Please have a look at my posting No 46 in this thread. I've said it there.
In addition to that I am running an independent non-profit photo test lab in which I am testing films, papers, developers, lenses, sensors. But that is because of pure passion. It's not a business.
But several manufacturers ask me for critical, hard testing of products in the R&D stage. They are interested in knowing whether they may have overlooked something. They want real critical feedback and that I discover weaknesses. So that the product can be improved before market release.
Best regards,
Henning
Acros II is now about 2 bucks more expensive than a "not discontinued Acros I" would be. Does that really hinders someone to use Acros II? Certainly not.
Because:
If you look at the current market volume and number of film photographers, the average film user is using 20-30 films p.a. And that is mostly a mix of different film types: Different film speeds and different film types, colour and BW. Therefore an average film user who likes Acros II would probably use only 5-10 films p.a. for his BW ISO 100/21° needs. So we are talking about 10-20 bucks more per year. That is really negligible.
Even if you look at a high(er) volume BW shooter who is using e.g. 50-70 BW rolls p.a.. He is also using different film speeds and certainly also different film types in one speed class to get certain looks and specific characteristics due to the subject he is photographing. Therefore he wouldn't use exclusively Acros II (or any other film exclusively), but probably 20-40 rolls of it. So we are talking about 40-80 bucks more per year. Which is also still negligible if you like that film.
What I don't think is likely is that Acros II will attract many who have not used the original Acros
Also, you *must* be the person who knows the origin of all rebranded films! May I ask: who has the ability to actually manufacture emulsions? Kodak, Ilford/Karman, Foma, Fuji, Shanghai, Agfa Gevaert, anyone else?
1. Well, almost all.
No kidding. I need to track him down, buy him a steak dinner, a ton of beer, and ask, ask, ask, askSee what you've done Henning!
See what you've done Henning!
Raghu, sheet film is generally a tiny niche market compared to 120 and 135 format film (which is by far the biggest market). Therefore manufacturers have to very carefully evaluating the potential demand for a film type in sheet film formats. Especially as sheet film needs a different (much more thicker) base for coating than 120 and 135 film. So you need different, exclusive coating runs for sheet film.
1. Well, almost all.
2. There are fortunately much more: Polaroid, InovisCoat/Inovisproject, ADOX, Filmotec, Film Ferrania, Carestream, Lucky, Tasma, Slavich/Micron, Pictoriographica, Washi.
Best regards,
Henning
Thanks @Henning Serger for your insightful response. Is this the reason why Acros ii is not available in sheet format?
Polaroid is the current name for what came out of the Impossible Project.
may I ask what dilution (1+9 ?) and what duration/temperature/... you have used to develop the Acros II in FX39 II (which is also my preferred developer).- or use a (semi-)compensating developer like ADOX FX-39 II (my preferred developer for Acros)
Hi Henning,
may I ask what dilution (1+9 ?) and what duration/temperature/... you have used to develop the Acros II in FX39 II (which is also my preferred developer).
I never used the original and it is about to attract me. Right now I am bored and I also have $12. Conditions are perfect!
Paul, I can completely understand that, being a Delta 100 user myself for years. Every photographer has to evaluate for himself where the value balance is, and then make his choices.
For me personally Acros I was a supplement / addition in certain situations / applications where I have benefitted from its characteristics. But it has not been my most used BW film.
And I will use Acros II in the same way. Not as my daily workhorse, but as a nice addition when I need its strengths in certain situations.
Best regards,
Henning
1. Well, almost all.
2. There are fortunately much more: Polaroid, InovisCoat/Inovisproject, ADOX, Filmotec, Film Ferrania, Carestream, Lucky, Tasma, Slavich/Micron, Pictoriographica, Washi.
Best regards,
Henning
Hi Henning,
This is very interesting information. Can I ask some questions? You mentioned some companies able to coat film:
Who are Pictoriographica?!
Washi... I thought they just bought old film and then converted it. Do they coat too?
Kind regards,
Flavio.
Let me offer one or two thoughts about Iridium, Selenium, and Tellurium salts and how this might relate to Fujifilms secret sauce that makes their reciprocity characteristics so good. If Fujifilm is relying on some kind of metal salts, and if the metal salts are not of some special form (such as having the metal chelated with some kind of special chelating agent) then from a technical perspective it would not be too hard to figure out what metals are being added. There are at least two types of elemental analysis that could be employed 1) atomic absorption spectrophotometry (and closely related techniques), and 2) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Generally speaking, ICPMS would be the preferred technique. It can be sensitive into the part per trillion level in some cases. Neutron activation analysis might also be applicable, though I know less about that technique, and in any case it is not very widely used, probably because of the fact that it uses ionizing radiation.Yes, but all the known and published components alone are not sufficient to reach that high quality level of Acros and Provia with that parameter. There is much more needed, and I am sure Fujifilm will never publish it. Because it would not make sense to give such a competitive advantage away.
Henning
Exactly.
It was first Impossible Project, then transferred (back) into Polaroid Originals, and now (completely) back into Polaroid. Because the main shareholder of The Impossible Project, a Polish investor (Smolokowski), has recently invested in Polaroid, too. The headquarter of TIP had first moved from Vienna to Berlin, and recently moved to Amsterdam under Polaroid name as Polaroid BV. They have two factories, one in the Netherlands (Enschede), and one in Monheim (Germany). I have visited both of them. Really fascinating technology.
Best regards,
Henning
Thanks for the link!@alanrockwood There is some material hinting at approaches used - see this patent for example. It also discloses Fuji's C-41 formulae from before the formaldehyde stabiliser was replaced by the looks of it as well.
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