New Metropolis film on kickstarter from Lomo!

Theo Sulphate · Jul 18, 2019

noeru said:
... To be honest the only unique colour rendition I’ve ever fallen in love with was polaroid’s SX-70, those wonderful creamy cold colours. ...

Yes! It was only towards the end of Polaroid, around 2004, when I used Polaroid film for the first time. Initially Spectra film, which seemed "normal", but then SX-70. What a color palette! To me it has a pastel watercolor appearance. I loved it. Two photos I made in Yosemite, of El Capitan and Half Dome + lake, I had scanned and enlarged to 8x10 - they look like paintings! They are on my wall at home and are just beautiful. The original two photos are in an album and still look unchanged from the day I made them.

Helios 1984 · Jul 18, 2019

Theo Sulphate said:
P. S. Nice avatar

Thanks.
Comes from the rear cover of an Instamatic 700 instruction booklet.

MultiFormat Shooter · Jul 19, 2019

Grim Tuesday said:
If we're talking about the Ilford...their R&D is aimed at getting them away from film. Paraphrased: "Leveraging their knowledge in silver chemistry to apply it to other fields than photographic processes."

Is Ilford winding-down their film business, and moving into other areas?

AgX · Jul 19, 2019

MultiFormat Shooter said:
Is Ilford winding-down their film business, and looking to move into other areas?

Since long Harman (Ilford) for new products is approaching other fields. Contrary to their competitors though they restrict themselves to silver-based technologies. This of coúrse is due to their relative small R&D staff and their limited range of knowledge (compared to for instance the staff of Agfa). As their competitors Harman also offer tollproduction beyond photographic use.

MattKing · Jul 19, 2019

AgX said:
Since long Harman (Ilford) for new products is approaching other fields. Contrary to their competitors though they restrict themselves to silver-based technologies. This of coúrse is due to their relative small R&D staff and their limited range of knowledge (compared to for instance the staff of Agfa). As their competitors Harman also offer tollproduction beyond photographic use.

As I understand it, Harman do contract coating for others who require non-photographic coatings.
They aren't trying to get out of the film business. They are trying to expand their business by applying their expertise in coating technologies to other, non-photographic purposes.
Eastman Kodak is doing something similar. Harman's coating machinery is much smaller and more flexible than Eastman Kodak's coating machinery.

1kgcoffee · Jul 19, 2019

Not a fan and I wont be buying it. Their 100CN on the other hand is beautiful film, but that is toll-coated by kodak.

railwayman3 · Jul 19, 2019

MattKing said:
As I understand it, Harman do contract coating for others who require non-photographic coatings.
They aren't trying to get out of the film business. They are trying to expand their business by applying their expertise in coating technologies to other, non-photographic purposes.
Eastman Kodak is doing something similar. Harman's coating machinery is much smaller and more flexible than Eastman Kodak's coating machinery.

On a factory visit to Ilford a few years ago, Simon Galley confirmed that they were investigating opportunities to expand the business in new areas.....as you say, coating was one, but also various high-tech scientific uses of silver compounds including in medicine. This diversification seemed good business planning for the future, given the (then) decrease in demand for photo products, but it certainly seemed that the latter was to remain the core activity.

AgX · Jul 19, 2019

MattKing said:
Eastman Kodak is doing something similar.

Practically all manufacturers do so. At Agfa you even can hire their R&D staff and facility for any problem they could tackle.

cmacd123 · Jul 19, 2019

silver is very versitile, I read somewhere that the japanese space agency provides all the folks on the space station with underwear with a silver component which allows the users to only change their underwear once a week, (it is discarded after use) while still managing to work in close quarters.,

Theo Sulphate · Jul 19, 2019

"In space no one can sense your smell."

Huss · Jul 19, 2019

Well as expected Lomo smashed through their goal in 2 days.

