Life without Reala in the USA

Vonder · Jun 7, 2010

I'm coming to grips with the fact that Reala, my favorite film, is no longer going to be sold in the USA. I didn't believe it at first - how could Fuji stop selling a film in the world's biggest marketplace but not others? I guess nobody here was buying it. Alas

While nothing will replace Reala I do intend to keep shooting C-41 film, so I'm debating whether Kodak 100 Gold or Kodak Portra 160VC is the better alternative.

B&Wpositive · Jun 7, 2010

Wolfeye said:
I'm coming to grips with the fact that Reala, my favorite film, is no longer going to be sold in the USA. I didn't believe it at first - how could Fuji stop selling a film in the world's biggest marketplace but not others? I guess nobody here was buying it. Alas

While nothing will replace Reala I do intend to keep shooting C-41 film, so I'm debating whether Kodak 100 Gold or Kodak Portra 160VC is the better alternative.

I'm willing to bet we'll still be able to get both Reala and plain Fujicolor 100 as import film from certain stores, at least in 35mm.

ken472 · Jun 7, 2010

I too am missing my Reala(all time favorite film). I noticed on ebay it is available. I believe it would be shipped from Hong Kong (I think?). I have not bought any yet but I might soon. The last time I checked Adorama had some left but B&H were out.

2F/2F · Jun 7, 2010

I am with you. It is my favorite medium-speed color negative film by leaps and bounds.

I will be importing it, myself. As long as it is still manufactured, I will try to get my hands on it. I plan on stocking up on the 120, because I believe it is just a matter of time before it is gone entirely, and there will likely never again be another 100-speed color negative film that I like this much.

There really is no replacement for Reala IME. The closest is Superia 100, but it still isn't as good, and it has been discontinued here as well. S and C (and NC and VC on the Kodak side) fall on either side of it in terms of saturation and contrast, and IME neither are as accurate in color reproduction.

What Reala really strikes me as is a daylight negative film with the qualities you get from T64. Totally accurate, totally plain, not subdued or exaggerated, dead neutral grays and whites that print so beautifully, rich blacks, moderate contrast, very sharp, very fine grained.

EPN and EPP were very close to it, but not only are they both transparency films, but they are both discontinued.

Do not let anyone sell you the idea that Kodak Ektar is a reasonable replacement for it. They are very different films.

I might go for Pro 160S underexposed a stop and pushed if I didn't want to import Reala...but wait...that is gone too!!! So, maybe Kodak 160NC underexposed a stop and pushed a stop?

phaedrus · Jun 7, 2010

Wolfeye, is (was?) Reala really as saturated as a VC Kodak film? Or are skin tones important to you?

lns · Jun 7, 2010

I loved Reala. And it was so reasonably priced. Running out of it, I've just bought a bunch of Fuji Pro 160S. It's a nice film that works well with skin tones in my experience. But it is different, of course.

I've used Portra 160VC and NC and like both, but I prefer the Fuji Pro 160S. I sure hope it's not discontinued.

-Laura

Athiril · Jun 8, 2010

I'm not sure if I like Pro 160S or Reala better. In any case I've always been buying from HK, Thailand, Taiwan, UK and US over eBay since prices here are just plain robbery, and I havent had a problem with any of those film sellers, UK and US tend to be slow on the shipping though.

perkeleellinen · Jun 8, 2010

If you're looking for import sources, 120 Reala can be sourced from the UK:
http://www.fujilab.co.uk/catalog/reala-medium-format-colour-negative-film-pack-p-607.html

35mm is still available here, but it's not going to be imported anymore, Germany seems the best source:
http://www.macodirect.de/fujifilm-fuji-reala-c-416_427_465_468.html

sepiareverb · Jun 8, 2010

Japan Exposures is a great outfit that ships to the US pretty darn quickly. I've ordered from them several times.

Chris Nielsen · Jun 8, 2010

I didn't like 160S, when I can't get Reala I'll go Portra I think. Curiously enough, Acros has never been imported here, but I can get as much Reala as I like currently whereas you lot are out of luck already it seems.

Vonder · Jun 8, 2010

2F/2F said:
I am with you. It is my favorite medium-speed color negative film by leaps and bounds.

Do not let anyone sell you the idea that Kodak Ektar is a reasonable replacement for it. They are very different films.

I totally agree. Extar is hideous for skin tones - even the new Velvia beats it in that department.

I hadn't thought of it until just now, but I may just go with Kodak 200 Gold. I hate the extra full stop of speed but I have seen similar results to Reala with it. Maybe it's just the way my lab processes it and I scan it.

benjiboy · Jun 8, 2010

Fuji UK are stopping importing Reala into Britain too, they say they don't sell enough of it to justify it, which I find hard to believe.

Vonder · Jun 8, 2010

ken472 said:
I too am missing my Reala(all time favorite film). I noticed on ebay it is available. I believe it would be shipped from Hong Kong (I think?). I have not bought any yet but I might soon. The last time I checked Adorama had some left but B&H were out.

Thanks! I had checked B&H but not Adorama. 20 more rolls on order.

Mark Antony · Jun 8, 2010

benjiboy said:
Fuji UK are stopping importing Reala into Britain too, they say they don't sell enough of it to justify it, which I find hard to believe.

Are you sure? they still seem to have it here:
http://www.fujilab.co.uk/catalog/colour-reala-c-30_31_61.html
If the site is to be trusted its their 4th best selling product....
Of course the above could just be selling off old stock and this will be the last batch.
Have you had confirmation of the situation from Fuji in Bedford?
Mark

perkeleellinen · Jun 8, 2010

Mark Antony said:
If the site is to be trusted its their 4th best selling product....

