New Classic EZ400 - 35mm Film

Steve@f8 · Jul 23, 2021

Anyone tried this stuff?
A Gritty film from the description, no super super smooth rendition and definitely strikes a clear distinction from the clinical look of digital.
The adds says: ‘If you prefer additional detail in your shadows, and some attractive blooming in your highlights, you can also expose EZ400 rated at ISO 200, without altering the standard development times (for ISO 400)”.
The comb of grain and blooming sounds fantastic, I must say!
Anyone tried this film and have any thoughts they’d care to share?

Donald Qualls · Jul 23, 2021

So, it's a grainy ISO 200 with poor antihalation? Sounds like Kodak Double-X cine stock, relabeled, but it might be grainier than that, from their description.

Huss · Jul 23, 2021

Strong contrast
Blooming highlights
Classic film grain
Individually packaged in a custom-made recycled kraft paper container

Huss · Jul 23, 2021

I don't care if it is relabelled other stuff, as long as it brings peeps in.

Pioneer · Jul 23, 2021

Looks interesting and I would like to try it but shipping to the US changes the price dramatically.

I'll have to pass for now.

Lachlan Young · Jul 23, 2021

Going by the developing times given, it's Fomapan 400 in a custom box. The MOQ for a custom box/ package/ edge print are going to be much less than an emulsion fully custom made to your choice of specifications.

Steve@f8 · Jul 23, 2021

Most certainly a repackages film, but blooming highlights - does it sound like a Foma 400 or a Double X ??
Anyway it’s worth a try so I’ve just ordered a pack of 10.

Lorenzot · Jul 23, 2021

Yea 100% fomapan. He says it’s a “classic European emulsion” personally I think all of these repackaged films are pointless and just a marketing scam. You’re not supporting the manufacturer or the film industry. Just someone putting a markup on a film that is literally doing nothing to the film aside from repackage

MattKing · Jul 23, 2021

Lorenzot said:
Yea 100% fomapan. He says it’s a “classic European emulsion” personally I think all of these repackaged films are pointless and just a marketing scam. You’re not supporting the manufacturer or the film industry. Just someone putting a markup on a film that is literally doing nothing to the film aside from repackage

I'll differ slightly.
I think that when Freestyle places a large order with Foma for Freestyle's house brand, and then pays for it, and then undertakes all the marketing and retailing costs itself, it does benefit Foma.
Same for anyone who buys Kentmere from Harman to be used as a house brand film.
Marketing, distribution and retail sale costs more than making film in the first place.

AgX · Jul 23, 2021

Lorenzot said:
Personally I think all of these repackaged films are pointless and just a marketing scam. You’re not supporting the manufacturer or the film industry. Just someone putting a markup on a film that is literally doing nothing to the film aside from repackage

Not quite.The actual manufacturer would not do it if it canabalizes their own market.

ciniframe · Jul 23, 2021

I don’t need no films help to make bad photographs. Anyway, if you want grainy I agree with Donald except, get a classic 16mm still camera (10X14mm format) and shoot 16mm Double-X, and make 8x10 enlargements.

Lachlan Young · Jul 23, 2021

Steve@f8 said:
Most certainly a repackages film, but blooming highlights - does it sound like a Foma 400 or a Double X ??
Anyway it’s worth a try so I’ve just ordered a pack of 10.

If you overexpose Fomapan 400 it will give halation at contrast edges.

Lorenzot · Jul 23, 2021

MattKing said:
I'll differ slightly.
I think that when Freestyle places a large order with Foma for Freestyle's house brand, and then pays for it, and then undertakes all the marketing and retailing costs itself, it does benefit Foma.
Same for anyone who buys Kentmere from Harman to be used as a house brand film.
Marketing, distribution and retail sale costs more than making film in the first place.

Yea fair I see where you are coming from, I own a lab and the issue I see with so many amateurs getting into this, is that these gimmicky films get sold to them and there's a lot of misinformation on what the film actually is. And we're constantly having to explain to people that all these films they buy are just repackaged. we already have kosmofoto which is repackaged fomapan, now ez400. Not actual photographer would buy this, it's literally just preying on amateurs in my opinion. Of course it's not sinister, I have nothing against the guy that makes this film. Just my opinion. We've had multiple customers ask us why we don't "formulate" our own film and I have to explain to them I can't just send an email to kodak and get my own film. A new film would be millions in r&d. These aren't "new" films. Anyways I guess it is good for the industry to have new products to generate interest, even if they don't do anything new or actually different

Steve@f8 · Jul 23, 2021

I feel I’ve been done now! Oh well!
Fomapan 400 ~£4.00 in the U.K., EZ400 ~£5.50 !

Lesson learnt: I will ask here in future, an excellent source of knowledge.

mshchem · Jul 23, 2021

Steve@f8 said:
I feel I’ve been done now! Oh well!
Fomapan 400 ~£4.00 in the U.K., EZ400 ~£5.50 !

Lesson learnt: I will ask here in future, an excellent source of knowledge.

