new55 kickstarter has begun

[Brian C. Miller]

Well, if everybody involved right now ups the ante to $800 each, then it's funded, no problem. (But there's no t-shirt at the $750 level, and it's limited to 100 people!)

[swhiser]

Thank you, everyone, for your good wishes.

The New55 FILM Kickstarter campaign came about because the expression of interest was emphatic and persistent. The number of people was significant and continues to grow. Also, interest -- as reflected in the backers' domiciles -- is borderless.

There would have been no point in hand-manufacturing small runs going forward. The variability is too great and the cost prohibitive. Also, we needed to establish the assembly line and also finish designing and specifying the complex receiver sheet (which then dictates the developer pod design and contents). It's impossible to get vendors and component suppliers to do this without a certain commitment to quantity. It's an exceedingly normal manufacturing exercise.

I would suggest also that the New55 FILM manufacturing scale-up plan has the normal risks of a complex project with numerous concurrent variables. Viewed realistically, the hurdles are high but not insurmountable. We feel it is imperative to be explicit about what is involved. That's why our Kickstarter project page is not a marketing text but a realistic disclosure of the challenges. Honesty in this context can be shocking. Kickstarter is not a store and our project is not a pre-order initiative but a manufacturing project. It is different from the way Kickstarter has generally been used, but nevertheless meets their own increasingly strict guidelines.

It's gratifying that so many large format photographers have made a clear statement by pledging early to the project and a large number have even increased their pledges by this early date. Having looked at many of the backers' own websites -- and recognizing a few names -- we're impressed that the project has attracted the very best camera workers from across the globe. Considering the quality of old T55 and the devotion to its tonality, convenience and permanence, this should have been no surprise at all.

Thank you for your interest and considerate support. If you should have specific questions or thoughts you would like to express directly, we're happy to hear from you.

-Sam Hiser

project CEO
new55project.com

[Larry Kellogg]

Go, go, go! I'm in for two boxes.

[eman]

This would be too bad if, after all their work, it can't get funding. Here's someone who is doing something about disappearing films by making one so anyone bemoaning the loss of this or that film, they can do something about it. I have no stake in it, but like most folks here, would like to see it succeed.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...m/posts/812561

[DennisD]

It's unfortunate there hasn't been stronger support to date for the NEW55 project.
The following message was posted earlier this morning and emailed to contributors:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...m/posts/812561

[rdenney]

Threads merged. Please keep all discussion of this announcement in this thread.

Rick "who has backed this effort" Denney

[Andrew O'Neill]

Both links don't work for me...

[Brian C. Miller]

Try this: We Probably Won't Make It

Looks like a bug in the forum software messed up the automatic link parsing.

(added)
I mean, really, there's 751 people supporting the project who actually want instant sheet film badly enough to spend $75 for 5 sheets. Personally, I'm looking at that as there are less than 1,000 photographers on the face of the planet who would keep something this small in operation. Others on the forum would use the film only if it cost less than loose sheet film.

I would use this product at $15 a pop if it means that I can asses whether a shot is right, because then I don't have to reschedule a shoot, check the tides, wait for good weather, yadda yadda yadda yadda. An incident meter and maybe some math will tell me if I've got the exposure right. I can do sunny f/16 on chrome with no problem. But it doesn't tell me that the focus has shifted a little bit due to the tripod settling, and I get nailed with an out-of-focus negative.

[Andrew O'Neill]

It worked. Thanks Brian.

[Tracy Storer]

I'm in, I hope everyone who is thinking of maybe backing this, actually does so. I have, please join me !