Foma 8x10

[Jiri Vasina]

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.

Michael,

it's not possible for me to lay hands on Arista EDU ultra film, but from all of the sources I have checked, and what I have read, Arista EDU ultra is Fomapan. (It would be kinda silly buying what I consider to be Fomapan 100 on another continent and then having it delivered to some 100km from the original factory, wouldn't it? ) So I'd think that you paid a little more for the nice box with Fomapan written on it )))

Arista EDU (without the ultra) was rebadged Forte film, but the Hungarian factory is gone for several years.

Arista EDU ??"Pro"?? was Ilford FP4+ AFAIK...

(well, regarding that shipping and mistakes: I have bought 2 boxes of Fomapan 100 13x18cm in a local shop here for approximately ~56€, only to later find out I can buy the same Fomapan 100 in Germany for roughly ~45€... incl. shipping from Germany back to the Czech Republic... Worse than funny... )

Jiri

[rich caramadre]

Michael.

Are you using the Arista EDU Ultra 100 or 400? If it's the 100, dose it have the same reciprocity issues that Foma has that I've been reading about?

[mandoman7]

I have always had the impression that films the required a lot of reciprocity have a shelf at the lower end, such that with very low light situations, the lower values drop off even when some additional time is given. In general, it seems easier to get broad areas of deep blacks with images shot at lower EI's, and not so easy when there's a lot of light. I think that's good actually, to have that palette at your disposal, as long as you have some control with it.

Lovely work on your site, by the way, Jiri.

[Michael Kadillak]

Lessons in life sometimes come in unusual packages. As long as I learn from these exercises and make more informed decisions the second time around I have no problem with the process. Seems that we all can be exposed to these issues at times.

[Michael Kadillak]

Michael.

Are you using the Arista EDU Ultra 100 or 400? If it's the 100, dose it have the same reciprocity issues that Foma has that I've been reading about?

I just ordered some Foma 100 as I have not used this film previously. My research told me that the 100 speed film is the optimal place to start so I went with it.

[rich caramadre]

Michael,
Sorry, my last question was intended for John Kasaian. He said he was using the Arista EDU Ulltra.

[Drew Wiley]

From the published curves, Foma 100 and 400 are very different animals. And I'm beginning to wonder if 100 is just the former 200 more realistically labeled as to ASA.
This was a film with a very steep toe and capable of superb shadow separation, but
otherwise an unusual beast very prone to scratching (I'm convinced that what I got ahold of was scratched during packaging - so losing every other shot didn't save me money at all). I finally ended up with a few really good images which would have been
difficult for any other film, but it was so slow and idiosyncratic in many situations that
it was not proving practical for 8x10 use. The 400 version I tested was merely OK, and relatively disappointing compared to HP5 and even the earlier version of TMax400.
My two cents worth.

[Jiri Vasina]

Drew, it's not. Even the Foma 200 has a different response than Foma 100. Also, Foma 200 is said to have T-grain crystals IIRC...

In my opinion Foma 400 is more like a ISO 200 speed film, that can be pushed to EI 400, but even that is a push - with all the features of a film's push...

Jiri

[Michael Graves]

I use Fomapan 100 in 13x18cm size, and find it to be a very good film. Nice separation in the midtones, good tonality, negligible grain (I develop in Rodinal). It has bad reciprocity failure (kicking in at a mere 1s of exposure), but it's tolerable. I expose at EI 64, and am going to try exposing at EI 50.

I haven't used the Foma 400 in sheets, only in rolls. And I did not like it at all. But personal experience may differ...

Jiri

Jiri's experience mirrors mine identically. I acquired a collection of 13x18 holders and Freestyle was able to get a few boxes of Foma 100 for me. I'm finding I like that film better than my old standby HP5 if I have the light for it. At this time, I'm still taking 5x7 in HP5 and Foma in 13x18 and shooting whatever the subject dictates.

Foma roll film was inexcusably bad. A minor change in developing time skewed contrast, the film curls up into tight little coils when dry and it's a bitch to print. I gave away about fifteen rolls of it just to get it out of my hair. But when I run out of the sheet film, I'll order another few boxes if it's still possible.

[Jiri Vasina]

Michael,

Foma 100 in rolls is quite usable (like the sheets) and does not curl so much IMO.

Foma 400 in rolls does curl a lot. But I have had far worse films in that regard... Rollei Retro 400 being the worst so far... That one curls a lot even after months of being pressed flat in my archive... it was a nightmare to scan (because of the curl)... but the emulsion was way better than Foma 400... if only I could have inter-bred the films...

Jiri