Foma Ortho 400 movie film!

Concord_850 · Apr 22, 2024

FOMA Cine ORTHO 400

producer of black & white photo materials, films, papers, processing chemicals

fomaobchod.cz

koraks · Apr 22, 2024

16 & 8mm only apparently

Agulliver · Apr 23, 2024

I am trying to obtain some 8mm Foma cine Ortho in the UK....which isn't easy as the two biggest importers of Foma materials aren't intending to carry it as a regular product at this time. However, Process Supplies in London may be willing to order a small amount for me next time the place an order with Foma. I only want to try, say, four rolls of std 8mm.

But in addition to the potentially interesting ortho nature of the film, it's negative which means it's much easier and cheaper to process than the Fomapan R100 that they've been making for many years....the problem here is that very few labs now offer B&W reversal processing and demand is low so processing costs have quadrupled in the last 10 years and doubled in the last four years. It's now around £44 to get one 15m roll of std 8mm Fomapan processed. And it's tricky stuff to home process even with a Lomo tank. Any lab can do the Ortho film in regular B&W chemicals in less than half the time, and anyone with a Lomo or other suitable cine tank can process it in about 30 minutes.

There's also the interesting claim that it can be exposed at anything from 160 to 1200ISO which makes it potentially very versatile....at the slower end it's just about usable in sunlight in most cine cameras, whereas at the top end it's real low light stuff. I've never shot 8mm film faster than 400ISO and that's suitable for indoors under ordinary home lamps.

koraks · Apr 23, 2024

Agulliver said:
There's also the interesting claim that it can be exposed at anything from 160 to 1200ISO

I don't expect it to be any more versatile than e.g. Fomapan 400 still film. The main difference would be that the expectations w.r.t. shadow detail may be quite different for motion picture.

Agulliver · Apr 23, 2024

As a neg film it could be pulled/pushed quite easily. But you're right that there's no reason to assume it's more versatile than any other Foma product. It will be more versatile than Fomapan R100, however. I've had some good fun shooting what I believe to be Kodak XX and Orwo N74 in 8mm at 200 and 400 ISO. I'd welcome a factory produced 8mm negative film, and the ortho aspect makes it great for landscape shots. Not sure how it would do in my favourite jazz club but it'll be fun finding out.

ic-racer · Apr 23, 2024

2x8!!! Yes I'll have to check it out for low light.

abruzzi · Apr 24, 2024

So, I assume this is the same film as the Foma 400 Ortho 120?

Which seems a bit odd--8mm, 16mm, and 120. But no 35mm.

Agulliver · Apr 24, 2024

It would seem to be the same as the 120 product, at least the emulsion is. I don't know about the base material for 120 compared to 135 and 16/2x8. Maybe it's easier to adapt the film for cine use than 35mm still film use? That is a wild guess though.

The rationale for making it available as a cine product is that it'll be *much* easier to process or have a lab process it compared to Fomapan R100....which is a lovely film but a real challenge to process by hand and expensive for a lab these days due to low volumes. Though again, why not Fomapan 100 or 200 is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps they are wary of Orwo or Ferrania launching a lower speed, panchromatic negative cine film? This is certainly a unique product.

Osmdesat · Apr 24, 2024

Foma Ortho 400 in 135 format is just being prepared. For this year Fomapan 100 (negative) is planned to be produced in 16mm and DS8 formats.
However it is not sure, how much of it will be available in the first batch and whether we can expect stable production of this format in the future. Maybe this is gonna be a small-scale test run only.
Fomapan 100 in cine formats would be a godsend, if the price would be significantly lower than Kodak/Orwo products. However price tag for Cine Ortho 400 is quite high, so I doubt that with Fomapan 100 in cine formats this will be any better.
But maybe this is given by the fact that Cine Ortho is produced only in limited amount, so the expenses for finishing are higher than at normal production mode. But this is my guess only.

All these informations are sourced from czech photography forum temnakomora.cz, the author of the thread has contacts to Foma people.
http://www.temnakomora.cz/topic/14011-novynky-foma-2024/

Agulliver · Apr 24, 2024

The cine ortho I've seen in 2x8mm at Fotoimpex isn't at all expensive for what it is. It's WAY cheaper than than UK or EU sellers offering FPP 2x8mmm films. Not much more than Fomapan R100.

I'd go for Fomapan 100 in 2x8mm too if they release it....but getting hold of some in the UK may prove difficult.

A reliable supply of negative B&W reg 8mm film is definitely something I'd go for....though I am a small time user, maybe 8-10 rolls a year.

Concord_850 · Apr 24, 2024

Agulliver said:
I'd go for Fomapan 100 in 2x8mm too if they release it....but getting hold of some in the UK may prove difficult.

Could you use a forwarding service like mailboxde.com?

Agulliver · Apr 25, 2024

Revenant said:
Could you use a forwarding service like mailboxde.com?

I didn't know such things existed....I shall investigate and see if it's suitable.

What I usually do for negative 8mm film is rely on the fact that I and members of my extended family visit the USA quite frequently and I either bring back or have brought back some FPP film. But I really want to support Foma in this endeavour, even if it's only 8-10 rolls a year on my part.