I cancelled my pledge. And signed up for the mega pledge - $1250. With that one gets to stay with them in Vienna and 25 rolls of film:

"During the five days you’ll be staying in a hotel in the heart of the city. The trip is planned for May 2020 and covers the following expenses for one person (extra costs would apply for additional people): accommodation for five days, plus meals and drinks for two days. You would cover your own flights and other expenses.
oh and on top of that, you of course receive a goodie bag, accompanied by different workshops and a very special field trip!"

I actually think this is a killer deal. Essentially 5 nights in Vienna, with 2 days of being fed and watered, a field trip and workshops. As well as 25 rolls of film which would be $250 by itself.

If anyone has any questions they want me to ask the Lomo peeps let me know...

bascom49 · Jul 19, 2019

Huss said:
Well as expected Lomo smashed through their goal in 2 days.

I cancelled my pledge. And signed up for the mega pledge - $1250. With that one gets to stay with them in Vienna and 25 rolls of film:

"During the five days you’ll be staying in a hotel in the heart of the city. The trip is planned for May 2020 and covers the following expenses for one person (extra costs would apply for additional people): accommodation for five days, plus meals and drinks for two days. You would cover your own flights and other expenses.
oh and on top of that, you of course receive a goodie bag, accompanied by different workshops and a very special field trip!"

I actually think this is a killer deal. Essentially 5 nights in Vienna, with 2 days of being fed and watered, a field trip and workshops. As well as 25 rolls of film which would be $250 by itself.

If anyone has any questions they want me to ask the Lomo peeps let me know...

Good for you! I hope you have a fantastic time, send me a postcard?

Theo Sulphate · Jul 19, 2019

Huss said:
...
I actually think this is a killer deal. Essentially 5 nights in Vienna, with 2 days of being fed and watered, a field trip and workshops. As well as 25 rolls of film which would be $250 by itself.
...

You totally scored on that. That will be fun!

mshchem · Jul 19, 2019

I REALLY don't understand this kind of thing. Why wouldn't you shoot a high quality color negative film? Most everyone that shoots this stuff will have it processed and scanned. If you shoot Portra and scan it you can do anything you want in Photoshop.

If it is truly a nice desaturated CN film, that could be optically printed to produce a lovely print, I might be interested. I will wait to see. There's plenty of existing film stocks that I can count on.

I like making black and white prints. Fiber prints Se and Gold blue combination on Ilford and Foma papers (need to get some Adox PW when it debuts)

Lachlan Young · Jul 20, 2019

mshchem said:
I REALLY don't understand this kind of thing. Why wouldn't you shoot a high quality color negative film? Most everyone that shoots this stuff will have it processed and scanned. If you shoot Portra and scan it you can do anything you want in Photoshop.

If it is truly a nice desaturated CN film, that could be optically printed to produce a lovely print, I might be interested. I will wait to see. There's plenty of existing film stocks that I can count on.

I like making black and white prints. Fiber prints Se and Gold blue combination on Ilford and Foma papers (need to get some Adox PW when it debuts)

Because there's probably not a lot of space in the market for another conventional colour neg film - especially not at the more realistic prices they'd need to charge, but keeping Inoviscoat's production of couplers etc running is a good insurance policy. And if you've ever tried to nail down a bleach-bypass sort of look it can be a frustratingly lengthy process - and this film looks like it'll do the job without needing to alter the C-41 process, which for people who don't do their own processing or use an expensive custom lab is a potentially very strong selling point.

Of course, if Inoviscoat/ Lomography want to remake Agfa Ultra 50...

munz6869 · Jul 20, 2019

I backed a roll of 16mm motion picture film! It'll be fun (and it's not badly priced for 16mm film)...

Marc!

twelvetone12 · Jul 20, 2019

Will this c41 film print on 16mm ECP stock? Aren't they mismatched in contrast?

Michael W · Jul 21, 2019

cmacd123 said:
silver is very versitile, I read somewhere that the japanese space agency provides all the folks on the space station with underwear with a silver component which allows the users to only change their underwear once a week, (it is discarded after use) while still managing to work in close quarters.,

Coming next month - "Lomo Underpants" kickstarter, LOL.

