Fomapan redux

[David M. Leugers]

My last roll of 100ft DS-8mm Fomapan had been sitting in my freezer since 2005. I took it out in June and loaded it into my Canon DS8. I shot the whole roll taking footage of my wife's little dog Brewtus. I sent the film to Yale Labs. I finally got around to slitting the film and mounted it on a Tuscan 200ft reel. I projected the film tonight in my basement on a 6ft wide screen. I can only say after all the trials and tribulations in the past with Fomapan (mostly with the development) is wow. I wish I had a freezer full of it now. Yale did a great flawless job of processing it for $30. (That is the equivalent of four S-8mm 50ft cartridges for a per cartridge cost of $7.50...). I am now down to just one ancient 100ft roll of the old Kodak 4X reversal DS-8mm film. To think my DS8 cameras will be relegated to a shelf really bums me out. Fomapan still offers DS8mm but only in small 33ft rolls useful to the few who own a Russian DS8 camera... I guess offering it on 100ft rolls for Bolex, Canon and Pathe shooters didn't make sense. Shame. Fomapan has a unique and rich look if developed right and it looks to me like Yale has it solved.

[aj]

Where did you hear that the 100ft DS8 are discontinued?

[kuparikettu]

Seem to be available:
Norway http://www.fomafoto.com/index.php/shop/ ... 0ft-detail
Germany https://www.fotoimpex.de/shopen/films/f ... per-8.html

[mr8mm]

Is FOMA still making B/W Fomapan 100? I have seen in several posts that they have ceased production of Fomapan. I believe Yale moved to a new location and didn't get permits to handle photo chemicals as industrial waste. They now send film out to another lab. My guess is Cinelab in Boston but that's a guess and not confirmed.

[aj]

Which posts by whom and when?

It is listed everywhere and available for immediate delivery.

[kuparikettu]

Fomapan R100 is listed on Foma's homepage and even their new (apparently official) online shop lists 100ft DS-8: http://fomaobchod.cz/schwarzwei%C3%9Fum ... ?ItemIdx=4

[avortex]

Fomapan R100 has been discontinued on 35mm, but it's still available in DS8, 8mm and 16mm. 10 or 30m, as always. So go ahead and shoot one of the most magical B&W stocks ever!
And enjoy its inconsistencies from batch to batch...

[slashmaster]

I just ordered and recieved a 100 foot roll of fomapan myself and cost me less than $40 including shipping. Before that I had run 3 of the 33 foot rolls for $15 each from Amazon. For my next order I plan to order more numerous 100 foot rolls to save on shipping. If it were possible to get 400 feet or more on a core even cheaper per foot I would do that!

[David M. Leugers]

Is there a seller of 100ft DS8 Fomapan in the USA? I have not found any. As for Yale, all I know is they claim to be processing film and I don't see how they could be using another lab based on what they charge for their services and the amount of turn around time. Stranger things can happen I guess. Based on my recent experience with Fomapan, the fact I used a roll from the same batch as I used in the past but had a much better result with the same camera leads me to believe the difference was in the lab work. Of course, that doesn't rule out the vagaries many have experienced with Fomapan... Still, I'd like to shoot more DS8mm Fomapan and long for any film stock in my favorite format.

[avortex]

Yes, David. Lab work is important.
But I've processed two rolls of Fomapan on the same soup at the same time and results were quite different between the two.
Being a Fomapan lover myself, I always thought that it would be preferable to raise the prices a bit and make a quality controlled product. Perhaps, they would still be producing their 35mm film if a more consistent product was offered.

[David M. Leugers]

I really don't like to shoot film that may or may not give good results. To me everything I film is important if only to me. I can't believe Fomapan still has problems with their films, they have been making film since 1921... Still, I'd like to try it some more because when the results are good the film presents itself as a very usable film stock. I'd definitely shoot it if I was going for a film noir look.

I would shoot a ton of DS8mm Orwo UN54 or Kodak Tri-X if it were only available at a reasonable price in DS8mm. If Ferrania ever gets a film out I can only hope they'd make their color reversal available in DS8mm.

[mr8mm]

The FOMA website shows that DR5 processes Fomapan in the USA but the DR5 website mentions nothing about processing FOMAPAN. I know DR5 has a reputation of being a premier B/W processing lab. Has anyone had experience with DR5 and Fomapan?

[mr8mm]

I saw ORWO UN54 mentioned. Which lab processes UN54 well?-------

[avortex]

http://www.dr5.com/blackandwhiteslide/fomar.html

[David M. Leugers]

I've had good results processing UN54 from:
http://www.cinelab.com/
http://www.yalefilmandvideo.com/filmsal ... pandable=3

DR5 does a great job processing film. I have been very pleased with the 35mm still film I've sent them. I have never had them process Fomapan. I am not sure they still offer to process 25ft loads of R-8mm Tri-X (very, very expensive but stunning results apparently) and if so, would they process Fomapan? Good question.