Freestyle announces "Silver Collection" paper and film

ntenny

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Interesting; "manufactured in the UK" would seem to imply Ilford, who as we know don't supply their stuff for rebranding. Have they changed their policy, or is it perhaps coated to order with a different emulsion, or...?

Availability in MF and sheets suggests that it isn't the same as the Kentmere films, which was my first thought.

-NT
 

Pioneer

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This is Great!

Another film to choose from. This is terrific news!
 

arealitystudios

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Very interesting. I like the name.

Here is hoping the price point is indeed a value. I've had a lot of luck in the past using the re-branded Freestyle films. Back in the day I used their "Arista II" film quite a lot and I continue to use the Arista.Edu film to this day.
 

Ken Nadvornick

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How the participating members in the manufacturing and supply chain can make this happen isn't the issue. That they CAN make it happen at all is what's important.

One of my biggest fears in this shrinking market was for the loss of the "value" film and paper users. You know, the student or fixed-income retiree who loves the medium but literally doesn't have the means to match the inevitable price increases that go with that shrinking market. Losing those users would be/is catastrophic.

Hopefully this type of offering can help to preserve that valuable chunk of market share, and the overall additional demand it creates.

This is really good news.

Ken
 

Mainecoonmaniac

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I remember ove 10 years ago that Freestyle sold film and paper from the UK and from my tests on Arista film and paper, it was Ilford fp4 film and Ilford MG RC paper. I miss the "cold stored" expired film.
 

Roger Cole

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Another question would be if this will affect the availability of the EDU.Ultra rebranded Foma. While I'd love to have Arista prices with Ilford QC the Foma has its own old style charm as well. Of course it's available as Foma but the price isn't nearly as attractive.
 

mgb74

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"Arista prices with Ilford QC"

That's it in a nutshell. You can build a technique around almost any decent emulsion, but it's tough to manage inconsistent quality.
 

Roger Cole

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I have actually not had problems with the Arista branded Foma, but I have heard from plenty of people who have. Apparently their QC isn't nearly so bad as the late lamented Efke's, but certainly isn't that of Ilford either.

Interesting that they describe the graded RC as being "very neutral to cold." How the heck can it be "very neutral?" Semantics aside, it would be nice to have a truly cold tone VC FB paper. Slavic is available again in the US but that's graded. Ilford has MC Cooltone, but that's RC only and not available in sizes larger than 11x14. This doesn't look like it will help that but we can continue to hope. I love Ilford MGWT FB and warm tone papers in general for some things, but not everything. Some photos are just better cool. Right now that means MGIV FB and selenium for me, though I've heard Kentmere VCFB is cooler.
 

Roger Cole

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Ah, that's the argument, and I don't usually make prints for framing and display on RC either, but I'm tempted in 16x20. That's getting up to where damp FB paper is very easily damaged in handling even if you are careful, and the fact is a print on a good modern RC paper, once mounted under glass, can be hard to tell from FB.
 

mgb74

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ntenny

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rich815 said:
So we're celebrating a relabeling of stuff we could already get anyway?
Click to expand...

If it's the Kentmere material, I think the availability in larger formats is actually new.

-NT
 

Richard S. (rich815)

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Richard S. (rich815)

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Chris Lange said:
I think he's saying that you can't get Kentmere sheet film, period. I'm anxious to find out the cost too.
Click to expand...

True enough. Wonder if it will be similarly priced to Arista EDU stuff. Frankly B&H prices for Ilford 4x5 is not bad and the savings vs Arista is not enough for me based on the quality.
 

Chris Lange

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Agreed, I liked the Legacy and Arista Premium (fuji and kodak relabels) a lot, but the only experience I've ever had with Foma films has resulted in short striated scratches in the emulsion (it was Foma 200 Creative in 120), and swore I'd never use Foma film again. That said, I LOVE the Foma papers, especially the Fomatone MG.
 
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