CMoore · Jul 22, 2019

Has Lomo ever been about quality and consistency.?
Maybe they have, i have never bought anything from them. My only experience is from reading posts about them on Photo Forums.
Awesome if people like using this film, and they can sell a lot of it..... why not.?

To me it looks like stuff the "kids" in my photo class showed me on their Instant Gram pages. They would take a picture with their Cell Phone, and then run it through some type of Ap/Process that Instant Gram offered.......

AgX · Jul 22, 2019

CMoore said:
Has Lomo ever been about quality and consistency?

Having been on the market with commercial, military and scientific products next to consumer products for 105 years, expertise and ability concerning quality of Lomo should not be doubted.

Concerning Lomography that is something else. But their capabilities are in marketing and finding niches to be filled with new products.

Huss · Jul 24, 2019

Theo Sulphate said:
You totally scored on that. That will be fun!

bascom49 said:
Good for you! I hope you have a fantastic time, send me a postcard?

Thanks! Never been to Vienna so this should be really something!

Michael W said:
Coming next month - "Lomo Underpants" kickstarter, LOL.

I think that's in the goodie bag I'm getting from them.

Agulliver · Jul 30, 2019

Lomography's regular CN 100, 400 and 800 films are excellent....though as already stated they're probably toll coated by Kodak. Indeed the 100 and 400 are probably Kodacolor VR which was my all time favourite CN film in the first place. So I am bound to like those products. The fact that they're also cheaper than anything other than Color Plus is a bonus. The Lomography Tiger 110 film is nice too, if you want to photograph a party or something like that. The colours are a bit too punchy for anything serious...but even with an SLR who does serious photography with a 110 camera?

As for the rest, I have their Konstruktor kit 35mm SLR camera and for the price paid (It was a gift but I know the usual selling price) it's a thoroughly decent piece of kit. Lomography might well not be your bag, with their weird films and funky Diana cameras. Though I also wish to state that a friend recently borrowed my original 60s Diana, loaded some Ektar and got some really odd but pleasing results. There *is* something to be said for the Lomography way, even if it's not really my thing.

So I am unlikely to buy this film, except maybe in 110 for giggles, but I know people who will....and who will enjoy it. And if that keeps the line at Inoviscoat rolling and the chemical factories going....then more power to them. May they succeed and may our friend enjoy the trip to Vienna.

Lachlan Young · Jul 30, 2019

Agulliver said:
Lomography's regular CN 100, 400 and 800 films are excellent....though as already stated they're probably toll coated by Kodak. Indeed the 100 and 400 are probably Kodacolor VR which was my all time favourite CN film in the first place.

VR is unlikely, Gold 100, 400, 800 are much more likely - and if that is the case, then one of the original designers of the 400 speed product is a participant in this thread...

Agulliver · Jul 31, 2019

Lachlan Young said:
VR is unlikely, Gold 100, 400, 800 are much more likely - and if that is the case, then one of the original designers of the 400 speed product is a participant in this thread...

I am prepared to bet that there's no way it's Gold. The colour palette is all wrong for Gold. People with more knowledge than me have been saying it's VR or at least very similar to VR for a long time.

Lachlan Young · Jul 31, 2019

Agulliver said:
I am prepared to bet that there's no way it's Gold. The colour palette is all wrong for Gold. People with more knowledge than me have been saying it's VR or at least very similar to VR for a long time.

Extremely unlikely to be VR - it went out of production 30+ years ago. The evolutionary path was VR, VR-G, Gold in a fairly linear fashion. Which isn't saying that components, couplers etc haven't had to be changed to make a new coating run. What really matters is what the most readily (aka recently) producible emulsion were that matched the speeds and costs needed. As for colour palette, are you comparing using top quality optical prints, or were there digital intermediate stages?

New Metropolis film on kickstarter from Lomo!

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