I'm going to miss you Neopan 400....

Richard S. (rich815) · Feb 4, 2015

Shot a roll recently with my Olympus OM2n mounted with the very, very nice 100/2.8 Zuiko lens. Developed in HC-110. I only got a few rolls of this film left....

My daughter Mimi and my wife Amy. (Yes, I know, I cut off my wife's chin but I'm just looking at the gorgeous character of this film....)

heespharm · Feb 4, 2015

That's why I have a bunch shoved way back in my freezer... It'll run out eventually but not anytime soon

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john_s · Feb 4, 2015

I agree. One of the (many) reasons that Richard's photo is so good is that it is adequately exposed. In my humble opinion one of the secrets to portraiture.

Rob Archer · Feb 4, 2015

I wish I'd stocked up on the 120 when it was still around. Lovely film, particularly in microphen 1+1

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Ricardo Miranda · Feb 4, 2015

It isn't worth to cry over spilled milk.
It is gone, use something else and use a lot, so that "discontinuations" don't happen again.

It is really not worth to shove film in freezer just because it is discontinued.
The remaining films need a chance to survive.
Use Ilford Delta 400 next time.

It is a nice shot, though you might want to do a step back next time.

heespharm · Feb 4, 2015

Ricardo Miranda said:
It isn't worth to cry over spilled milk.
It is gone, use something else and use a lot, so that "discontinuations" don't happen again.

It is really not worth to shove film in freezer just because it is discontinued.
The remaining films need a chance to survive.
Use Ilford Delta 400 next time.

It is a nice shot, though you might want to do a step back next time.

Thanks dad! It's shoved in the freezer bc that's where all my film is... It's just Deep DEEP in there... Didn't occur to me to use a new film in place of a discontinued one... *sarcasm... Hahahah

But really I have been trix like crazy just for that reason... Bc if that ever gets discontinued I think my heart would literally break.. :-(

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Richard S. (rich815) · Feb 4, 2015

Ricardo Miranda said:
It isn't worth to cry over spilled milk.
It is gone, use something else and use a lot, so that "discontinuations" don't happen again.

It is really not worth to shove film in freezer just because it is discontinued.
The remaining films need a chance to survive.
Use Ilford Delta 400 next time.

It is a nice shot, though you might want to do a step back next time.

No crying, just "pre-reminiscing". Don't want to think I did not appreciate it while I could. And just sharing in the joy of it while its still around, sort of.

They were across from me at a picnic table, and yes that lens a bit tight for how close. Should have brought my 50 too but some days just want to keep it simple.

I love Delta 400 too, and HP5+ and shoot those as well, and will shoot them with similar joy.

This one just seemed to come out so nicely dialed in. Exposed nicely, developed well and gave me some lovely tones.

Richard S. (rich815) · Feb 4, 2015

Another from the same roll:

heespharm · Feb 4, 2015

Gorgeous tones!

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gone · Feb 4, 2015

That first shot is a great one Richard. Really good light, and the focus is spot on. I like it a lot. That's a good lens on that camera. You're getting better results from that film than I ever did. The composition would probably lose something if you moved back.

You might try good 'ol Tri-X in D76. It's different, but good. I took this one of the 'ol lady in very low light on our anniversary in the Thai restaurant a while back. Can't remember the gear exactly, but pretty sure it was a Canon FTb with either an FD 85 1.8 or an FL 85 1.8 lens. I've since switched to Arista EDU Ultra 100 in Mic-X, but Tri-X in D76 has its charms when it comes to portraits. Tri-X is not as sharp as the Neopan due to the difference in grain (Neopan is really sharp), but that's not necessarily a drawback unless you're printing really big. Neopan isn't that out of date. You should be able to buy some and stick in in the freezer, and use it for many years.

Of course, if you want sharp, just use a Leica R 90 lens :}

Kevin Caulfield · Feb 4, 2015

I have nine rolls left and now use it just for very special occasions, our children's birthdays. We have our youngest's eighth birthday coming up in two days, so your post has prompted me to get it out of the freezer.

Mick Fagan · Feb 4, 2015

Richard Sintchak (rich815) said:
Shot a roll recently with my Olympus OM2n mounted with the very, very nice 100/2.8 Zuiko lens. Developed in HC-110. I only got a few rolls of this film left....

My daughter Mimi and my wife Amy. (Yes, I know, I cut off my wife's chin but I'm just looking at the gorgeous character of this film....)

That is a great picture showing off exactly why Neopan 400 is/was so good. I would guess with that lens you were probably shooting this at f/8 at 1/250 in that light.

Fortunately I still have about 100 rolls of 135 of this left, down from over 400 rolls a few years ago. Kentmere 400 seems to be a reasonably nice alternative with the little I have used of it, about 20 rolls so far, it has a signature more than slightly reminiscent of NP400.

Mick.

jim appleyard · Feb 4, 2015

I really like this film in Pyrocat HD. D-76 is good, too. Aren't freezers great?

Richard S. (rich815) · Feb 4, 2015

Mick Fagan said:
That is a great picture showing off exactly why Neopan 400 is/was so good. I would guess with that lens you were probably shooting this at f/8 at 1/250 in that light.

Mick.

Actually it was more like f/5.6 at 1/60th I believe. It was a fairly overcast dank day with a lot of forest and canopy around us and we were behind the east bay hills with the sun low on the winter horizon. I had the T20 flash mounted for fill which was why I was staying at 1/60th. The TTL flash of the OM2 is legendary.

Andrew O'Neill · Feb 4, 2015

I used this film back in the 90's, with D-76 1+1. Very nice. I've got a couple of 120 rolls in the freezer, expired a few years ago. Time to shoot it!

