'

I think they meant that if you buy the product, it's going to be the freshest/most recent batch.

Now what I find slightly worrying is that 'out of stock' for P33 and most of their other products. What is the issue? Does the stuff fly off the shelves and they can't make it fast enough? Do they have issues making it? I hope not the latter.

 

[dhkirby]

I think @koraks is right. The issue here is probably a false friend in the Italian>English translation.

I think what they meant up here is 'latest' but they went for 'last' instead.

'Ultimo/più recente' <-> 'latest'
'Finale' <-> 'last/final'

I think they meant that if you buy the product, it's going to be the freshest/most recent batch.

Now what I find slightly worrying is that 'out of stock' for P33 and most of their other products. What is the issue? Does the stuff fly off the shelves and they can't make it fast enough? Do they have issues making it? I hope not the latter.

This is what their site usually looks like. Things become available and are in stock for a couple of days, and then become out of stock for months. P30 in 135x36 is usually in stock but sometimes they're out of everything. Combining this with the frequent stock issues at B&H, I read this to mean they truly cannot keep up with demand.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Not keeping up to demand is heaps better than no demand! I'll just have to scoop up more when P30 and P33 comes available again. I hope the next batch will be 120 P33!

 

[pbromaghin]

It was encouraging to see 100ft rolls of P30 listed on their website. If they offer them with P33 I might be interested considering how it compares so favorably with Fp4+.

 

[ChrisGalway]

I just bought a few rolls of 35mm size P30 ... hoping for good things ... but the box has no "expiry" date (or any other date). Is this normal?

And whilst I'm posting, can anyone recommend a suitable developer for this film? I usually use Rodinal (but too grainy for this film?) or D76.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I just bought a few rolls of 35mm size P30 ... hoping for good things ... but the box has no "expiry" date (or any other date). Is this normal?

And whilst I'm posting, can anyone recommend a suitable developer for this film? I usually use Rodinal (but too grainy for this film?) or D76.

Look very carefully at the box. I could barely see something that resembled an expiry date stamped into it...That was a few years ago, though. Maybe they stopped doing that? As far as developers go, I only use Thornton's 2-Bath. This film is not ISO 80, either. You can shoot it at that, if you want empty shadows, though. I prefer it at EI 32. If I didn't love Thornton's 2-Bath so much, I would probably use D-76 1+1. P30 is quite fine grained, so I wouldn't worry about using Rodinal... at what dilution? I have no clue. I have a few videos on my youtube channel...

 

[Alessandro Serrao]

Look very carefully at the box. I could barely see something that resembled an expiry date stamped into it...That was a few years ago, though. Maybe they stopped doing that? As far as developers go, I only use Thornton's 2-Bath. This film is not ISO 80, either. You can shoot it at that, if you want empty shadows, though. I prefer it at EI 32. If I didn't love Thornton's 2-Bath so much, I would probably use D-76 1+1. P30 is quite fine grained, so I wouldn't worry about using Rodinal... at what dilution? I have no clue. I have a few videos on my youtube channel...

The film is not ISO 80 in the developer you use, better specify it...