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Ferrania & Color Negative


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For those of you wondering, I e-mailed Ferrania the other day and asked them if they were planning on eventually manufacturing color negative film. Here is their response:

 

>>>>>>>>>>

 

Hi William,

 

Eventually, yes. We will focus on our chrome films initially, especially while we are completing changes to our factory building.

 

But we do have plans to offer a wide variety of emulsions and formats in the future, including color negative films.

 

cheers,

The FILM Ferrania Team

 

>>>>>>>>>>

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To be fair I don't think that the purpose of shooting film is - at least often - to go for incredibly smooth high resolution images. There was significant dissent when Kodak stopped offering reversal stocks in 35mm motion picture format because people wanted it for the way it looks. It was only 100ASA and must have been a nightmare to shoot, too.

 

Of course it's nice to retain the options but I don't think Ferrania need to compete with Kodak for maximum technical quality. They probably just have to be a bit cheaper.

 

P

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I assume you mean a metaphorical billion dollars. Their patent or formulas wouldn't be worth anything of the sort. A 'recipie' for emulsion making at that extraordinary level is specific to the plant making it. You can't just substitute a completely different set of equipment with different mixing volumes etc and get the same result. even with Kodak's help it would cost a fortune to work out how to make a stock like 50d in a completely different facility with completely different equipment. Emulsion making is really really tough.

Long live kodak.

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That's not too say there aren't countless 'secrets' that kodak could pass on which would be of enormous help in trying to make a modern type emulsion in a different facility...

It seems mad that classic emulsions like Ektachrome and Vision can just disappear if a company decides it.

I wonder if Fuji has any future plans for motion picture stock if Kodak does quit completely. They made some lovely emulsions too.

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It seems mad that classic emulsions like Ektachrome and Vision can just disappear if a company decides it.

 

"To my friends

My work is done-

Why wait?"

 

That's taken from Elizabeth Brayer's George Eastman - A Biography, and it is apparently what he wrote on his suicide note just before shooting himself in the head with a Luger. So if the company chooses to be self-destructive to their very last moment - which they have been throughout their existence - I wouldn't be surprised if they destroyed all information regarding any of their current emulsions in the name of George Eastman's legacy.

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Vision3 is the best performing MP film to date and it would be a shame to lose all that evolution, so i'm hoping that choice will stick around for some time. Fine grain and uber dynamic range are nice, but on the other hand i've always wanted to see more film stocks that go for cool and unique looks that only film can offer. Kind of like what Lomo has done with still film. I know people complain that it looks too istagramy but only if you shoot it in one of their cheap cameras. I'd like to see something like their 100ASA neg in MP film.

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