Luminar 100 35mm film

[mtnbkr]

Did anyone see this at 35mmc.com?

NEWS: Luminar 100 35mm Color Film Released by Popho Camera Company

A new 35mm color negative film is now available from Popho Camera Company. Luminar 100 is respooled Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460, which was used previously for aerial surveillance. Popho says the daylight balanced 36-exposure film has great sharpness, fine grain structure, and a wide dynamic range...

www.35mmc.com

It is respooled Aerocolor IV, which I was aware of but hadn't used. The online shots I've seen looked nice, it sounded interesting, and the price was right, so I bought a couple rolls to try out. While I was there, I also bought the last two rolls of their "house brand" Kodak Double-X because it was considerably cheaper than Cinestill's version. I rounded out the order with a couple reusable 35mm canisters ($1.54 each). Shipping was a very reasonable $8.

Chris

 

[koraks]

I hadn't heard of it, but looks interesting enough. It's a maskless film, so I don't know how it'll fare when printed optically onto RA4 paper, but I'm sure it'll scan just fine. Normally developed its ISO (as per Kodak datasheet) appears to be 80, so its marketed speed of 100 isn't outrageous.

Be sure to post back when you've tried it!

 

[mtnbkr]

I hadn't heard of it, but looks interesting enough. It's a maskless film, so I don't know how it'll fare when printed optically onto RA4 paper, but I'm sure it'll scan just fine. Normally developed its ISO (as per Kodak datasheet) appears to be 80, so its marketed speed of 100 isn't outrageous.

Be sure to post back when you've tried it!

Hmm, scans fine? Maybe after a couple of commercially processed rolls, I'll try my hand at home C41 processing, scanning, and bypass the print altogether.
I'll definitely post up some examples, but I probably won't shoot it until Spring. Right now, and until late March at best, everything is just shades of brown.

Chris

 

[koraks]

Hmm, scans fine?

Most likely, yes. A film scanner might be fooled by the lack of the orange mask, but if you scan it as a positive (slide/transparency mode) and then invert and color correct in post, you should be able to get good results.

 

[Film-Niko]

Did anyone see this at 35mmc.com?

NEWS: Luminar 100 35mm Color Film Released by Popho Camera Company

A new 35mm color negative film is now available from Popho Camera Company. Luminar 100 is respooled Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460, which was used previously for aerial surveillance. Popho says the daylight balanced 36-exposure film has great sharpness, fine grain structure, and a wide dynamic range...

www.35mmc.com

It is respooled Aerocolor IV, which I was aware of but hadn't used.

Respooled Kodak Aerocolor has been available for quite some time from different sources. First some in Ukraine started it, then Silberra started to sell it as Silberra Color film. Recently Camera Rescue / Kamerastore in Finland started to respool it as SantaColor (they are honest that this film is nothing new but just Aerocolor).
Fortunately Luminar is also honest about the origin of this film.

 

[Popho Camera Co]

Hi, I am Bei Ning from Popho Camero Co. I am glad there's interest in our film. If there is any question, I'll be glad to answer them.

I'll share unedited scans from the lab that I shot for the marketing campaign of Luminar so everyone can have an idea of what it looks like:

Luminar 100 Marketing Campaign 1 & 2 · Nov 15 – 16, 2022 📸

Shared album · Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

The caucasian skin tone can turn red in certain lighting situations. If the film is underexposed the green tint creeps in very quickly. Otherwise, I personally find the grain to be much finer and the dynamic range to be wider than the consumer film on the market.

Respooled Kodak Aerocolor has been available for quite some time from different sources. First some in Ukraine started it, then Silberra started to sell it as Silberra Color film. Recently Camera Rescue / Kamerastore in Finland started to respool it as SantaColor (they are honest that this film is nothing new but just Aerocolor).
Fortunately Luminar is also honest about the origin of this film.

Honesty on the film's origin is very important to us. I was very frustrated myself whenever I discovered a branded "new" film was just another respooled Fomapan. I love Fomapan but not when people rebrand them as a completely new product on the market.

 

[Film-Niko]

Hi, I am Bei Ning from Popho Camero Co. I am glad there's interest in our film. If there is any question, I'll be glad to answer them.

Hi Bei Ning,

welcome to photrio! Good to have you here .

I'll share unedited scans from the lab that I shot for the marketing campaign of Luminar so everyone can have an idea of what it looks like:

Luminar 100 Marketing Campaign 1 & 2 · Nov 15 – 16, 2022 📸

Shared album · Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

The caucasian skin tone can turn red in certain lighting situations. If the film is underexposed the green tint creeps in very quickly. Otherwise, I personally find the grain to be much finer and the dynamic range to be wider than the consumer film on the market.

Thanks for the infos.
Have you done real technical comparison tests concerning grain and dynamic range, or is that more a first subjective impression by you?

 

[Popho Camera Co]

Hi Bei Ning,

welcome to photrio! Good to have you here .



Thanks for the infos.
Have you done real technical comparison tests concerning grain and dynamic range, or is that more a first subjective impression by you?

Thank you!

About the grain and the dynamic range, this is entirely my personal impression. We have not yet completed any technical tests with scientific rigour. There is a dynamic range limit test that's planned for the future.

 

[Huss]

Is aerocolor still being made by Kodak, or is this expired old stock that will eventually be no longer available?
I just wonder why Kodak themselves wouldn’t sells this as individual rolls if they are still making it, given they cannot keep up with regular colour consumer film demand.

