Reala in 120

[scott_dembek]

I use Reala a lot in 35mm but when I went shopping for it in 120 my local shop said it had been discontinued by Fuji. Now I read that people are able to purchase it from the large mail-order houses (e.g., B&H). What's the real story on 120 Reala? Where is B&H getting it? Is it old stock that will go away when supplies run out?

 

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Regards,

Scott

[nolan woodbury]

I just purchased (last week) 20 rolls of Reala from Smile photo.

 

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I ordered these about 3 or 4 months ago, and they just recently

called and explained the film had been on back order, and wondered if

I still wanted it. The price was good (about $2.40 a roll) so I took it.

 

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Perhaps they still have some in stock. I found their ad in "Shutterbug".

 

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Nolan

[ted___]

Would Fuji NPS, which also has a the four layered emulsion, be

a good substitute for Reala ? It also has the benefit of being about

a half stop faster. Ted.

[dave_jenkins]

I bought 15 rolls of Reala 120 from B&H about three weeks ago. It was shipped immediately with the rest of my order. The price, I think, was $2.29/roll. I did not check the expiration date, and can't do so now because I am home and the film is at my studio. If it is short-dated I will post that info.

 

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As to whether NPS is a good substitute for Reala: I did an extensive test of seven popular color negative films under controlled conditions a few months ago and posted the results in this forum. To read the full story of the tests, go to "search" at the top of this forum, type in "portrait films selection." then click on "response to portrait films selection (Dave Jenkins)." Briefly, one of the things the tests revealed was that not only is NPS inferior to Reala, it is actually inferior to NPH! So if you have difficulty getting Reala (you shouldn't), your next best choice is to use NPH and enjoy the two extra stops of speed.

[greg_lawhon]

The July/August issue of PHOTO Techniques magazine has a color negative film review of all manufacturers. The author writes that Fuji has discontinued Reala in 120 film size in the USA. Further confirmation: the Fuji USA web site lists Reala in 35mm only.

 

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My local store still has it on the shelf (I bought ten rolls today, with an expiration of 11/99), and they told me they expect to be able to get it for the foreseeable future. PHOTO Techniques also said that 120 Reala is still available overseas, so that means it probably will remain available from the large discount photo stores here.

 

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Sorry to hear that NPS 160 didn't measure up in one person's test. It is the recommended substitute for Reala according to the PHOTO Techniques article.

[scott_eaton]

Hey Dave,I'll shoot NHG 800 before I'll shoot NPS. Sounds like Fuji is consolidating their emulsions. "NPS is a substitute for Reala", gimme a break. And PPF or PMC (Poor, Muted Colors) is a substitute for NPH.

 

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They did this with NHG 400, much to the screaming of pro-photogs like myself who gobbled up as many rolls as we could.

 

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//scott

[djphoto]

Well guys, load up with Reala and shoot to your heart's content! I said in my previous posting in this thread that I would check the date on the Reala 120 that I bought from B&H a few weeks ago. I have checked it, and the expiration date is February, 2000. So it looks like B&H at least, has plenty of good, fresh film ready to ship.

 

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(C'mon, Scott! You know NHGII has a little more grain than NPS! But it is darn near as sharp.)

[djphoto]

Greg, I don't expect you or anyone else to take my word for the superiority of one film over another. I mention the tests that I did, not to demonstrate authority as a photo guru, but rather to encourage all photographers to test their equipment and materials so that they will know for themselves what works best for them. There are some very knowledgeable people contributing to this forum, and the information is often extremely helpful. But no matter how good the information, it's only a guide, a starting point from which each of us must seek out the things that work best for us.

[tim_brown]

Some people do like NPS, like me. I use it in high contrast, mixed source situations.

[dave_jenkins]

If you're working with 4x5 in mixed light, then NPS (& NPL) is the only game in town. Reala was the original moderate-contrast, four-emulsion-layer, mixed-light film, and I use it in 120 size for interiors whenever I can get away without the movements of a view camera. My beef with Fuji is that they are forcing NPS on us when they are already making Reala, a superior film, and could easily supply it in professional sizes. I can't for the life of me understand why they do that, when the same kind of unresponsiveness to the needs of their customers is what has turned so many people, including me, against Kodak.