Oddball Soviet Film

I found this film at Freestyle - and was curious to check it out.

It's called Svema "Foto" made in Shohatsk factory in Ukraine which has been in operation since 1931.

Initial impression from inspecting is underwhelming, cheap cassette and felt, film coating looks weird for B&W film, and the base is super thin - i worry that cameras that exert pressure on the film may tear this altogether.

I also saw a video review that suggests rating this film at 125 ISO - which is way slower than the advertised box speed.

I will try at various sensitivity and see what the outcome is.

See what the FPP crew thinks about it and other offbeat b&w materials:

Home - The Film Photography Project

See what the FPP crew thinks about it and other offbeat b&w materials:

 

Home - The Film Photography Project

Thank you for the Suggestion. Regards

Yes, I've been eyeing that... I'll wait until you report back!

Rick - do you folks have a source for it in NZ?

 

(snip)

 

Initial impression from inspecting is underwhelming, cheap cassette and felt, film coating looks weird for B&W film, and the base is super thin - i worry that cameras that exert pressure on the film may tear this altogether.

 

(snip)

Without actually knowing about this film, note that Kodak has some thin polyester based films that are stronger than the more usual acetate.

But also, the uniform tension most often put on film doesn't make it easy to tear.

There are stories of Nikon motor drives smashing to spool, while the film and tape still hold.

ralf_j. said:

Rick - do you folks have a source for it in NZ?

No, I import most of my film from Freestyle, and spotted it in their catalogue. I've used the Astrum 400, which may be the same film; the actual provenance of these Soviet films is a hotly-debated subject! There's a little video on Youtube that may be of some help; the results shown there are similar to those I managed with the Astrum 400. Very sharp, but odd tones and excessive contrast. I see this presenter in this video rates it at 100 ISO!

https://

My suspicion is that many of these FORMER Soviet and Warsaw Pact film companies were not so large or specialized that they became over-extended like the Western (NATO) film makers under the pressure of digital photography.

I hope that they have better luck as "niche" producers.

Once-upon-a-time they had a large, if somewhat "captive" market.

Here - you can print and make your own box for Soviet film

Research Institute for Technical Photographic Projects in Kazan of TASMA Holding Group

(the Other big Soviet producer of film besides Svema.)

Hmmm.. interesting.

Assuming this is currently produced, new film? I'll be looking forward to a followup once you've shot it.

I bought some old Svema film in 120, that wasnt kept well. I used only one roll out of I think 3 or 4 that I'd bought.Shot it in my new to me at the time 1930s Voigltander Bessa 6x9 folder. It was terrible. I guess I should try another, just to see if it's any different.

Here's a link to the "best" of the roll. it's a large file, so please be aware of that before clicking.

Hmmm.. interesting.

Assuming this is currently produced, new film? I'll be looking forward to a followup once you've shot it.

 

I bought some old Svema film in 120, that wasnt kept well. I used only one roll out of I think 3 or 4 that I'd bought.Shot it in my new to me at the time 1930s Voigltander Bessa 6x9 folder. It was terrible. I guess I should try another, just to see if it's any different.

 

Here's a link to the "best" of the roll. it's a large file, so please be aware of that before clicking.

 

[ATTACH=full]1427030[/ATTACH]

ralf_j. said:

 

No, I import most of my film from Freestyle, and spotted it in their catalogue. I've used the Astrum 400, which may be the same film; the actual provenance of these Soviet films is a hotly-debated subject! There's a little video on Youtube that may be of some help; the results shown there are similar to those I managed with the Astrum 400. Very sharp, but odd tones and excessive contrast. I see this presenter in this video rates it at 100 ISO!

 

https://

Hi Rick, thanks for the link, I saw that video before posting as well, and it is a good reference before using the film, i think the presenter did a good job. Weather permitting I may try it this Sunday.

My suspicion is that many of these FORMER Soviet and Warsaw Pact film companies were not so large or specialized that they became over-extended like the Western (NATO) film makers under the pressure of digital photography.

 

I hope that they have better luck as "niche" producers.

 

Once-upon-a-time they had a large, if somewhat "captive" market.

 

Here - you can print and make your own box for Soviet film

 

[ATTACH=full]1427021[/ATTACH]

Research Institute for Technical Photographic Projects in Kazan of TASMA Holding Group

(the Other big Soviet producer of film besides Svema.)

OrWo used to be a good standard for eastern Europe at the time. I think they may still be around.

OrWo used to be a good standard for eastern Europe at the time. I think they may still be around.

von der ehemaliger Arbeiter-und-Bauern-Staat

Auferstanden aus Ruinen!

My early years as an undergraduate, my roommate was from Kiel. He had one of those plump West German SLRs and shot Agfa film.

It had a touch of what ANSCO (later GAF) called 'natural color' -- a tendency toward the brown side of the color spectrum. I preferred to "pay worship to the garish sun" with Kodachrome ASA (as it was) 10.

Agfa color negative film converted to a slide (the experiment was not successful, and it was not repeated)

North Dakota Badlands - 1960

Great story JDM.

Plump German SLR- a leaf shutter mirror reflex perhaps? What were you using at the time?

I think that his camera was an Agfaflex. It was definitelly a leaf-shutter. His dream camera was a Zeiss Contarex "bullseye" camera.

I was shooting an M42 Heiland Pentax H2 with the semi-automatic Takumar.

I think that his camera was an Agfaflex. It was definitelly a leaf-shutter. His dream camera was a Zeiss Contarex "bullseye" camera.

 

I was shooting an M42 Heiland Pentax H2 with the semi-automatic Takumar.

I have a couple of H2s somewhere but last I checked they were not working.