NJH · Feb 5, 2015

I love the tonality of this film and how sharp it is but all my film is processed by a local lab (ID-11 in deep tanks), any time I have shot a subject with a wide contrast scene I have tended to get very sharp accentuated grain in the sky whereas lower contrast scenes the grain can be barely visible, its such a stark difference. This tends to infer the higher contrast scenes are overdeveloped not withstanding that I wish they were still making this as I would have honed in my exposures with their processing (or my own) and standardised on this film as its closer to how I feel B&W should look in my regime than anything I got from Acros, Tmax or XP2 yet scanned on my KM5400 doesn't seem to be giving anything up to those last two expect for the over accentuated grain sometimes as noted above.

Will I be able to get the same results from the 10 pack of Tri-X I just bought?

polyglot · Feb 5, 2015

meh. Sorry, I can't get particularly excited over this film or its demise - I bought 10 rolls of the 120 as it was running out just to see what the fuss is about. Nothing wrong with it as a traditional-grain 400-speed film but no better than Tri-X or HP5 IMHO, and not a patch on TMY2.

If everyone who loves it moves to 400TX or HP5, that will shore up manufacturers who are more-heavily invested in B&W.

Acros though? I'd be real sad to see the end of Acros as its performance is unique in a couple of ways.

Richard S. (rich815) · Feb 5, 2015

Meh? Sorry poly but you speak as someone who just never dialed it in. No biggie but what is your post meant to add really? Of course we'll be moving on to other existing films and likely be very pleased with them but many of us found Neopan 400 something quite special with some very unique characteristics. I for one found it interesting in that it could resemble something like an old school B&W emulsion or alternatively even come close to a more modern Tmax look even easier than many other films through tweaking of exposure, development or printing. But that's me. My celebration of it here is by no means a down vote for other films and I find curious those who post comment who have little experience in Neopan 400. Nonetheless not looking to start a back and forth or argue over the film...

Albany roof garden macro RolleiflexSL66 80Planar(old) Neopan400 Rodinal 1-50 9min30sec 22C 1minAg 2008-06 by rich8155 (Richard Sintchak), on Flickr

Berkeley Marina Shorebird Park Rolleiflex3-5E Planar Neopan400 HC-110dilH 7min 21C 2010-12 by rich8155 (Richard Sintchak), on Flickr

Amy and Ben at breakfast LeicaMP Jupiter8 Neopan 400 Rod1-50 9min Ag120 06-2005 by rich8155 (Richard Sintchak), on Flickr

perkeleellinen · Feb 5, 2015

I'm a fan, only film I shot for a good many years. Strangely since getting into RA4 printing I've shot so little B&W that Neo's death isn't as painful as I thought it would be. Neo 1600, though, that's a different matter...

DWThomas · Feb 5, 2015

It was strange, some years back I bought two or three rolls to try out when I ordered some stuff from B&H. It took me a while to get to shooting one -- in my Perkeo II, developed in HC110 1+63 as I recall -- and I was favorably impressed with it. About two weeks later its demise was announced!

So I used what I had but didn't try to hoard a vast supply, as what's the point of learning all the nuances of something that's going away. I would be far more sorry to see Acros 100 go, but I continue with it so far (along with other stuff).

heespharm · Feb 5, 2015

DWThomas said:
It was strange, some years back I bought two or three rolls to try out when I ordered some stuff from B&H. It took me a while to get to shooting one -- in my Perkeo II, developed in HC110 1+63 as I recall -- and I was favorably impressed with it. About two weeks later its demise was announced!

So I used what I had but didn't try to hoard a vast supply, as what's the point of learning all the nuances of something that's going away. I would be far more sorry to see Acros 100 go, but I continue with it so far (along with other stuff).

I remember about 3-4 years ago there was a rumor that acros was going too... It was back ordered everywhere... So now I have 300 ft of 35mm in my freezer..

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BenJT · Feb 5, 2015

Neopan 400 was my favorite film, a great performer, I never understood its demise, but then again its Fuji and they don't really seem to be on our side these days.

cmacd123 · Feb 5, 2015

I had never heard of it until freestyle had this really cheep "legacy Pro 400" which I bought a small supply of, and at first was not too impressed, until I played with it some and started to get some good shots. Stocked up on a whole bunch of it, and started to check bout what it was. Discovered it WAS Neopan 400 and started to buy some of that, but it was twice the price of Legacy Pro.

When Freestyle ran out of legacy pro, I started to order ten rolls at a time of Neopan 400 every time I got something from the mail order places, hoping to see the first three digits of the emulsion number increment. It did'ent.

I have run out of all but a few bulk loaded carts of Legacy pro, and have perhaps 60 of the Neopan 400 in my freezer.

Presumably by the time freestyle was allowed to buy it as a private label fujifilm had decided that it was not going to continue. The Neo400 I bought subsequently to freestyle running out of LP was all from the one batch with a slightly higher emulsion number than the LP400.

RattyMouse · Feb 6, 2015

BenJT said:
Neopan 400 was my favorite film, a great performer, I never understood its demise, but then again its Fuji and they don't really seem to be on our side these days.

Sad but true. We cannot rely on Fujifilm, which is a shame because they make more money from film and film processing than they do from d!gital cameras!

spark · Feb 6, 2015

I loved the results with this film in Xtol. A different look than HP5/Tri-X, for different subjects. When on business travel to Japan I would always grab a bunch of Neopan Presto 400 at Yodabashi before I left. That stash is almost gone now. Stuffing the freezer with a last time buy is one option, but it's a bit defeatist. I'll be trying the Delta 400 to start with, might as well toss the budget towards someone who is supporting film. Any other suggestions?

I'm going to miss you Neopan 400....

Richard S. (rich815)

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