I shot 100 sheets of the Foma 100 last Summer. In the sunlight the Foma 100 was OK. However, I found that in dimly light shade in the woods etc, with f45, not enough photons reach the film to make any image in the shadows (severe reciprocity failure).
My list of things to try if I get any more Foma 100 are as follows:
1) Try the 400
2) Shoot just in sunlight
3) Open up a lot in the dark shade
4) Try uncoated lens with flare
5) Experiment with pre-flashing
Michael,
Yes. In larger sizes, it was rebadged as Wephota last I knew. Wephota specialized in cutting, not manufacturing.
For awhile Geert was selling sheets in various sizes up to ULF (16x20 or 20x24, I forget). I got some 7x17 when it was available, but they also did 8x20/12x20... not sure if they still do though. I know sheetfilm.be hasn't been selling it for some time now.
Chris
Chris,
AFAIK Wephota is NOT a rebadged Foma. Wephota has some connection with Orwo I think (it might be that Wephota bought the machinery/factory of Orwo).
I have shot both films (Wephota NP22 and Fomapan 100) and the films are sufficiently different to let me say it's impossible to be just a rebadged film (Wephota NP22 has a speed of EI 100, while Fomapan 100 is more close to EI 64-50. The film base is different, the antihallation layer is of different color, the films' response - spectral characteristics - is different too...)
Fomapan was/is rebadged as Arista.EDU Ultra.
Wephota is sold AFAIK only as Wephota.
Jiri Vasina
www.vasina.net
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My books @ Blurb (only heavily outdated "Serene Landscape").
If you don't get enough details in shadow, I'd ask what was the speed you are exposing the film at? (what ISO are you using for metering?) I'd highly recommend using speed of EI 64 (I use that), or EI 50 (Nana Sous Dias uses that) - and shorten your time accordingly to not block the highlights...
With Fomapan 400, those rolls I have shot, I had to rate the film as EI 250-200 to get the shadow detail I wanted. And forget about pushing the film to EI 640-800 (like I regularly do with HP5+) if you want any details in the shade...
Jiri
Jiri Vasina
www.vasina.net
@ Google+ | @ Facebook | @ flickr
My books @ Blurb (only heavily outdated "Serene Landscape").
I've been shooting Foma lately, and have been satisfied with my results. I've not seen any emulsion defects. I find it a real bargain.
been shooting thousands of sheets of various foma for yours. great stuff. no issues....well some that i caused damn dust, my finger prints, bad exposures, weird compositions.......oh! those are my defects!
funny thing.....i seem to have collected several hundred sheets of 8x10 kodak film.....so i guess i will be shooting that stuff for a while.
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So did I just pay Freestyle $139 for 50 sheets of Formapan 100 in 8x10 when I could have acquired 50 sheets of 8x10 @ $99 for the identical sheet film in Arista EDU ultra?
If I got a $40 lesson then maybe someone else can learn from this exercise without the extra expense.
I use Arista.edu Ultra, which is rebadged Fomapan. It is nothing like Tmax, but it is a fine film in it's own right. If you are looking for a replacement for Tmax, check out Ilford Delta---IMHO that would come the closest.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
I have some Delta coming in 5x7 as I took advantage of the recent Badger offering. I also use Efke 25 in 11x14 and 8x20 as it is stunning in the DR5 reversal process as well as an excellent negative film for prints. My freezer is full of everything from Super XX to TMY and just about everything in between - except Foma/Arista. That gap is being filled as we speak and I look forward to giving it a go.
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