fuji neopan 8x10

[Percy]

Hi.

OK...this is becoming a royal discomfort in the gluteus maximus. I ordered a camera (calumet 8x10 c1) from one source, a lens and film holders from a second source, and am now trying to locate a source for my favorite black and white film in 8x10: Fuji Neopan 400. Anybody know where to get this stuff? Anybody know if this stuff is even available in 8x10? I REALLY like Neopan 400...I have found that there is nothing truly like it, to my knowledge. Tried Adorama, B&H, J and C, Calmet....I am at loss. Man...I better REALLY like those 8x10 contact prints I plan on making....for all the difficulty I've encountered in getting equipment and supplies.

Help. Please. Thanks.

[tim atherton]

I'd love it if Neopan400 came in 8x10, but I've never seen it - even in 4x5. (maybe in Japan where their sell some stuff that's never exported...?)

tim a

[Don Cameron]

Percy

Fuji does not import Neopan sheet film out of Japan. The sheet film is a different emulsion and not even close to the wonderful roll film (& 35mm) that we get here. I had a freind bring me a box of 4X5 Neopan 400, and I was very disapointed whith my results.

For 8X10, I stick with the old tried and true Tri-X.

www.doncameron.com

[Percy]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

please say it ain't so....please....

[Jim_3565]

Try 400TMax. It may surprise you.

[Percy]

Sorry...but I absolutely detest Tmax 400. Nothing is like Neopan 400....nothing.

[Ken Lee]

Could you share some images made with Neopan 400 that demonstrate what you like about it ?

[Ed Richards]

> Nothing is like Neopan 400....nothing.

If it is not available in LF, what have you been shooting? If you have not been shooting LF, do not judge the films by the 35mm/120 versions - they are different. Some are better, some are worse. Only the name is the same.

[Tadge Dryja]

Sorry man- Neopan 400 (Called "Neopan PRESTO" here in Japan) is only availible in 35mm and 120 rolls. No sheets of any kind.

Neopan Acros (which, granted, is nothing like presto) is availble here in 4x5 and 8x10 sheets, which it still isn't in America, right? Wasn't when I was last there.

As for sheet film / roll film being a different emulsion, ... well I don't know what Don is talking about. There is no 4x5 Neopan 400. And the current sheet films fuji makes are exactly the same as their roll films.

Maybe in the DISTANT past, there was something availible in sheets, but I doubt it. Nobody I know here (who grew up here, etc) has ever seen any.

It is pretty good stuff (http://uplink.tadge.net/images/polefight-8.jpg) though, eh?

[paulr]

"Sorry...but I absolutely detest Tmax 400. Nothing is like Neopan 400....nothing."

I'm willing to bet that if you experimented with Tmax 400 development, you could get results that you liked a lot. The tmax films have a very malleable tonal scale. they respond to developers differently than other films, so it takes some patience to figure them out. But you can probably find a way to get tonal characteristics that are very similar to what you like.

As a starting point, consider Ken's question ... try to describe the qualities you're looking for. As objectively as possible (something like "absolutely f***ing amazing highlights!" won't help us much!)

[Janko Belaj]

Percy, try http://www.unicircuits.com/shop/index.php.

[Percy]

Hi again.
I am just getting into LF (8x10), but have been shooting Neopan 400 in 6x6 and 35. What I like about it is the ease of development, consistency of results, rich, inky blacks, porcelain highlights, superb tonal scale, and grain more akin to what one might expect from 100 speed film. Oh, and it glides on the development reel with a minimum of effort. Doesn't smell as good as Ilford though.

I don't have a website yet, so can't post images...maybe I'll post on another site (e.g. photosig) later this evening.

Tadge: Yep. GREAT stuff.

[Mike Kovacs]

People that shoot Ilford in 120 size also know that nothing tastes mintier :)

[Percy]

Ilford sure does smell good...don't know why.

Funny you should mention Ilford; just ordered HP5 in 8x10 yesterday. I like the contrast
and sharpness; although I like FP4, for some strange reason I prefer this 400 speed film. Go
figure.