The crazy thing is that 35mm Reala was the best selling product on that site. Then, after Fuji UK announced it was cutting 35mm Reala, they increased the price by 28% and it dropped from the best selling slot. Just to clarify, 120 Reala remains on sale in the UK (it's a big seller), 35mm has been cut and what we see now is just remaining stock.

Mark Antony · Jun 8, 2010

So just the 135 is being deleted in the UK? That seems pretty crazy unless the 120 goes sometime soon too. I would imagine that Reala would be one of their top selling films, certainly a bigger seller than say– their chromes.
Possibly this is a manufacture issue? Due to the processes of making a film with more layers (I hope I'm right in thinking Reala is a 4 layer film) now that the consumer films have dropped the 4 layer tech means that the remaining Reala emulsions are more expensive to make?

6x9 · Jun 8, 2010

In the UK Reala sells more then the slides?

perkeleellinen · Jun 9, 2010

Mark Antony said:
So just the 135 is being deleted in the UK? That seems pretty crazy unless the 120 goes sometime soon too. I would imagine that Reala would be one of their top selling films, certainly a bigger seller than say– their chromes.

This is what made the decision seem so crazy to me too. I see 35mm Reala in high street shops, it's cheap and a really nice film.

Here's the UK situation, from another thread:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

benjiboy · Jun 9, 2010

Mark Antony said:
Are you sure? they still seem to have it here:
http://www.fujilab.co.uk/catalog/colour-reala-c-30_31_61.html
If the site is to be trusted its their 4th best selling product....
Of course the above could just be selling off old stock and this will be the last batch.
Have you had confirmation of the situation from Fuji in Bedford?
Mark

I just bought twenty rolls from Fujilab Mark, but I don't think they are the same company as Fuji UK, my information came from a a thread on this site that has already been running for thirty one pages titled " Interesting news about Fuji Pro." that needs merging with this one. http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1648310/fujifilm-kills-pro-films

Mark Antony · Jun 9, 2010

Yes Fuji lab are different I think, but they must have some link as they only sell Fuji, I bought my Fujifilm diary from them and there is quite a bit of Fuji branding on their site.
The BJP article is interesting, they seem to be spinning it to poor sales, but when you read the statement it says something quite different, that 160 ProS is going to be replaced by 160NS in a re-branding excercise.
I wish Fuji wouldn't keep changing the names of their 160 films first it was NPS, then NSP, ProS, Pro NS all the same portrait neg line, I'm confused.
Reala seems to be going in 135 only? because of poor sales? does that mean 120 reala is a bigger seller?
Neopan 400 (which I love) is going away because of environment issues, I seem to remember Velvia 50 RVP doing a similar trick only to re-appear without the harmful stuff-possibly (hopefully) Neopan 400 will do likewise, I'd take 135 coating (seems not to have the harmful stuff) cut into 120 please mr Fuji.
Mark

benjiboy · Jun 9, 2010

Mark Antony said:
Yes Fuji lab are different I think, but they must have some link as they only sell Fuji, I bought my Fujifilm diary from them and there is quite a bit of Fuji branding on their site.
The BJP article is interesting, they seem to be spinning it to poor sales, but when you read the statement it says something quite different, that 160 ProS is going to be replaced by 160NS in a re-branding excercise.
I wish Fuji wouldn't keep changing the names of their 160 films first it was NPS, then NSP, ProS, Pro NS all the same portrait neg line, I'm confused.
Reala seems to be going in 135 only? because of poor sales? does that mean 120 reala is a bigger seller?
Neopan 400 (which I love) is going away because of environment issues, I seem to remember Velvia 50 RVP doing a similar trick only to re-appear without the harmful stuff-possibly (hopefully) Neopan 400 will do likewise, I'd take 135 coating (seems not to have the harmful stuff) cut into 120 please mr Fuji.
Mark

I'm afraid mark it's only going to re-branded as as Pro.N.S. in 120 size, the 135 films it's my understanding will be discontinued.

2F/2F · Jun 10, 2010

Well, I heard something interesting today.

Reala in 120 is in stock at Freestyle. They just got a new shipment. They told me the problem with Reala is not that it is discontinued, but that the emulsion is not made as often as others, so when it sells out, there is none available until another batch is manufactured.

They also told me that the Fuji U.S.A. people are having a very hard time getting any reliable information about any products from Fuji Japan, so they, in turn, have no reliable information to give retailers or consumers.

Oh yeah. The price is now about $5.50 a roll, instead of $3.99.

faustotesta · Jun 10, 2010

Guys, i have just contacted Fuji and i have been ansered from Italian branch. They say Reala 120 is still in production. Reala 135 is no longer in production.....I have the bad feeiling that films will not last long. Am i too drastic ?

perkeleellinen · Jun 10, 2010

This is the email I got from Fuji UK in March:

Yes, unfortunately Reala 35mm has now been discontinued. It will still be available in 120 but the 35mm will be discontinued.

But I'd taken 'discontinued' to mean 'no longer imported' rather than no longer produced.

faustotesta · Jun 10, 2010

perkeleellinen said:
This is the email I got from Fuji UK in March:

But I'd taken 'discontinued' to mean 'no longer imported' rather than no longer produced.

Unfortunately you are not right. We should all choose another colour negative (there is none comparable to reala. I tried kodak ektar but it's not the same story). I'm really concerned about the future of films.
Ciao

Life without Reala in the USA

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency