Camera Talk

I spent a couple of days at the 2019 PhotoPlus Expo, and what I found interesting was a small increase in the renewed interest in film. Of all of the exhibitors, there were maybe five or six that were showing off film photography products. All of the booths were seeing a significant amount of traffic of people of all ages - from us seasoned shooters to younger photographers.

• A new orthochromatic film is on the way. I'm not even sure when the last widely available ortho film was last made but it's been a while. More info here: www.ilfordphoto.com/ortho-plus-35mm. Ilford's booth included displays of film and enlarging paper. Ilford has released a new multigrade resin-coated photographic paper (for use with enlargers).
• A rep at the show told me that Fujifilm will be reviving Acros. It will be called "Acros II." Availability isn't known. UPDATE: Acros II is expected to be available in early 2020 in the U.S.
• While no new 35mm cameras were displayed, there was a new maker of large format cameras: Gibellini Projects Co. www.gibellinicamera.com The company is based on Modena, Italy, a town that's also known for its balsamic vinegar. The website has more information. The founder has been using film since 2012 - started with a Pentax K1000.
• There are a couple of new devices for scanning 35mm film, including high end and low end. The higher end products use a digital camera. The lower end one made of cardboard uses a mobile phone.
• Beseler was at the expo again. This time, it had an onsite enlarging tent, allowing small groups of people to go into the tent and make an enlargement.
• Freestyle Photo was there, showing off a rather interesting film-processing tank, the ARS-Imago Lab-Box www.freestylephoto.biz/192894-ARS-IMAGO-LAB-BOX-2-Module-Kit-Orange. I've purchased one, as well as a one-bath chemical that both develops and fixes the film.
• To show how little I know, I learned that the late Barry Goldwater (yes, that Barry Goldwater) was a fine-art photographer. His grand-daughter put together a show of large-format photos that he took in Arizona decades ago. These photos were good - really good. He published a book many years ago, and Ansel Adams wrote the foreward for it. All of the negatives were scanned using one of the devices that uses a digital camera. scottsdalemuseumwest.org/project/photographs-by-barry-m-goldwater-the-arizona-highways-collection-january-6-2019-june-23-2019
• No new scanners from Epson. I think its current lineup is strong with the V800 and V850 models.

A film scanner that uses a digital camera. A poster featuring a Barry Goldwater photo is on the right side.Notice the ortho film that is barely in the photo (top shelf).One of about a dozen Gibellini cameras on display.Freestyle's film selection.Another solution for scanning film.ARS-Imago Lab-BoxBeseler's enlargers and its on-site enlarging tent.

Interesting indeed, good news about film. I will we waiting for that Acros revival.

Patrick White, of Freestyle Photo, talks about the return of some film favorites and what younger film photographers are using.

Julio1fer wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:43 am

Interesting indeed, good news about film. I will we waiting for that Acros revival.

Last week I found 18 films of Neopan 400 (120 film) that I plan to use during the winter, let's see how they are preserved...

Here in Moscow we have our own film makers, most famous are A-125 and Typ-42, locals like it a lot but only for 135, if anyone wants I can send you some samples

Thank you, Mike, for the update, it's interesting film is back again, that italian camera will be expensive for sure I'm afraid, fashion has to be fed

The scanner looks like the "Toaster" that was being sold a couple of years ago. The Gibellini cameras look fine, but I don't know about getting a plastic folder and using it in the heat. Maybe that's why they have a white version. One of these times I'd like to be able to take advantage of the free tickets I can get for that show. Maybe next year.

PF

Yes, that's the "Toaster" that was used for the Barry Goldwater photos.

It's the "Film Toaster Dakota," and it's a bit pricey at $1,499 (35mm) or $1,999 (medium format). There's also a 4x5 adapter, and that's what was used for the Goldwater project.

The belief is that digital sensors now have the necessary resolution for film scanning.

For all of these, the makers recommend the use of a macro lens.

I have a Gibellini camera in my possession at the moment, an 11x14 on loan from a friend. It is very light, perhaps a bit too light for an 11x14, but I haven't had a chance to put it through its paces yet. It is attractive, though. Will post a photo when I get a chance to try it out.

Robert