How is Fomafilm?

[mikeivnitsky]

I am going to Prague in February so I want to get a couple of bulk

rolls.How good are foma films?

How much do they cost and where can I get it?

[mário m. rodrigues]

Cant speak for Prague but a few years back I bought some foma rolls and they were the cheapest here (Portugal). When I used them I found that I.M.H.O. they lacked the definition of other brands, the good side, along with the price) was that it also gave a "soft lights" result that no other brand did. I remember taking some shots indoors and all the objects that received direct sun light gained a very distinct "glow" that I only got with that brand. I cant explain it as well as I would like because I lack the necessary english vocabulary, but, if the technology hasnt changed foma will give you some diferent and unexpected results. Regards.

[fritz_polesny]

I have used different foma-films several times.

foma 100 is a rather good standard film and some users say, it is rather near to apx 100.

foma 200 is a t-grain film i like to use as a compromise between 100 and 400 asa.

with foma 400 i was not so happy compared with other emulsions.

best regaqrds from Austria

 

Fritz.

[michael_beckmann]

I used to buy photo paper at the Foma store in Prague back in 1987.

 

This address is from their web site:

 

FOMA FOTO

 

Jungmannovo ná­® 4

 

110 00 Praha 1

 

tel./fax: 224 218 921

 

e-mail: zp-praha@foma.cz

 

Prodejní ¤oba:

 

po � pᠹ.00 � 18.00 hod

 

so 9.00 � 12.00

[michael_beckmann]

Whoa sorry for the bad looking post, it looked better in the preview before I submitted it.

 

Anyway, you are looking for 4 Jungmannovo St. and the store is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

[mb81]

I have never used foma films, but i have been tempted. It seems to me that the "glow" around the highlights would come from a film without an anti-halo layor which most films today have. This prevents the light from passing through the film, bouncing off the camera back and then re exposing the film through the other side, giving that halo effect. This is what gives infrared films that glow look.

 

If you buy some, let me know your results. Thanks.

 

Mike

[roger_hicks1]

Dear Michael,

 

Foma 200 is one of my favourite films; it used also to be available as Paterson Acupan 200.

 

It is only ISO 200 (and then barely) in speed increasing developers; this is confirmed by Foma's own specifications. It is almost exactly the same speed as Ilford FP4 Plus, i.e. ISO 125-160 in most developers.

 

It is not a T-grain film (I have seen the electron micrographs). The T200 name was misleading.

 

The grain is not particularly fine but I second Mario about the 'glow': it has some of the finest tonality I have ever seen, especially when developed in Paterson FX39. Pace Mike Barolet this is not the result of a missing halation layer, and like Mario, I can't explain it. It may be irradiation, but whatever it is, it's beautiful.

 

Of course you may disagree completely.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

[rustys pics]

I agree with Roger Hicks,

Foma 200 is the star of the Foma line. It has a creamy glow that looks more like something

from 1930, than 2006. I shoot it quite a bit in medium format. I have gotten good results and

near box speed in Rodinal 1:100 and Ilford DD-X. It's a good idea to pre-soak before

developing, as the anti-halation dye is rather intense, and tough to remove via fixing.

[roger_hicks1]

Dear Russ,

 

1930! Exactly!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[jordan_w.]

1930 seems like a good description to me, too. I've been shooting a bunch of it in 120 format (Freestyle's house-brand Arista.EDU Ultra 200 is reportedly re-badged Fomapan 200) and have a bulk-roll in 35mm waiting to be used. It has something like an "old-time Tri-X" look to it. The 120-format has an unusual blue base and curls like crazy, unfortunately.

[andrea_ingram]

I use FOMA 100 in 35mm and love it with rodinal 1:50. My fav 35mm B&W film actually

[avisualemotion]

I did use foma films quite a lot. Foma 200 is great film giving very nice tonal scale. I develop it different developers. I also use foma 100. As I sue Paterson Aculux 2 as my standard developer I did use it also for these foma films. I am buying 100ft rolls from <a href="http://www.fotoskoda.cz/default.asp?ids=356&idm=312&lang=eng">Foto Skoda</a> which is very close to Vaclav square and close to Foma shop in Prague. Exact address is Vodi

kova 37, Praha 1. Usually I find prices in this shop better than in Foma shop. I believe you can order through internet and pick it up in shop. But web shop is only Czech language. Maybe their email can help. That way you can ensure that they will have what you want when you are there. BTW: I am only customer there so no personal contacts :-)

<br>

<br>

Some examples using Foma films you can see on my web site:<br>

<a href="http://www.piskoftak.com/photo/2003-68-24/">Fragile Splendor (foma 100)</a><br>

<a href="http://www.piskoftak.com/photo/2003-68-19/">Frozen water (foma 100)</a><br>

<a href="http://www.piskoftak.com/photo/2004-13-20/">Wooden sticks (foma 200)</a><br>

<br>

<br>

--<br>

richard vanek<br>

<a href="http://www.piskoftak.com">www.piskoftak.com</a>

[roger_hicks1]

Dear Richard,

 

Nice shots. I don't know if I'm seeing what I want to see but tonally the 200 shot seems prettiest to me.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[avisualemotion]

Roger,

it is very difficult to judge based on some small jpg on screen. I think I can say with confidence that foma 200 is better film. Maybe just buy both and you will see. Prices now are following for 100ft roll.

foma 100 is around 20euros = 24 US$ end for foma 200 100ft roll is 23euros = 27US$

[roger_hicks1]

Dear Richard,

 

I second your view that it is hard (voir impossible) to judge from a screen JPEG image. I have in fact tried both films and much prefer 200. But I have seen some excellent original prints from 100 (yours were good, but not original prints, as you say...) And sometimes, the monitor flatters inferior pictures over superior.

