Zorki Photo Mono 100 Film

[Wallendo]

Based in this quote from the original announcement:

"Made by a leading film producer with many decades of film-making experience, Zorki Photo is a tried-and-trusted panchromatic emulsion with a traditional feel. It has biting contrast and a traditional grain structure that gives a pleasing, classic black-and-white film look. It’s a film I’ve used for some years, and I love it."

if it is "tried-and-trusted", it obviously isn't a new film. The "traditional feel" suggests Fomapan 100. Unless Harman has changed their re-badging policy since the Simon Galley days, a Harman film is less likely, although it is possible the new film could be the film Harman is widely suspected to make for UltraFine Xtreme.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Another repurposed film. We have no idea what it is. Sort of a pig in a poke.

 

[removedacct3]

Another repurposed film. We have no idea what it is. Sort of a pig in a poke.

That is the enthusiasm film photography needs, slam everything down, well done!

 

[madgardener]

That is the enthusiasm film photography needs, slam everything down, well done!

The OP has a point. After so many years of discontinued films and old emulsions suddenly showing up then disappearing as the frozen master rolls are used up I think we have a right to show some cynicism. Kodak's Ektachrome? That is a reason to celebrate, Ferrania? that is a reason to celebrate, Kodak bringing back Kodachrome? well IF it happened, I would buy a beer for every active person on this forum!!!

If Zorki is a repurposed film, why not just buy the original and keep them producing directly?

 

[Gerald C Koch]

That is the enthusiasm film photography needs, slam everything down, well done!

If you reread my post you will find that my concern is lack of data. IIRC this film has appeared before on the market in a different incarnation and mentioned on APUG. What worries me is that the marketer is very cagey about it. This should raise concerns with all who might be interested.

 

[pentaxuser]

I must admit that like Gerald, I wasn't impressed with the lack of information on the link and worse than that, it seemed to be deliberately vague to allow each reader to interpret the information as he/she deems fit

Transparency seems not to be held in high regard these days

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

The description makes it sound like Plus-X.
Wouldn't that be nice?

 

[faberryman]

Why buy Zorki labeled film at all. You have no idea what it really is, whether it is expired, how it was stored, what developers it was designed to work with, etc. Zorki man says in the same breath that it is a new film and that he has been using it for years. If he has been using it for years, he knows what it is and is keeping it a secret. By the time you finish testing it (which would be unnecessary if he told you what it is), it will be gone from the market. Do you really expect it to better than fresh, readily available, name brand films, a magic bullet for your photography? It's just a no-name, private label film from who knows where. But I guess in some circles you will be cool if you use it. Is Zorki Russian for hipster?

 

[Craig75]

If you reread my post you will find that my concern is lack of data. IIRC this film has appeared before on the market in a different incarnation and mentioned on APUG. What worries me is that the marketer is vary cagey about it. This should raise concerns with all who might be interested.

This. Its enterprising and i find the packaging fun but if you arent going to tell me what it really is then you are deliberately hiding info from me so i will hide my money from you.

 

[OptiKen]

Pessimists - Cynics - Critics of the unknown
Where are your happy thoughts?
I would buy the film knowing full well that it is just a re-badging of another film just to see how 'I' like it and how it performs in my routine.
Sure, it is just a re-badge, but it may be a re-badge of a film I am totally unaware of and maybe one that simply isn't normally available in my market so it may be the only way I can 'discover' it. It may be something only available in 400 ft or 1000 ft rolls that is being re-spooled.
I've driven lots of used cars before deciding which one fits me best.
I shoot film as a hobby and experimentation and discovery is a real element of my hobby.
Besides - what could be more cool that to shoot Zorki film in your Zorki camera?

Buy film - shoot film - develop film - print film
Repeat
Stay happy

 

[faberryman]

Besides - what could be more cool that to shoot Zorki film in your Zorki camera?

It's not Zorki film. Zorki never made film. It's like sticking an Ilford label on your Nikon and shooting Ilford film. What could be more cool?

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Besides - what could be more cool that to shoot Zorki film in your Zorki camera?

A triumph of marketing to make someone believe what is not true.

A few months a company was marketing a rebranded surveillance film as Polypan F ISO 50 hoping people would confuse it with the legitimate Ilford film. They don't call these people marketing weasels for nothing.