 

[brbo]

I just wonder why Kodak themselves wouldn’t sells this as individual rolls if they are still making it, given they cannot keep up with regular colour consumer film demand.

Because making individual rolls is their bottleneck, not the coating.

 

[Popho Camera Co]

Is aerocolor still being made by Kodak, or is this expired old stock that will eventually be no longer available?
I just wonder why Kodak themselves wouldn’t sells this as individual rolls if they are still making it, given they cannot keep up with regular colour consumer film demand.

The film is still being made. All rolls are fresh and have an accurate expiration date.

 

[Huss]

Because making individual rolls is their bottleneck, not the coating.

The film is still being made. All rolls are fresh and have an accurate expiration date.

Thanks!

Looking at Kodak's data sheet it says:

KODAK AEROCOLOR IV Negative Film 2460 is for general use in medium- to high-altitude aerial-mapping and aerial-reconnaissance photography. It is suited for geological, pollution, archeological, crop and forestry studies; traffic control; city planning; railway, highway, and hydraulic engineering; oceanography; and remote sensing, as well as other areas where photogrammetry is used. It is also well suited and recommended for use in digital film recorders.

I would have thought all these applications would be using digital tech in this day and age.

 

[Popho Camera Co]

Thanks!

Looking at Kodak's data sheet it says:

KODAK AEROCOLOR IV Negative Film 2460 is for general use in medium- to high-altitude aerial-mapping and aerial-reconnaissance photography. It is suited for geological, pollution, archeological, crop and forestry studies; traffic control; city planning; railway, highway, and hydraulic engineering; oceanography; and remote sensing, as well as other areas where photogrammetry is used. It is also well suited and recommended for use in digital film recorders.

I would have thought all these applications would be using digital tech in this day and age.

That's what we thought when we first learn about it too! But apparently, people still use it for their intended purpose.

 

[MattKing]

Thanks!

Looking at Kodak's data sheet it says:

KODAK AEROCOLOR IV Negative Film 2460 is for general use in medium- to high-altitude aerial-mapping and aerial-reconnaissance photography. It is suited for geological, pollution, archeological, crop and forestry studies; traffic control; city planning; railway, highway, and hydraulic engineering; oceanography; and remote sensing, as well as other areas where photogrammetry is used. It is also well suited and recommended for use in digital film recorders.

I would have thought all these applications would be using digital tech in this day and age.

There remains in place a specialized infrastructure for using this film for the purposes it is intended for. Things like how the results are viewed, analyzed and archived. To design a digitally based "capture" system and replace all that infrastructure is both expensive and complex - particularly when the existing film based system works as well as it does.
In addition, the reference to use in digital film recorders means that it, or similar product, still has a role in the motion picture industry where intermediate film materials are used.

 

[MattKing]

There is a doom and gloom thread from last year or so where someone shared a false rumour that they had heard that Kodak had "stopped making film". I reached out to a contact when that thread appeared, and that contact mentioned that just that day the factory had been busy making runs of this and other specialized technical films.

 

[Anon Ymous]

... I would have thought all these applications would be using digital tech in this day and age.

The greatest perhaps users of aviation films were air forces in aerial reconnaissance roles. They didn't switch to digital capture because film was giving inferior results, but because of the need for real time data. Especially if we consider that the aircraft won't necessarily make it back to the base.

 

[Huss]

That's what we thought when we first learn about it too! But apparently, people still use it for their intended purpose.

I dig your vibe, ordered 5 rolls.
never used this film before. Should be fun!

 

[Huss]

P.s ISO 100 film does not need a DX sticker as that is the default setting for pretty much any camera that reads DX.
Then again it also means that stoopid red warning light in my M7 will be flashing…

 

[Film-Niko]

Thank you!

About the grain and the dynamic range, this is entirely my personal impression. We have not yet completed any technical tests with scientific rigour. There is a dynamic range limit test that's planned for the future.

Thanks. Looking forward to it.
Any plans for exportation?

 

[Popho Camera Co]

I dig your vibe, ordered 5 rolls.
never used this film before. Should be fun!

Glad to hear it. I hope you will enjoy the film.

Thanks. Looking forward to it.
Any plans for exportation?

We are working on getting the film available on the shelf of labs and analog photography stores. We are starting with the focus on Canada and U.S. first, and then the rest of the world. This might take a few months.

 

[AnselMortensen]

I'm in for 3 rolls...looking forward to trying it out.
Glad to support your effort...best of luck!

 

[mshchem]

The orange mask for optical printing could be done with unexposed processed ordinary film a couple blank frames or sheets place the blank film like any other filter you use with your enlarger.

 

[Huss]

Glad to hear it. I hope you will enjoy the film.



We are working on getting the film available on the shelf of labs and analog photography stores. We are starting with the focus on Canada and U.S. first, and then the rest of the world. This might take a few months.

Do you know what the shipping time frame/expectation is? Just so I know when to look out for it.

 

[mtnbkr]

Do you know what the shipping time frame/expectation is? Just so I know when to look out for it.

I ordered mine on Jan 6th and it's out for delivery today. Original estimate was 4-10 business days (Montreal to VA), so we're at the very low end of that estimate. You, being in Cali, will likely need a few extra days. Sucks to be on the wrong side of the country.

Chris

 

[Huss]

I ordered mine on Jan 6th and it's out for delivery today. Original estimate was 4-10 business days (Montreal to VA), so we're at the very low end of that estimate. You, being in Cali, will likely need a few extra days. Sucks to be on the wrong side of the country.

Chris

Did u get a shipping notification and/or tracking #?