 

To sum up: I liked all three, but I liked the 200 shot best *tonally*.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Fotohuis RoVo]

Foto Skoda which is very close to Vaclav square and close to Foma shop in Prague. Exact address is Vodickova 37, Praha 1 (http://www.fotoskoda.cz)

 

Indeed a very good address for overall photographic equipment and of course further our export partner for Amaloco photochemicals (http://www.amaloco.nl) in the Czech Republic.

 

best regards,

 

Robert

[Mike Gammill]

If you have back issues of Shutterbug,you will find an article by Roger Hicks about Paterson Acupan 200 (BKA Foma T200). This article did two things for me: #1- Got me to try Acupan 200 (great tonality) and #2- Introduced me to FX-39 developer which I also use for 35mm Plus-X, FP4+, and Pan F+. Sorry I can't remember the year, but I'm at work right now and don't have access to my magazines.

[jordan_w.]

I've been using a lot of Arista.EDU Ultra 200 (from Freestyle Photographic Supplies in Hollywood, Cal.) which is said to be re-branded Fomapan 200. I find it to be a pretty nice film -- it has worked well for me in Diafine, Rodinal, and a home-brew developer resembling XTOL. The 120-format material has a blue base and curls like crazy. The 35mm material lays pretty flat, though. This film has a bit of an "old school" look to it, to my eyes.<p>

 

Some examples (even though scanning and small JPGs can mask the "true character" of a film):<br>

<a href="http://www.photosensitive.ca/index.php/image/0601-001/">35mm</a><br>

<a href="http://www.photosensitive.ca/index.php/image/0588-2/">120 (Yashicamat)</a><br>

<a href="http://www.photosensitive.ca/index.php/image/0577-4/">120 (Koni-Omega)</a><p>

[jordan_w.]

And I just realized that I already contributed to this thread!

[bill_b.]

Out of curiosity, I recently bought a sampler of Fomapan 100 and 400 film in the guise of Arista EDU Ultra from Freestyle in Hollywood, CA. To try out the 400 speed version, I visited the Reno-Stead airport, site of the famous Reno Air Races, to shoot some vintage warbirds in various states of restoration.

 

Using a Tokina 19-35mm superwide-to-wide zoom with only a skylight filter, I went searching for early-20th-century art deco-style forced-perspective subject matter complete with large cumulus clouds as background. I found just what I was looking for with several Korean war vintage MIGs and a beautifully restored F86.

 

Getting home, the film was developed in plain old D76 per the manufacturers recommendations. Then, the film was scanned on a Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV at 3200 dpi. Images were cropped, contrast adjusted slightly, and dust-filtered in Photoshop Elements 3.0. Prints were made on a Canon Pixma 6600i printer with Canon's best glossy paper.

 

Not expecting much for film that sells for under $2.00 per roll, I was blown away! Yes, it's grainy, but that's what I was hoping for with the subject matter. But, it was tight, evenly distributed grain and smooth transitions between tones. I was never a big fan of Tri-X because it tended to concentrate its tonality in the mid-grays without a bit of extra work. In contrast, the Foma appears to have a wider dynamic range with very black blacks and pure whites. Plus, metallics in the images shimmer.

 

In the end I would have to agree with the other contributors that the film does contribute to an early 20th century look that contributed much to the art-deco-style subject matter I was shooting.

 

I'm looking forward to doing some studio portrait work with the 100 speed Fomapan.

 

Cheers,

Bill B.

[avisualemotion]

It has been while I was writing in this thread but I only like to say those who thinking about using Foma 200 film:<br>

<b>I still use Foma 200 developed at 100</b>.<br>

It is already few years. I love it. <br>

I use to develop it in Paterson Aculux II as it went out from shelfs (now Aculux III is available) I switched to Fotospeed FD10. And I am getting even nicer results. Really amazing.<br>

<br>

Well you can read more about it at my <a href="http://www.piskoftak.com/article/films_and_developers/">page about my favorite black and white developer film combinations</a><br>

As well as you can see some <a href="http://www.piskoftak.com/experiment/204/">experiments I have done</a>

<br><br>

---<br>

Richard Vanek<br>

<a href="http://www.piskoftak.com/">www.piskoftak.com</a><br>

<a href="http://www.richard-vanek.eu//">www.richard-vanek.eu</a><br>

[Mike Gammill]

Sorry to reopen an old thread, but does anyone know of a vendor that sells Paterson FX-39 in the USA? I've googled and made phone calls and no one seems to have it.

Thanks.