Film Ferrania - Developments from October 2023 onward

[ChrisGalway]

.....

The current E6 films sold are only two (2) and both are hideously expensive. .....

I agree that, on average, E6 films are definitely more expensive than colour negative ones. But in Europe, Fujifilm Provia 100f, in 120 size, is typically €11-€14 per roll, compared to Kodak Gold €10 and Portra 160 €15, Portra 400 even more. (My last batch of Provia 100f, two months ago, cost €110 + €10 shipping for 2 boxes of five.)

The problem with Provia 100f for me is not so much the price, it's getting hold of the stuff in the first place. It's available at random times which appear to be getting less frequent. And the alternative, Ektachrome in 120 is typically more than €20 a roll ... but available.

Another colour transparency film of similar quality to Ektachrome/Provia/Velvia would be wonderful!

 

[Prest_400]

About a new E6 film, remember that Japan Camera Hunter had collaborated with some different film manufacturer for a new film... Aka one of the Jake Seal's sites, Monheim?

https://m.dpreview.com/news/9422171185/japan-camera-hunter-announces-fugufilm-400-slide-film-an-all-new-reversal-emulsion

Even if the production did not prosper, IIRC as the costs of this manufacturing had soared. The engineered film is somewhere there.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

JCH rebrands film. This Fugu stuff is no different.

 

[Prest_400]

JCH rebrands film. This Fugu stuff is no different.

But in this case it was supposed to be a new fim, E6 ISO 400, and my point is that some manufacturer has developed that prototype and the work is mothballed.

 

[flavio81]

I agree that, on average, E6 films are definitely more expensive than colour negative ones. But in Europe, Fujifilm Provia 100f, in 120 size, is typically €11-€14 per roll, compared to Kodak Gold €10 and Portra 160 €15, Portra 400 even more. (My last batch of Provia 100f, two months ago, cost €110 + €10 shipping for 2 boxes of five.)

Amazing!

 

[Nzoomed]

The price of e6 doesn't bother me too much as I dont shoot that much in a year but its not like c41 is much cheaper if we are talking about portra or ektar etc.
I spent almost 40 bucks (nzd) on a roll of the stuff not that long ago.
What's important to me is i can still shoot it.
I just need to get through my stockpile of e100g and e100vs now!

 

[Agulliver]

But in this case it was supposed to be a new fim, E6 ISO 400, and my point is that some manufacturer has developed that prototype and the work is mothballed.

He claimed so. Others who used it disagreed.

Manufacturing colour film, C41 or E6, is much more complicated and difficult than B&W. Just look at how those nice people at Harman, who perfected B&W many decades ago, are taking time to make a "normal" colour film.

Ferrania have a bit of an advantage in that they were once possibly the world's largest manufacturer of C41 film and made an E6 film. They haven't done so since 2009 but the ability and knowledge was there. But it isn't turning a key and restarting production.

 

[brbo]

Ferrania have a bit of an advantage in that they were once possibly the world's largest manufacturer of C41 film...

When was Ferrania world's largest C-41 manufacturer?!

 

[Fortepun]

When was Ferrania world's largest C-41 manufacturer?!

,,Ultimately, Ferrania-3M found the greatest success as the largest supplier of private label film to customers around the world. By the 1990s, the only trace that remained of the Ferrania connection was the tiny "Made in Italy" printed on millions of rolls of film and disposable cameras, sold under hundreds of different brands, in supermarket and drugstore chains worldwide."

Largest or not, the 3M-powered Ferrania sold more cheap C-41 film than Fuji, Agfa and Konica combined, and forced Kodak to be more active at the consumer level as well.

 

[brbo]

So, largest, if you don't count those who are (much) bigger.

 

[Fortepun]

So, largest, if you don't count those who are (much) bigger.

Only Kodak was bigger, and I'm not sure about C-41 global market share at the hight of 3M-Ferrania. They may have been the largest producers of color films, including 3M slide films.