Foma stops DX coding on 35mm canisters

Roger Cole · Jan 24, 2016

AgX said:
Amongst all these negative news/rumours we heard from the industry this weekend. I consider this the worst.

As it actually means a reduction in product quality.
Do you share this view?

Just depends on ones camera and habits. This news is of no consequence at all for me. I have only one camera that reads DX codes, an Olympus Stylus Zoom, and I almost always shoot color neg in it when I use it at all. On the very rare occasions when I have put B&W through it that was Tri-X.

Since getting MF cameras I shoot very very little 35mm B&W anymore. When I do it is almost always Delta 3200 for very low light because my lenses are faster than my MF lenses.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk and 100% recycled electrons - because I care.

ic-racer · Jan 24, 2016

I accidentally used a DX cassette once. Messed things up, for example Nikon N75, for me, requires -1.5 on the exposure compensation with most ISO 400 films in standard cassettes. When I accidentally loaded a DX cassette, it spoiled the whole role.

pentaxuser · Jan 24, 2016

NB23 said:
Default is always iso 100.

And as already been said, it would only affect foma 400, but not by much. Foma 100 is 100 and I would say that foma 200 is 64-80.

So a 200 film is slower than a 100? Sounds like an alternative opening to the dialogue, " Who's on first base"

pentaxuser

AgX · Jan 24, 2016

Roger Cole said:
This news is of no consequence at all for me. I have only one camera that reads DX codes.

Roger, my question was intended independant of ones very own use of materials.

Roger Cole · Jan 24, 2016

AgX said:
Roger, my question was intended independant of ones very own use of materials.

I didn't even notice the question. I was replying on my phone.

But no, I wouldn't consider it as important as the (a while back) reduction in the range of Fuji E6 products, and it's only more significant than price increases because this is confirmed and we know what it will affect.

It doesn't seem a very big thing to me and, even for those cameras where it is, this makes a market for things that actually are very easy to make, stick on DX labels for example.

It is a bit of a problem because these are the discount materials on the market likely to be found and used by youngsters and students, often trying out film for the first time, and those are also the people most likely to be using cameras that need DX coding. So I see that.

BetterSense · Jan 24, 2016

I blew a few shots this week because my NOS N80 intermittently read the DX code as 25 for some reason in the middle of the roll of TMY, causing low shutter speeds. Once I figured it out I forced 400 speed from now on. I probably will for other cameras too. Just one more thing that can break and mess up my photos.

cmacd123 · Jan 24, 2016

NB23 said:
What serious camera cannot have its ISO set manually?

Any of the Canon EOS series will allow manual setting but will also object if the code is not there. I just today shot some pictures with an old roll of EFKE in a Canon EOS Elan, and the screen flashed "ISO" the whole time even though I made sure to manualy set the speed.

As I recall the Elan 7 WIll pause after loading and insist on the user setting the ISO before It will allow one to take a picture.

Newt_on_Swings · Jan 24, 2016

Wallendo said:
Is this really new? Freestyle sent out a message early last year stating that its Arista EDU films would no longer be DX coded.

I normally shoot Foma/Arista in bulk loads. For the cameras that require DX coding, I save old DX coded cassettes for reloading.

I have 4 cameras that require DX coding (all Minolta, and none are my primary cameras), my waterproof camera defaults to 100 ISO, my point-and-shoot defaults to 200 ISO, and my point-and-shoot SLR's default to the last DX-coded roll's ISO setting.

As to why I own point-and-shoot SLR's ... they came attached to lenses I wanted. Frequently on fleaBay, a camera-lens combination will sell cheaper than the lens itself. Apparently many potential buyers don't investigate when a cheap camera is listed, and don't realize that people often bought good lenses for cheap cameras.

This. I guess not everyone follows or orders from freestyle. All the bricks of artista edu (foma) 400 that I ordered have a label applied to them that covers the original dx label. If you peel it off the black cassette underneath has a 200 iso dx encoded label. This was a bit of a headache to me at first as I teach with some Nikon n65's that don't have manual iso adjustment. It defaults to 100 if unreadable. I have to now manually remember to adjust the exposure compensation every time for it, either 1 stop if I peel the label or 2 if I just leave it.

Sirius Glass · Jan 24, 2016

ADOX Fotoimpex said:
Don´t these cameras automatically fall back to the 100 ASA seting if no code is present?
In this case this would "only" affect Fomapan 400.
Reloading of cassetes I would not consider an option because of the risk of scratches and the different core-types which need dedicated machines to load.

