New film news from Ilford.....coming soon....

Showing up on Instagram and now reported on DPReview....

 

Ilford Photo teases upcoming film stock release in multiple formats

 

 

Purple = Delta 3200 sheet film?

Red = New 35mm/120 IR film?

Hard to say. I've never really cared about IR. that said, I don't see any holes in their lineup as it stands. Maybe a higher speed non T-Grain? I've always been an HP5 junkie and to me, that is already perfection.

How about 220?

How about 220?

 

Ilford said they don't have the equipment for 220. So we know color and 220 are off the table. What surprises me is that it has been many, many years since Ilford released a new film...and yet there appears to be no interest here on photo.net.

Ilford said they don't have the equipment for 220. So we know color and 220 are off the table. What surprises me is that it has been many, many years since Ilford released a new film...and yet there appears to be no interest here on photo.net.

 

I'm certainly interested and will most likely try whatever they come out with. I'm not necessarily one to jump on whatever boutique film of the month Freestyle is selling, but know that anything from Ilford will be good and predictable, and also I'll be able to get more of it if I like it.

 

With that said, I'm having a hard time thinking of what holes really exist in their current portfolio.

I've been wondering too. If it's good it will be nice knowing it should stay available.

Just a random and very unlikely but hopeful thought:

 

Kodak's "traditional" B&W range was Pan-X, Plus-X, and Tri-X. The TMAX range was(is) 100, 400, and 3200. Ilford duplicates those core films, and arguably does it better(or at least more to some peoples taste) with some of them in Pan F, FP4+, HP5+, and the Delta films. They even do it better than Kodak in some ways since every emulsion except Delta 3200 is a regular stock item from 35mm to 8x10, and even Delta 3200 is available in 120(AFAIK, TMAX P3200 has never been available in anything other than 35mm). Kodak gives us different emulsions under the Tri-X name in roll film vs. sheet film, where again Ilford keeps HP5+ consistent across all formats.

 

Someone mentioned the possibility of Delta 3200 in sheets, and that seems likely to me. I won't be a customer for it-I shoot LF for the lack of grain, and FP4+ and TXP 320 suit me fine-but perhaps some will.

 

I can think of two other Kodak films that Ilford has never really replicated, though. Someone above mentioned infrared, and it's true that SFX 200 is nothing at all like HIE. It would be interesting to see a film similar to HIE return, but I don't know that there would be a big market for it.

 

The other I can think of is Tech Pan. That's a film that I would personally buy if Ilford made their own version of it...

Ilford said they don't have the equipment for 220. So we know color and 220 are off the table. What surprises me is that it has been many, many years since Ilford released a new film...and yet there appears to be no interest here on photo.net.

 

A 100 ASA version of XP2 ?

 

I know that they are traditionally a B&W film maker but XP2 is half way to color. We could use another color film manufacturer.

If they come out with a "Tech Pan", I'm in.

(snip)

What surprises me is that it has been many, many years since Ilford released a new film...and yet there appears to be no interest here on photo.net.

 

I might be interested in buying something, but don't feel the need to state here everything that I might buy.

 

Even more, I might wait to see it actually come out.

 

In the case of revival of films, I suppose I could agree based on the original.

For new films, I would wait to say something until there are details.

 

It would be nice to see something like HIE.

Two new hints at the Ilford Instagram:

 

Well-the word is out.

 

Ortho film in 35mm and 120, and 5th generation paper.

 

I'll at least try the ortho film a few times, but it will be an occasional use thing for me. I've used it in 4x5 before, but from what I've seen it's very difficult to find in stock. It's good stuff, and I guess that they're trying to make an accessible ortho product, unlike the come and go nature of some of the boutique manufacturers that offer it.

 

It will probably be a little while before I need paper, although I may pick up a 25 pack of 8x10 to try it. In my mind, there's nothing really wrong with the good old Ilford MG IV paper that I learned to print on, and I honestly hope that it hasn't changed too much...

Looking forward to trying the ortho film. Hopefully it be available soon,

I'm interested to know more.

After seeing. this film release, I did a little reading up on orthochromatic film vs panchromatic film. Why shoot ortho film with its limitations? Does it produce a certain *look* that one can't get otherwise?

 

FWIW, just to let you know where I'm at with B&W films: I am sort of settling in with TriX (ISO400) and Ilford's Pan F Plus in ISO 50. I shot a bit of Fuji Acros 100 tho and just got a couple rolls of the final batch, not certain about the "new" Acros... oh and I'm also trying out Ilford's HP5. I shot a fair amount of T Max and decided I don't love it too much.

 

How would the Ilford ortho film compare or differ to/from any of those?

 

EDIT: Did Ilford also just release that Kentmere 400 film? What the heck is that? :-D

Ortho films came before panchromatic films, as they learned about sensitizing dyes,

which were accidentally discovered. In the early years, they also had the advantage

that you could develop them with a red safelight. But tanks, and other total darkness

processing systems, were available pretty far back.

 

Yes, I don't see the reason for a new ortho film, but maybe there are enough others

out now that it is time.

 

As well as I know, Kentmere is owned by Ilford, but produces films in its own plants,

separate from the Ilford plants. Kentmere 100 and 400 have been around for some

years now, though I haven't looked to see if anything is new.

A small tid bit to piggy back on Glen's post. The Kentmere 35mm products are readily available thru various sources. Ultrafine Xtreme sells their (IMHO) rebranded version of the Kentmere emulsion, but have the advantage of offering a 120 product, both 100 & 400 asa rated. I have been using both sizes for about 5 years now with great results. Aloha, Bill

The effect of ortho film can be achieved to some degree with a green filter on pan film, but you lose the advantage of red safelight processing. I've shot some Rolleipan Ortho 25 and like the fine grain and sharpness, but fine grain and sharpness are not limited to ortho films.

From reading old photo magazines I learned that film makers charged a little extra to move up to panchromatic film from ortho. Now it's the ortho that's more expensive.

It used to be that black and white film, paper, and prints cost less than color, now they often cost more.

 

Kodak stopped making black and white paper some years ago.

Weirdly enough, the ortho sheet film was and still is the least expensive sheet film Ilford sells.

 

Ortho sheet film actually had a pretty strong market up until probably the early to mid 2000s as "technical film" for use in making offset litho plates. That is mostly done now by digital direct to plate processes. Of course, developed that way they are VERY high contrast. I have played some with Kodak "Graphic Arts Film" and it's a beast to get it to develop to pictoral contrast. The Ilford equivalent is a bit easier to tame-enough so that they feel safe packaging it as a roll film.

 

BTW, I have a roll loaded in an FM2n now. I have a couple in 120 also. As much as I want to shoot all 120 film through my Hasselblad, I might resist and use something older with an uncoated lens, where ortho film seems a more natural match.