Lloyds Pharmacy Colour Negative Film

[pentaxuser]

This may be a long shot and only applicable to UK APUGers in terms of answers but has anyone used an own brand film from Lloyds Pharmacy? Clearly it is produced by a film manufacturer in the same way Boots films are but who?

I bought some while in the Isle of Mann recently. It was late Saturday and all I could get. All it says is manufactured in the E.U. Probably rules out Fuji or Kodak or does it? Might be Solaris?

No good asking the shop assistant. I could contact Lloyds of course but film inquiries are hardly likely to be a top priority in terms of a quick reply for what is a pharmaceutical sales company.

Anyone know?
Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[Aurum]

Probably as you say a ferrania Solaris. Ferrania have been the manufacturer of choice for own label stuff in the UK for years

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

There is still a good chance it could be remaining Agfa stock.

 

[srs5694]

If you're more than idly curious, I suggest you just buy a roll. You may be able to tell by the design of the plastic film can alone who made it, but if not then the edge markings will give it away once you've processed the roll -- even if the manufacturer's name isn't among the edge markings, the fonts and other details are unique for each manufacturer. (FWIW, the Ferrania-made film I've bought in the US in the past couple of years has had "Ferrania" among the edge markings, so that one's particularly obvious.)

 

[railwayman3]

I believe that Fuji does some manufacturing in the Netherlands?

Fuji plastic cassette cans are quite distinctive; other than that, probably Ferrania.

Did you have any particular reason to know, other perhaps than wondering about the quality? I've found that own-brand films are generally fine, but perhaps just lack the last ounce of quality of a top film....as if, perhaps, they were one-generation- behind on the manufacturers main brand.

 

[nickrapak]

Look at the numbers under the barcode on the casette, and enter them on this website: http://www.imageaircraft.com.au/DXsim/ This should give you the manufacturer of the film, and possibly its commercial equivalent.

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks for all the replies. It's simple curiosity. srs5964 I did in fact buy it. I'll get round to processing it soon but it's always nice to know which manufacturer's film I am dealing with. I'll try the suggestions made for finding the original manufacturer.

I must admit that I had never noticed anything about Fuji cassettes which distingushed them from, say, Kodak- other than the word Fuji of course! However I have just looked closely at all three cassettes i.e. Fuji, Kodak and Lloyds and there are some subtle differences in the bottoms and central spools! The Lloyds cassette is slightly different from either the Kodak or Fuji cassettes which are also different from each other. Points to it being another maker so looks like Ferrania might be the one.

If it's Ferrania what differences in terms of colour signature might I expect compared to Fuji Superia or Kodak Ultra Max which were the other two films I obtained while on holiday?

pentaxuser

 

[pentaxuser]

nickrapak. Postscript to my reply. I tried your website link but the simulator you need to use to check out the barcode is blank so I couldn't use it. It does seem to say that it isn't fully compatible with Windows XP Professional which I have so this may be the reason. Pity as it looks a good site for checking on cassettes.

pentaxuser

 

[srs5694]

By "plastic film can," I didn't mean the metal film cartridge itself, but the plastic can with a lid in which it resides. Although I'm sure there are differences in the metal film cartridges and spools, each manufacturer has unique plastic film cans. For instance, Kodak's lids fit around the outside of the film cans, whereas Fuji's and Ferrania's snap in place inside the film can. There are more subtle differences between Fuji and Ferrania film cans, but they're easily spotted in a side-by-side comparison. When they were still in production, Konica and Agfa both had unique and easily-identified features, too. Those are all of the manufacturers that have made C-41 color film in recent years, but the B&W manufacturers (Ilford, Efke, Foma, etc.) also each has unique film cans. Some of the really dinky manufacturers may not have unique designs, though; I can't claim to have bought samples from every manufacturer.

As to the characteristics of Ferrania film, my summary is that it's like Kodak or Fuji film from 10-20 years ago. Colors aren't as saturated and the film is grainier at any given speed compared to the consumer-grade films from Kodak or Fuji. Most people prefer Kodak or Fuji film, but I've seen posts from people who prefer Ferrania. For instance, one person likes Ferrania because he and his family all have pale skin, and he finds that Ferrania film does a better job with his family's skin tones than Kodak or Fuji film.

 

[Goldfellow]

It is almost certianly Ferrania, made in Italy, and I agree with srs5694 on his description of its qualitites. If you did want the less vibrant skin tone, go with a PortraNC.. you'll get the grain benefit of newer technology , with the flesh rendition.

 

[Brac]

I believe that Fuji does some manufacturing in the Netherlands?

It was announced quite some time ago that the plant was being closed and by now it probably already is closed. The Fuji colour films made there were going to be made elsewhere, presumably Japan. I don't know that they have any other film production facilities but certainly the Dutch plant was the only one they had in Europe.

 

[railwayman3]

^^^^@ Brac

Just googled "Fuji" and the Dutch website indicates that they make currently manufacture offset photo plates and photographic paper at Tilburg. You're quite correct, no mention of film.
The website is in Dutch, but the Google translator produces a very good English version of the text.

It looks as though the factory has been established about 25 years...did Fuji take over an "old" small photo manufacturer in Tilburg? I have vague memories of some photo-related address there, perhaps on old Kodachrome or Agfachrome mailers....or I may be dreaming it.

 

[2F/2F]

The most common relabeled drugstore film is made by Ferrania in Italy. If it is *ultra* cheap, and in 36-exp. cartridges, it is probably worth using. There has been worse film made; believe me. It looks very "journalistic", you might say, which is a good look for a lot of stuff. The hassle of 24 exposures per roll would kill any deal for me, however.

Then again, I have only used it in 110 format, so that could be tainting my view of it.

 

[Brac]

Just googled "Fuji" and the Dutch website indicates that they make currently manufacture offset photo plates and photographic paper at Tilburg. You're quite correct, no mention of film.
The website is in Dutch, but the Google translator produces a very good English version of the text.

It looks as though the factory has been established about 25 years...did Fuji take over an "old" small photo manufacturer in Tilburg? I have vague memories of some photo-related address there, perhaps on old Kodachrome or Agfachrome mailers....or I may be dreaming it.

I didn't realise the plant was still going, maybe they had a change of heart. When film was made there the boxes gave the Tilburg address. I don't think Fuji took over any existing photographic manufacturer. They started to manufacture in Europe when film was booming and presumably they saved on import duties and/or transport costs. In those days everyone was optimistic, even the German firm Tura were at one point considering opening a factory in Ireland to manufacture their products! Now they're just a brand acquired by Photo Star and used for repackaging someone else's products. Times have certainly changed.

 

[AgX]

Fuji stopped manufacturing films in Tilburg in august 2006.

Not related to Fuji, but the other modern Dutch halid coater: the "Nederlandsche Fotografische Industrie" (NFI, later Dalco), founded in 1938, stopped in the eighties I guess.