Sanug · Apr 25, 2024

I have shot 2 rolls of Foma 400 Ortho 120. The material is quite different from Fomapan 400:

Much more sensitivity (Fomapan 400 does not really reach ISO 400, while Foma Ortho even exceeds it), much higher contrast, good sharpness and still quite fine grain. There is no anti halation layer. The film base is gray, not clear.

albireo · Apr 25, 2024

Osmdesat said:
All these informations are sourced from czech photography forum temnakomora.cz, the author of the thread has contacts to Foma people.
http://www.temnakomora.cz/topic/14011-novynky-foma-2024/

Hi Osmdesat - thanks for that. Are you a member of that forum? Could you ask the author of the thread further info on when Ortho 400 will be out in 35mm?

Also, as someone who has used Ortho 400 in 120 and quite enjoyed it, I'd be interested if Foma had any plans to update the product with an anti-halation layer, as halation is currently pretty significant in my experience and makes this film a specialty product at least based on my own use case.

Sanug · Apr 25, 2024

The missing anti halation layer is not the worst issue for me. I discontinued to use the material due to periodical scratches in the emulsion. Foma has multiple serious quality issues in 120 films.

albireo · Apr 25, 2024

Sanug said:
The missing anti halation layer is not the worst issue for me. I discontinued to use the material due to periodical scratches in the emulsion. Foma has multiple serious quality issues in 120 films.

Not my experience at all. I've shot more than 20 rolls of Ortho 400 so far, each one was perfect.

Concord_850 · Apr 25, 2024

While I am grateful to Foma for keeping the 8mm format going at such an affordable price, I must say there has been a problem with their 33ft Fomapan R100 product where the daylight loading spool is sometimes misshapen, resulting in the film snagging in the camera.

Agulliver · Apr 26, 2024

Hmm I haven't had any issues with Fomapan R100 spools but I have found that one of my std 8mm cameras just doesn't like Fomapan R100....almost as if the film is thicker than the camera wants? I never had any trouble with that same camera and Kodachrome or Plus-X back in the day. But that's one camera out of 7 I've used R100 in. The others are all fine with it.

I'm really hoping I can get hold of some of this negative film as I do tend to scan my 8mm film now rather than project. And I can hand process 30 feet of 2x8mm in my Lomo tank really easily. I've even been known to shoot a few minutes at an afternoon gig and have the film processed, scanned and up on social media before midnight.

cmacd123 · Apr 26, 2024

Agulliver said:
Hmm I haven't had any issues with Fomapan R100 spools

when it first showed on the market, I had one out of the several rolls come on a spool that had a bad flange. (dragging audible on the film. I did have a spare spool, (as I have been asking for all my 8mm spools back!) so I used that for the second side. I wrote FOMA an email and said i checked the width with a roll of 16mm film, from my 16mm camera. they appoligised, and in due course, I received a padded envelope from the czech republic with one roll of regular 8 and a 100ft roll of 16mm.

Osmdesat · Apr 27, 2024

albireo said:
Hi Osmdesat - thanks for that. Are you a member of that forum? Could you ask the author of the thread further info on when Ortho 400 will be out in 35mm?

Also, as someone who has used Ortho 400 in 120 and quite enjoyed it, I'd be interested if Foma had any plans to update the product with an anti-halation layer, as halation is currently pretty significant in my experience and makes this film a specialty product at least based on my own use case.

Hello, yes, I am registered there. I asked there a question about it, so let's see. However data sheet already mentions 35mm format. I also asked about the antihalo layer.

Agulliver · Apr 28, 2024

cmacd123 said:
when it first showed on the market, I had one out of the several rolls come on a spool that had a bad flange. (dragging audible on the film. I did have a spare spool, (as I have been asking for all my 8mm spools back!) so I used that for the second side. I wrote FOMA an email and said i checked the width with a roll of 16mm film, from my 16mm camera. they appoligised, and in due course, I received a padded envelope from the czech republic with one roll of regular 8 and a 100ft roll of 16mm.

Maybe it's a problem that was solved long ago?

And wait....you need to ask for your spools back? I thought that was normal. I had returned 8mm spools coming out the wazoo and threw away about 30 earlier this month. There's really only so many I might need, in case I buy another 8mm camera and it comes without a spool.

RysanKarel · Apr 28, 2024

Agulliver said:
A reliable supply of negative B&W reg 8mm film is definitely something I'd go for....though I am a small time user, maybe 8-10 rolls a year.

Hi from Prague. If interested, we can get in touch and I can buy the Fomapan for you and get it delivered there.
Carl

Agulliver · Apr 29, 2024

RysanKarel said:
Hi from Prague. If interested, we can get in touch and I can buy the Fomapan for you and get it delivered there.
Carl

Thank you! If I can't get any via Process Supplies I will get in touch with you.

cmacd123 · May 2, 2024

Agulliver said:
Maybe it's a problem that was solved long ago?

And wait....you need to ask for your spools back? I thought that was normal. I had returned 8mm spools

At the time I was also shooting some 16mm in my Filmo, and for that camera I was respoling short ends and so I needed to keep my spools. thus I got into the habbit of asking for my spools back. I suspect that many labs would know that the Regular 8 spools are rare and precious and so return them by default. of course then Kodak gave up perforating Regular 8 and the film was not sold for reloading. "Jason" sold out of his stock, which came on Ukrainian spools, and I have not shot Regular 8 since.

Agulliver · Jul 11, 2024

Revenant said:
Could you use a forwarding service like mailboxde.com?

I've decided to use this service and buy from Fotoimpex. It's not exactly been cheap but the package is on it's way to me from the forwarding address so it seems to have worked.

I plan on shooting two rolls next month in a variety of lighting conditions.

Foma Ortho 400 movie film!

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FOMA Cine ORTHO 400

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