lf-photo.org.uk

Hi All,

I was most dismayed to hear last week of the impending demise of Velvia 50 (4x5). I became aware of the news via twitter as I sat in a cafe in Manchester late last week, needless to say 'dismay' was an understatement. I am a recent convert to LF (Sept. 11) and a person who only uses and only wants to use this wonderful, wonderful film. As I sit here writing this, some days later, I am still shocked by the thought that this company would slaughter the best, by far, animal in its stable.

Since Kodak recently stopped production of large format slide film, the loss of Velvia 50 would essentially leave only two choices (Velvia 100 and Provia) for the transparency user. This news on top of that from Kodak means that for colour shooters this year there has seen a dramatic reduction in their available choice of film. I know not everyone who uses this site shoots Velvia, however, imagine this was your favourite film type being axed. We need to demonstrate our disapproval of the this action.

I would like to ask if you would be kind enough to sign an e-petition that is available (link below).



http://www.change.org/petitions/fujifil ... sheet-film

Thank you all,


Ian

Hello Ian!

This thread already covers the topic: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3436

I'm also a huge Velvia 50 fan, and have yesterday ordered a freezer load of boxes in 4x5.
Will also order 8x10 boxes soon.
Today I ordered the freezer

And signed the partition of course on the 14th I think...

Soon they will send me to a psychiatric institution LOL!

Viva Film!

Best regards,
Martin

I've tried to put some thoughts on this down into a vaguely coherent form if anyone would like a quick read: http://bit.ly/Pu0mK5

Signed

dave_whatever wrote:I've tried to put some thoughts on this down into a vaguely coherent form if anyone would like a quick read: http://bit.ly/Pu0mK5

Excellent blog, very well written and balanced.

Thanks Dave, its reassuring that its stuck a chord with a few people.

dave_whatever wrote:I've tried ... if anyone would like a quick read: http://bit.ly/Pu0mK5

I agree with Dave's excellent "essay", and in order to be comprehensive in the inventory,
**EDIT** Looks like I was thinking of Rollei Digibase CR 200, I've no idea if its any good**

I can tell that I've tried Rollei Digibase CR-200 in 120 rolls. hence almaost eligible here for discussion when used in a 6x12 cm rollfilm holder

The people marketing Rollei CR-200 (MACO) do not make any mystery regarding which film it is: it's an AGFA AVIPHOT CHROME aerial colour reversal film. E-6 process. So this film probably exists as wide rolls for aerial surveying cameras.

My very first try with this film was really dissapointing due to a really unpleasant yellow colour cast.
Most probably the film is meant for use in aerial scenes with a very strong blue cast due to diffused light (???). However for "normal use" I've found that a 82A blueish Wratten corrrection filter yields something acceptable.

This CR-200 film, to the best of my knowledge, is not marketed in sheets, so no 4x5", only 135 cartridges (vade retro, Satanas) and the good old 120 rolls.
I've no idea whether the supply of CR-200 is only re-conditioning of an existing master roll, or if it is a fresh master roll, however the film bears the label "made by AGFA-GEVAERT, MORTSEL, Belgium".
And for those who consider that Fuji slide film was superior to Kodak's, there is little to comment.
AVIPHOT / CR-200 is much grainier, and still (at least to my eyes) not perfectly balanced even with a 82A filter, hence although I'm an un-compromising Euro-patriot on many aspects, I'll not stop using FUJI PROVIA 100F film to switch to 100% CR-200. But I'll certainly continue to shoot an occasional 120 roll of CR-200 from time to time. As the saying goes in French "never carry all your eggs in a single basket" (ne jamais mettre tous ses oeufs dans le même panier )

Here an example of a 6x6 image (moderators, please forgive me) taken with AVIPHOT CR-200 in 6x6 format, 120 roll, which I find acceptable in terms of colour cast.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6240/6322 ... 3d0c_b.jpg

But as far as I know, there is, to date (2012-07) no other choice for colour slides, E-6 or whichever reversal process, outside AVIPHOT/CR-200, and of course outside some complex technique of digital or analogue re-creation of a colour transparencies from digital files or through any kind of analogue printing RVB technique, that the remaining Kodak stock and what Fuji still stocks and will continue to manufacture.

dave_whatever wrote:I've tried to put some thoughts on this down into a vaguely coherent form if anyone would like a quick read: http://bit.ly/Pu0mK5

Signed

Ian,
As the on-line petition approaches the 1k signature mark today one can at least feel good about the positive effort applied in a world-wide fashion. I saw several folks I contacted from various sites I visit on a regular basis on the signature list too. Although it was good to see the representation from around the globe, it did appear the UK had a very large turn out.

David,
an excellent blog write up with wonderful example images used too.

It'll be a shame to see V50 go - a great film for an immediately pleasant representation of the landscape. As Dave says in his excellent summary: no need to be paralysed by choice.
There's also something very tangible about slide film in general. The image is there in my hand. It's something I can own. It's very final and untweakable. It's an artistic object-in-itself. I wonder how the art world will change as slide films is faded out. I know that at the moment, there are many who see the thought process which resulted in the image, as being more important than the image. This leaning is now harder to stop.
I would love to know that Fuji sold more V100 than V50 or V100F. Somehow, I can't get out of my head, that ending production of the more popular films is some ploy to end slide film altogether.
From a commercial point of view, Fujifilm are an unreliable supplier with poor communications. No business wants to rely on one. So what incentive is there for people to shoot so much film that they can make a business of it? So they buy less film. It's a self-fulfilling cycle.
It'll be nice if V50 could be spared the axe. It would be even better if V100F could be saved too as it is such a generally useful film. But let's put all our efforts in to saving at least one.
Best regards,
Charles

Well stated Charles in all respects.

I for one have only shot slide film since the late 60's. The usual route most have taken with film in upgrades, 35mm - 120 - 4x5. In the 120 and 4x5 usage all have been V-50. The ability to see a positive on a light table and determine almost immediately if it's worth a scan or not goes a very long way IMO. For those that shoot a lot of negative film I suspect you've figured out away to minimize having to scan each image to see it's worthiness for final processing, then again maybe not.

Something I'd missed along the way with Fuji's undoing was that Astia may have already been lost in the downward spiral, is this true, and all sizes?........

Well it looks like the petition reached 1000 today:

http://www.change.org/petitions/fujifil ... sheet-film

Signed

I've signed, and so has my wife!

It is interesting that some Japanese companies seem to have a death-wish. Olympus produced the famous OM-1, a superb camera then seemed to target the serious amateur market and abandon the professional market to Nikon, though they claimed to be targeting professional photographers. Their subsidy scandal seems to suggest and Fuji's seeming incompetence suggests something is rotten in the Kingdom of Japan....

PS: I still have my OM-1!