ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology : SFX Film / ULF Film / New Prods

[matt miller]

I would buy some 3200 in 8x10 & 3x4. I would also buy Delta 400 in the same sizes.

 

[HenryA]

I'll buy 3200 in 8x10 and 4x5.

 

[Bruce Watson]

Simon,

Forgive me - I'm a heretic. I shoot 5x4, mostly other companies' products. I have reasons for this, the discussion of which won't add to this thread.

I have been, and continue to be, interested in Ilford products, particularly sheet film. I would love to see 400 Delta return to 5x4 format. I would very much like to see Delta 3200 in sheet film, and would buy it, no question.

Slower speed films like a Delta 25 don't interest me however. I need speed a lot more than I need less graininess.

I notice that the major patents on Readyload film holders and packets run out in 2007 IIRC. Are you considering releasing any 5x4 films in packets when that glorious event occurs? I would buy all my "location" film in packets if I could, but neither of your major competitors has a 400 or higher speed film in packets. Delta 400 in packets would win me over as a customer in a heartbeat!

 

[tim atherton]

Delta 3200 would be fun in 4x5 and 8x10 - but probably not for everyday use

BUT

getting Delta 400 back in 4x5 and 8x10 would be great

And getting Pan F is 4x5 and 8x10 would be EXCELLENT...

 

[ronfmarshall]

I will definately buy the Delta 3200 in both 4x5 and 5x7 should it become available.

 

[Ted Harris]

I'm with Ole, I'd love to have Pan F and asa 25 Delta in 4x5 and 5x7

 

[jovo]

SFX Film :

ULF Film,

25 asa Delta Film ( this would NOT replace PAN F + )

Multigrade Cooltone Fibre Base,

SFX? I don't actually know what that is.

UlF? I do not, and never will go beyond 4x5. It's hard enough to get an LF camera to where I want to use it.

25 asa Delta? I love and almost always use Delta 100. I'd be thrilled with film of even greater sharpness and minimal grain if that's the point of this film. I"d buy it in 120 and 4x5 and use it constantly.

Cooltone MG paper? I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

UlF? I do not, and never will go beyond 4x5. It's hard enough to get an LF camera to where I want to use it.

Oh, c'mon...you're not giving up that other big thing you lug around for the violin, are you?

 

[removed account4]

i would buy a little of it all ( slow speeds and fast speeds ) not much sfx though ... (i'd buy 4 x5, 5x7 + 8x10 )

i wish you guys would make a 110 black and white emulsion. i'd buy 200 rolls of it EZ.

--john

 

[jovo]

Oh, c'mon...you're not giving up that other big thing you lug around for the violin, are you?

David, I usually take my cello with me when I go out with the 4x5. If I play really well in the forest, the photographs come to me. It's all I can do to manage the strain on both arms and shoulders

 

[PeterB]

Paper with an adjustable toe length

HOWEVER, I have an idea for a very unique enlarging paper product. The idea is simple but nonstandard. It's a "graded" paper but uses multigrade technology to vary the toe shape from short toe to long toe, using MG filter set. I only need grade 2 warmtone. It would be super-cool to be able to get modern portraits and old timey landscapes on a single stock of paper!

Ryuji,
could you help me understand something about the usefulness of long and short toe papers. This is how I think it works (please correct me if I'm wrong)
For a given fixed film (characteristic curve), a long toe paper will compress the highlights (present say in a landscape) at the expense of a reduction in local mid tone contrast, while a short toe will not compress highlights, thus allowing you to spread out the midtones over more of the paper's tonal range (thus more pleasing for portraits).
If this is the case, then I'm curious to know
i) which papers (do you use that) have long toes
ii) which papers (do you use that) have short toes
iii) Would you use one film for both portraits and landscapes and then just make use of the adjustable paper toe to control local highlight and midtone contrasts? If so what would you use?
iv) If however you would still use different films for landscapes and portraits with this "graded" toe-adjustable paper idea of yours which films would they be?

regards
Peter

 

[JurgenF]

good news

cooltone fibre based paper is an excellent idea!
as well I would buy the delta 25 film - please in 120 rollfilm-format!
compliments for your work!!

 

[Black Dog]

SFX 120-would be vg, though I'd really like to see something like Konica 750
Delta 3200 in sheet sizes?? sign me up NOW!!!!!!!! (maybe 200 sheets a year?)
Delta 25- sounds great and I'd probably buy 50-100 rolls a year
Cooltone in FB would be nice, although at the moment I usually use Forte. But I'd definitely be interested. Say it loud, I'n analogue and I'm proud!

 

[Andre Noble]

I would purchase Pan F in sheet film, 4x5, 5x7. I would also purchase a Delta 25 in sheet film, but I prefer a PanF sheet film.

This is not idle, PanF in sheet film is a fantastic idea - 2nd only to bringing back at least one Ilford B&W 220 film.

 

[JohnArs]

I would the Delta 400 ASA prefer in sheets then a 3200 ASA film but I'm sure would stock booth!
Thanks!

 

[dphill]

Simon,

I would love to use SFX in 35mm or 120.
Delta25 would be interesting alternative to PAN F+.
I would probably use two hundred feet just to make a comparison against the three hundred feet of PAN F+ I will have used by the time the Delta25 is released.
I'll buy and try any paper you have available.
I don't use sheet film at this time.