NB23 said:
Default is always iso 100.

And as already been said, it would only affect foma 400, but not by much. Foma 100 is 100 and I would say that foma 200 is 64-80.

My Nikon N75 defaults to ISO 100, but I can take a light reading and set it properly in the Manual mode. Hardly something to get panties twisted into a knot about.

Xmas · Jan 25, 2016

Ai Print said:
Just use aluminum HVAC tape.

Yes confirmed but most people have the simple ingredients in house already.
But we have another thread of hot air.

AgX · Jan 25, 2016

I do not see the hot air in this thread.

Moreover I do find it interesting to see here user cameras mentioned that otherwise I do not see showing up at Apug.

Xmas · Jan 25, 2016

Roger Cole said:
I didn't even notice the question. I was replying on my phone.

But no, I wouldn't consider it as important as the (a while back) reduction in the range of Fuji E6 products, and it's only more significant than price increases because this is confirmed and we know what it will affect.

It doesn't seem a very big thing to me and, even for those cameras where it is, this makes a market for things that actually are very easy to make, stick on DX labels for example.

It is a bit of a problem because these are the discount materials on the market likely to be found and used by youngsters and students, often trying out film for the first time, and those are also the people most likely to be using cameras that need DX coding. So I see that.

Most of the film kids on our streets seem to go for basic SLRs OM1, OM10, FM, K1000, etc rare to see DX cameras in use, very rare to see a rangefinder except for Leica M. Most use Kodak or Agfaphoto, mono rare, very few use Foma.

Our Uni art students are still told to get a system film camera!

AgX · Jan 25, 2016

I do not see film kids on our streets, and art academy labs are getting closed in Germany.
You live in a very privileged place so to say.

Xmas · Jan 25, 2016

AgX said:
I do not see the hot air in this thread.

Moreover I do find it interesting to see here user cameras mentioned that otherwise I do not see showing up at Apug.

But Foma have been marketing non coded cassettes for more than a year, so old news at the very least, they have been sticking pressure sensitive tape to relabel preprinted cassettes for same interval.

If you open the box and there is not a code than you need to do something, it is not like pulling the film off the spool after frame 37?

We have craft shops open seven days a week and most people carry a Swiss army penknife... Five minutes on coffee shop?

AgX · Jan 25, 2016

OK then lets call it cold air... But that was not a topic so far and now it is.

Xmas · Jan 25, 2016

AgX said:
I do not see film kids on our streets, and art academy labs are getting closed here.

We still have fine arts first degree Unis with 70 page joining PDF with 'film system camera' as a requirement, and fav cameras increase in price July to Oct, our second hand £ are eye watering.

I don't understand why!

Some photo courses only have dcameras with no depth of field scales... they snatch people with iPhones off the street.

Typically we can see 3 to 20 film cameras in use in London streets any Sat or Sunday if you stay out dawn to dusk. Most carried by under 30s, excluding when there is a photo course/outing.

cmacd123 · Jan 25, 2016

Having accessible DX labels would help. I persuaded someone in england to buy for me the ASA 50 labels that one dealer there apparently makes but would not ship outside the UK. (paying the friend the cost and also the second postage to Canada) but I found the stickers Barely worked in my canons, perhaps because they were extremely difficult to get into place.

As it stands, although I like the Foma, I will have to reserve it for my Manual Cameras.

cmacd123 · Jan 25, 2016

BTW. The Dx code also tells the lenght of the roll. The Canon EOS 1 series will use this information to stop after the coded number of exposures (I supose they are worried about puling the end of the film out of the cassette) so if you put in a roll DX coded for 24 exposures, that is how many the camera will shoot.

I assume the thinking is that a professional would not use anything but Kodak, Fuji, Konica, or Ilford, or Agfa

Xmas · Jan 25, 2016

cmacd123 said:
I assume the thinking is that a professional would not use anything but Kodak, Fuji, Konica, or Ilford, or Agfa

More likely that they would sell more cameras to people who were buying on feature counts.
They had forgotten that they sold more Canon P than Canon VI.

Lots of pro cameras were bought by 'snappers'.

Leica did the same eg so that M7 and later models won't accept the velvet less Leica cassettes!

Kitchen foil and double sided pressure sensitive tape should work ok for your EOS...

Most of the Foma film I use comes in 100 foot cans...

Foma stops DX coding on 35mm canisters

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