 

[railwayman3]

There have been "own-label" films in the past using camera makers' brand names....I have an old processing lab check-list which refers to Cosina Color, Edixachrome and Voigtlander. OTOH, these would have been fresh film, factory packed by one of the big makers (usually a named Ferrania or Agfa film), not repacked or unknown materials.

 

[railwayman3]

It's not Zorki film. Zorki never made film. It's like sticking an Ilford label on your Nikon and shooting Ilford film. What could be more cool?

I've got some random outdated stuff in the freezer....I'm going to stick a Pentax label on it and put it in my LX, should work a treat.

 

[faberryman]

I've got some random outdated stuff in the freezer....I'm going to stick a Pentax label on it and put it in my LX, should work a treat.

And you'll be so cool.

 

[Luigi]

My opinion is that we shouldn't complain about the fact that new repackaged films hit the market. It was a common practice in film heydays, I remember here in Italy up to the early years of new millennium even big store chains used to have their own labeled Color Negative film (usually coming from Ferrania)....after all, this all means there is a resurgence in film photography, so...it's all good news

 

[faberryman]

My opinion is that we shouldn't complain about the fact that new repackaged films hit the market. It was a common practice in film heydays, I remember here in Italy up to the early years of new millennium even big store chains used to have their own labeled Color Negative film (usually coming from Ferrania)....after all, this all means there is a resurgence in film photography, so...it's all good news

I suppose it is possible that if you take name brand film and repackage it with a private label more film will be sold overall, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. Seems more likely that you would sell the same number of rolls.

 

[OptiKen]

I guess none of you dress up in costume for Halloween, either.
Boring-boring-boring
Might as well be an ant

Personally, I'll try it myself before passing judgement. It's not the name I would be buying....Zorki needed to call it something and the marketing of a FSU style package and name is just that...marketing...it makes it fun.
When it's available, I'll try it.
In the meantime, I'm going to load some Arista EDU 400 or some Ultrafine Extreme 400 in my Tower 35 camera and have some fun.

 

[MattKing]

One of the serious problems in Canada is how dysfunctional the distribution system is. I certainly see the potential of someone contracting for a useful film from someone like Harman, and then using a well focused distribution system to actually market it effectively here.
Case in point - I was in a local photographic store last week - part of a several store chain. The sales person shoots medium format and 4x5. His chain's price for 135-36 Tri-X? - almost $19.00 CDN, because it costs them so much to buy the quantities they can sell from the Canadian distributors.

 

[faberryman]

I guess none of you dress up in costume for Halloween, either.

Is that a metaphor for Zorki film?

 

[faberryman]

One of the serious problems in Canada is how dysfunctional the distribution system is. I certainly see the potential of someone contracting for a useful film from someone like Harman, and then using a well focused distribution system to actually market it effectively here.
Case in point - I was in a local photographic store last week - part of a several store chain. The sales person shoots medium format and 4x5. His chain's price for 135-36 Tri-X? - almost $19.00 CDN, because it costs them so much to buy the quantities they can sell from the Canadian distributors.

I am surprised they sell even one roll of Tri-X for $19.00. Why don't they just buy their film from B&H instead of the distributor?

 

[OptiKen]

Come to think of it...
faberryman - OptiKen - railwayman - etc, etc
Most of us appear to just be re-labled to something we found either descriptive or fun
And I would shoot with any and all of you.
Probably continue to call you by your chosen handle, too.

 

[MattKing]

I am surprised they sell even one roll of Tri-X for $19.00. Why don't they just buy their film from B&H instead of the distributor?

One of my favourite local retailers actually does that for some products. If their customer places an order, they will order from one of the New York sources or Freestyle, pay the costs of shipping and commercial importation (including taxes and any duties), add their normal markup and then charge the total to their customer - all for less than the cost of paying a "wholesale" price to a distributor.
For those products that they do buy from distributors here, they are often forced to shop around. Some products in a line from one distributor, other products in a line from another distributor, and other products from a third. In each case, the "minimum order quantities" are often a major factor.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Congratulations to Zorki Photo for this new venture.
It was nice to meet you another day and thanks for the chat.
I look forward to use your film.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Two threads merged.