Thanks for asking for our opinions,

Dan

 

[joneil]

I used to shoot Delta 400 in 4x5 when it was made itn eh past, so if either Delta 400 or 3200 came out in 4x5, I would use it
joe

 

[r-s]

A prediction

A prediction vis-a-vis Delta 25 production:

If you do indeed put this film into production -- in any format, but particularly the higher volume formats (i.e., rolls -- 35mm/120/220) -- you will experience a massive burst of initial sales -- heavy emphasis on the word "initial."

Your temptation will be to base future demand projections on the initial demand volume. If you do, you will likely fall prey to -- and create -- a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The initial burst of purchases will be going straight to the freezer, as users, having been burned repeatedly in the past by other vendors, perceive a likely one-time opportunity to stock up on an emulsion type that they have lusted after for years.

Your mission would be to assure the user-base that you really will be supporting this emulsion on an ongoing basis, so that they can buy as they go, rather than trying to fill up the freezer with a "forever load" today.

This will naturally be an uphill battle, and you'll be torn in two directions -- on the one hand, you will have the customers, incredibly gunshy, viscerally reluctant to "trust" anyone. On the other hand, you will have "corporate" telling you what a great goldmine you've got in this product, "Why, look at the demand! It's truly staggering! We've got to ramp up production!"

If they do ramp up production in the wake of an initial "mad minute" of freezer-purchase stocking up, they will be left reeling when they are stuck with a massive amount of unsold inventory, as demand slacks off, due to the customers having flattened their wallets as they filled their freezers.

If Ilford "corporate" is like most "corporate" mindsets, what will likely happen is that they will decide that they've misread the market -- or, that the market "was fickle and doesn't really know what it wants" -- and, issue an order for immediate cessation of production of the line. Once they've discontinued it, they will either have a fire sale on the remaining (possibly massive) stock, or, more likely (IMO), they will send it to salvage, to strip out the silver for use in other products to hopefully sell at NON-firesale prices.

The idea would be that a roll of "firesale"-priced Delta 25 would represent a roll of some other film -- at normal pricing -- that was lost. In which case, it would make more sense to destroy the Delta 25 stock on hand, rather than "move it" at fire-sale pricing.

This is all speculation, but I don't think it would be the first time a product experienced that sort of "demand-whiplash".

The madness that is traditional photography -- in particular, the categorical loss of virtually all ("mainstream") slow-speed/ultra-fine-grain films -- IMO makes this kind of scenario almost inevitable -- which I consider tragic, given the fact that you are actually considering producing such an emulsion.

So, my suggestion, to reiterate, would be to work extra-hard to assure the market that you really are committed not only to B&W photography, but, to LOW-speed materials, too.

If you can convince the market that you really will be there for them with this product on an ongoing basis, then they will not go on a mad buying spree the instant it hits the shelves, and they will not shoehorn as many rolls into their freezers as possible.

You'd naturally have to convince "corporate" of the wisdom of a marketing strategy aimed at reducing (initial) sales. In order to do that, you'll need to explain to them the reason for the hoarding -- and the fact that it is "hoarding", as opposed to "high demand". (Hoarding is a one-time event -- high demand is something you create, build to, and sustain. As the puppet on the kids' show says, "One of these things is not like the other.")

If you can pull off this multidimensional juggling act, I think you will have a world-beater on your hand -- and, a product that will serve as a "gateway drug" for your other products. People whose first exposure ("no pun etc.") to Ilford film consists of a few rolls of Delta 25 will be wowed, and then go out and buy your other products too. At first, they'll try one or two higher speed films -- then, liking what they've seen, they'll try some paper, and then chemistry too. (You are going to be selling chemicals, right?)

Well, there's my two cents, worth their weight in electrons. Hopefully some of it will make at least some sense, and, even more hopefully, it may help to see Delta 25 become and remain a viable product!

 

[karin bingel]

I would be very interested in Delta 400, 13X18 format.
I have enough SFX, 120 format in the freezer to cover my needs until the end of 07.
I would buy some Delta 3200, 13X18 but only random boxes due to aging problems.

 

[waynecrider]

In response to the above, I can't help but think that production on alot of specific film in specific formats will be done in the future on a once or twice yearly basis. This can even extend to paper and film/paper developers. This way the company gets a big sale which makes the run cost effective and users can stock up for 6 or 12 months in advance. Production cost savings usually comes in buying things in bulk. I would suspect that some things may be too cost prohibitive to produce on a weekly/monthly basis, especially items that are low volumn sellers. The only adverse situation that can happen is raw material suppliers would not be able to supply based on a once in awhile order.

I am a Delta fan, and would love anything else in the 120 format.

 

[Curt]

I can almost smell the Pan F in 2x3 and 5x7; pinch me I think I am dreaming; first I got a nice card and some film from Fuji and now Ilford might make something I could actually use.

Oh? It's not Pan F? Oh well that's the way it goes. It's not in 2x3, not enough call for it? And it's not going to be in 5x7? I already gave up on getting 4x10 but I am grateful for the work that seems to be going on in the ULF film that I don't use.

Don't get me wrong, everyone else does.

 

[Amund]

Simon has made it very clear earlier that PanF+ in sheet film will not happen....

 

[Curt]

Hi Amund, could you put it in larger all capitals letters so I can hear you shout your opinion louder? Did I make it amply clear chap?

 

[Amund]

Hi Amund, could you put it in larger all capitals letters so I can hear you shout your opinion louder? Did I make it amply clear chap?

Pick your fights somewhere else. I really don`t see the point in your aggressive tone here.

 

[Andrew Forrester]

Simon,

I'm pleased to see you will be doing another run of ULF film & Delta 3200 in ULF would be great, but will you be making the film only available to photgraphers in North America, as you did with your previous run?

Andrew