New ortho 120 film from Foma

albireo

Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
1,257
Location
Europe
Format
Multi Format

Do you have a medium format camera handy, Pentax? Just buy 10 rolls and try it out for yourself. I guarantee roll film doesn't bite.
 
Last edited:

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,014
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Don Heisz said:
Where would you find a light meter that's either designed for or not designed for panchromatic sensitivity?
Click to expand...

Almost all commonly available meters for photography are designed to give reliable results with films or sensors that exhibit panchromatic sensitivity. Otherwise, they wouldn't be very useful for most photography. Those meters will, of course, be quite responsive to the light that ortho films aren't particularly sensitive to - thus potentially misleading the ortho film photographer.
The exceptions being meters designed for UV processes, or other similarly specialized instruments.
 

Don_ih

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2021
Messages
7,400
Location
Ontario
Format
35mm RF
MattKing said:
Almost all commonly available meters for photography are designed to give reliable results with films or sensors that exhibit panchromatic sensitivity
Click to expand...

Keeping in mind that photographic meters generally don't include scientific meters (like dedicated UV meters), what photographic light meters are not designed for panchromatic sensitivity? I'm genuinely curious.

You can put a green filter over your meter's sensor to filter out the red light. You'd need to compensate for the loss of light, of course.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,014
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Don Heisz said:
Keeping in mind that photographic meters generally don't include scientific meters (like dedicated UV meters), what photographic light meters are not designed for panchromatic sensitivity? I'm genuinely curious.
Click to expand...

This thread talks about how different the spectral responses of meters can be: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/spectral-response-of-meter-cells.111298/
Perhaps a better phrase might have been "better suited for skewed panchromatic sensitivity".
 

pentaxuser

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
19,644
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm
albireo said:
Do you have a medium format camera handy, Pentax? Just buy 10 rolls and try it out for yourself. I guarantee Foma roll film doesn't bite.
Click to expand...

This forum is or should be dedicated to arriving at answers by an exchange of information. That's all I am trying to do here

When anybody ask questions, we could use a variation of your response as a "catch all" by way of an answer but it would hardly be in what I understand the spirit of Photrio, would it?

If on the other hand your are saying that in your opinion we cannot work out a useful answer from the information we have then that's fair enough and I would tend to agree with you and I have hinted we may be close to that point in my replies but I'd prefer to wait until we hear answers from those to whom I replied or others who have such information that I have sought


pentaxuser
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,014
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format

relistan

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
1,544
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Format
Multi Format
pentaxuser said:
I wonder how Foma has managed to make a 400 ortho film when all the rest have much lower speeds or is there no reason why an ortho film can't be 400?

pentaxuser
Click to expand...

My guess is that it's not a 400 speed film in the same way that Fomapan 400, while a decent film, is not a 400 speed film. It's possible to make a 400 speed ortho film, as Lachlan pointed out. But, generally, by giving up on red sensitivity, you are losing some sensitivity across the film—think 1/3-ish loss of sensitivity—and that equates to loss of speed unless dyes and other tricks are used extensively. Which I doubt that Foma have done. I would expect something like an 80-100 real exposure index. But we shall see when it's available.

But, I am excited to see this film and will buy and shoot it!
 

pentaxuser

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
19,644
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm
Thanks, relistan. There was some contention that Foma had achieved 400 speed with its Foma 400, just not achieved with the recognised delevoper but yes most get anywhere between 250 max and 160 so in the worst case scenario another 1/3rd-ish loss may drop it to about FP4+ speed but in the best case might be 200

I suppose there is a case for saying that in either case that's better than Ilford's 80 and it certainly looks to darken reds virtually to black and render both orange and yellow as very dark, possibly more than Ilford's Ortho 80 does based on the Foma site pics

pentaxuser
 

DREW WILEY

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
13,731
Format
8x10 Format
Orthopanchromatic (as in Fuji Acros film) refers to diminished red sensitivity, hence greater sensitivity to its complement - green. But it's semi-pan, so partially sensitive to red wavelengths up to a certain point. The blue-yellow thing is unrelated. Current Acros II has less blue sensitivity than the original Acros, but that's an engineered in characteristic independent of the orthopan classification of both versions. It has nothing to do with greater yellow or orange sensitivity, which I see zero evidence for, having shot and printed Acros itself as long as its been around. And it in this case, going orthopan allowed for it to have distinctly finer grain than other medium speed films.

But as far as a true 400 Ortho film from Foma - anything they claim about film speed, I don't take with a grain of salt, but a full jar of salt!
 
Last edited:

Keith Tapscott.

Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2005
Messages
1,796
Location
Plymouth. UK
Format
Multi Format


Is there a technical data sheet available for this film yet?
 

Agulliver

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2015
Messages
3,461
Location
Luton, United Kingdom
Format
Multi Format
Mark J said:
Does this mean they'll be improving their quality control on 120 Fomapan 200 ... ?
Click to expand...

What do you feel is wrong with 120 Fomapan 200?

I've only shot a handful of rolls but had no issues.

I did once have a 50 foot bulk roll of Fomapan 200 which insisted on sticking in the bulk roller and not going easily into the cassettes which I never got to the bottom of though.
 

Lachlan Young

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
4,836
Location
Glasgow
Format
Multi Format
Agulliver said:
What do you feel is wrong with 120 Fomapan 200
Click to expand...

The high-aspect-ratio (ie t-grain) grain structure used in it does not enjoy certain sharply angled film paths & can suffer from grain cracking and other similar flaws - same reason why Tmax 100 in 120 is on a thicker CTA base. Delta crystals are made in a different way & seem much less potentially vulnerable to it. Highly likely however that this Ortho film is using a very similar 3D crystal structure to Foma 100/400.
 

Cubao

Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2022
Messages
67
Location
Germany
Format
Med. Format RF
A sample of the new Foma Ortho: 120mm macro, Microphen stock

 

pentaxuser

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
19,644
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm
Cubao said:
Red or at least a kind of. The photo has been taken at noon meaning very harsh light conditions.
Click to expand...

Thanks. So the much lighter portion at the bottom is in fact the same colour as the top which looks much darker but it is the harsh light of the sun which strikes the lower half more that is creating this difference? On a day with no sun or if the whole flower was in shade then both halves would look the same?

pentaxuser
 

pentaxuser

Member
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
19,644
Location
Daventry, No
Format
35mm
Cubao said:
I guess this would be the case
Click to expand...

Thanks Every picture I see of this film seems to suggest it may be more ortho than any others and render reds as more black Based on the Foma test pictures it also has quite a greater effect on yellows as well

Can I ask what speed you used this film at? Was it 400 or a lower speed?

Thanks again

pentaxuser
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…