Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thank you for the clarification. I feel better now. Cheers Wilber - ----- Original Message ----- From: Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl> To: L U G <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Cc: <leica@topica.com> Sent: Friday, September 29, 2000 3:05 PM Subject: [Leica] More Photokina > First I would like to comment on the apparent impression my previous note > generated, that I assumed that analogue film will be extinct shortly. This > is not what I said.I remarked that companies like Kodak and Fuji etc will > reduce their film range to best selling products and yes, there is > considerable effort and finance involved in new film emulsions. And they > will manufacture it as long as substantial sales are involved. But look at > Kodak here. The Panther family (a very nice film range IMHO) was > discontinued very quickly after failing to capture the publics imagination > disregarding the development cost. So is the case with Kodachrome. Kodak > Professional did not even mention this film at Photokina. B&W films? wait a > moment, sir, I have to look up this word in the Kodak dictionary of obsolete > concepts. Ilford has moved to the digital arena and did not even care to > show any of their films or papers. A new Delta400? yes we have it, yawn! But > look at our new digital printing machines! That is were the future is! Fuji: > new films OK but new technology? Forget it: the famous fourth layer is > around for many years and made it first in Reala, then Superia, now 160 > film. More research? The new 400F is indeed a significant film if it does > deliver. I have a load of films for testing. So I have to wait to comment. > Of course film will be around for a long time to come. But changes are > incremental here if at all. Kodak still produces Tri-X since 19xx without > changes, but new ideas? > Here we need to go to outsider companies. The new Paterson FX-50, family of > the deservedly famous FX39 is a really exciting developer. Finer grain than > ever and acutance galore. And it works with all current films. Wait for my > report. > And now for the surprise! Imagine a film with ISO40 to 64, with grain, much > finer than TechPan and without its extended red sensitivity, with definition > at least 8 times of Tmax100, extended tonality in grey scale, extreme > latitude of exposure, development time uncritical, fixing time 20 seconds, > drying time half an hour. Comparison pictures at 20x 30 inch with sheet > film negatives of 8x10 inch negatives show superiority for this new 35mm > film material. Can it exist. I have it on my desk! > This is really fun! Where the big companies resign, the smaller ones jump up > and continue to develop products for the 35mm BW world. > I am no pessimist! BW and analogue has a fine future, but do not expect > anything from the classical companies. They are focused to digital. The > smaller players will make or day! > > > Erwin >