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rationalism-empiricism/

You may love it!
I remember how people said use Kodachrome for brilliant reds and Ektachrome for blue sky. Maybe the color of the packaging (Kodachrome red Ektachrome blue) had some influence

Steve@f8 · Jul 24, 2021

Only placed the order yesterday, but when I get to process one of the films, what would be the giveaway on the rebate to confirm it’s Fomapan 400?

Foto Ludens · Jul 24, 2021

Steve@f8 said:
Only placed the order yesterday, but when I get to process one of the films, what would be the giveaway on the rebate to confirm it’s Fomapan 400?

I believe that rebranded (and bulk) Foma films have no information printed on the rebates. Perhaps the color of the anti halation dye in the pre wash would give some indication? Though I can't recall if 35mm Fomapan has a blue or green dye..

removedacct3 · Jul 24, 2021

Andre R. de Avillez said:
Though I can't recall if 35mm Fomapan has a blue or green dye..

35mm Fomapan has no colored dye that comes off.

Foto Ludens · Jul 24, 2021

MrclSchprs said:
35mm Fomapan has no colored dye that comes off.

Ah, my mistake. I recently developed a roll of 35mm Fomapan 100 and thought I saw some faint blue dye in it (I know the 120 version has a vibrant green dye), but maybe I'm misremembering it .

Wallendo · Jul 24, 2021

The selling point for this is environmental. The plastic canister is replaced with cardboard. How many plastic canisters are recycled?

on the other hand, this product still has to deal with metal cassettes.

AgX · Jul 24, 2021

Wallendo said:
The selling point for this is environmental. The plastic canister is replaced with cardboard. How many plastic canisters are recycled?

Over here: all
The industrial labs sort them out as PE plastic waste. Amateurs and small labs will add them to the packaging materials waste collection.*

*At this route the black canisters likely will be incinerated as not detectable by the sorting sensors.

pentaxuser · Jul 24, 2021

This is a creation of a guy called Ribsy and he has a video on it. I was a bit surprised at how coy he was in answering straight questions about its origin as he had already and rightly so, made no pretence that it was anything but an existing film. I felt that it damaged his reputation not to be straight about its origins in view of the questions but maybe he was dealing with an audience that enjoyed the "manufactured" intrigue. The real and only benefit is that it is in eco-friendly cardboard tubes but has understandably to come at a premium in price for this.

What amazed me was how many of the commentators appeared eager to buy what they appeared to think was a new film simply because he sells it as EZ400 but I suppose it's a bit like the Fantome 8 and Babylon 13 effect. Newcomers to film or a section of them at least, are drawn to this kind of marketing.

Few if any seemed to value the only genuine benefit which was the "eco" bit

P.S. in the U.K. it doesn't even have the same ring to it as it is EZed to us not EZee Just out of interest, what is it North of the 49th?

pentaxuser

MattKing · Jul 24, 2021

pentaxuser said:
P.S. in the U.K. it doesn't even have the same ring to it as it is EZed to us not EZee Just out of interest, what is it North of the 49th?

Technically, EZed.
But the overwhelming influence of the US means you do hear a lot of EZee.
I continue to fight the almost hopeless battle with "lefftenant" (lieutenant). When faced with the response "it isn't spelled that way", I usually generally riposte with "How do you pronounce colonel?"

Andrew O'Neill · Jul 24, 2021

MattKing said:
Technically, EZed.
But the overwhelming influence of the US means you do hear a lot of EZee.
I continue to fight the almost hopeless battle with "lefftenant" (lieutenant). When faced with the response "it isn't spelled that way", I usually generally riposte with "How do you pronounce colonel?"

Zed. Always will be. The only time I say the American way, is with the band, ZZTop.
Speaking of pronunciation of lieutenant, a reporter on the TV news...youngster... pronounced it the American way when talking about our new "lefftenant" governor. I almost had a heart attack!!
And it's a Zed28 up here... just saying.

Moose22 · Jul 24, 2021

AgX said:
Amateurs and small labs will add them to the packaging materials waste collection.*

I give 'em to my roommate. He like to store his weed in them. I guess he's nostalgic for the 70s or something.

But they are good for storing small parts. Clear ones, too, as you can see what's in them.

*At this route the black canisters likely will be incinerated as not detectable by the sorting sensors.

ThIs is good to know. I wondered why 135 was coming in clear or almost clear containers now when I opened my first box. I thought part of the reason for black back when I was learning in the 80s/90s was that it hid the film can from the light.

Not that I've had a problem with Kodak at all, and in the 90s I loaded my camera more than once on the end of a runway in blazing summer sunshine, but there was a reason. And a lot of film STILL says "load in subdued light" on the package.

Anyway, now I know.

New Classic EZ400 - 35mm Film

Steve@f8

Donald Qualls

Huss

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Steve@f8

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MattKing

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Steve@f8

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Foto Ludens

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Moose22

New Classic EZ400 - 35mm Film

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