Foma support campaign

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Your welcome!

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

This year I bought maybe 50 rolls of 120 and 35mm Arista Edu film from Freestyle Photo in Los Angeles.
I believe Arista Edu film is Foma as its marked made in Czech Republic.
I certainly will buy some more next year.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, Arista is Foma, I also bought some from Freestyle.

I'm really liking the tonality I get from Fomapan 100 with Microdol-X. Microdol-X is not available anymore but Ilford Perceptol is very similar and I believe Freestyle sells a copy, I think it's called Legacy-X.

Fomapan 100 in Microdol-X, 1:3 dilution, 18mins at 24C, I think this tonality is even nicer than I get using Fomadon LQN with Fomapan 100:

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Arista branded film in the Foma factory:

Eugen Mezei · Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 265

Sorry to tell, but I'm sick of this "support X" threads. I would be much happier if a solution of _how_ to support will also be added.
What should I do? Every time buy two rolls and throw one away?

I tried the support thing twice:

I contacted Ferrania, telling them I'm an amateur photographer and would like to buy a bigger quantity of films. They responded two weeks later with a price list. Fine so far. When I put my order they told me I must pay shipping, they thought I will buy thousands of rolls. (I clearly stated I'm an amateur.) So I told them I like to buy 100 rolls of each 100, 400 and 800 ASA films and they should tell me the shipping cost for this quantity. No answer for half a year followed. When after half a year I asked again they told me all is sold already.
Thank you, nice service. The films were also not the best as I remember.

Next was Efke. I wrote them an almost identical mail as to Ferrania. Never got an answer. Later I read on some forum that they don't sell directly, only through partners. That's ok, but what had it cost them to answer me?

At the moment I concluded two things:

1. Let the best win. Ferrania had shitty films and shitty service. No wonder they haven't survived. The few who liked the look of their film (de gustibus non discutandum) were locked out by the company itself. Efke also had not the best quality control. They were unique as they were the only producer of two type of film (old formula films from the 50s and IR film) and still shoot themselves in the foot.
My only problem is that when the last one will stand he would have prices I can't pay anymore. This is why I don't buy Ilford. Their prices go up almost every week. (And I hate it when they announce a new price rising and people in different forums applaude them.)
2. We can do nothing.
Forte was closed down as the ground they sat on was valuable. Efke was closed as they didn't want to reinvest. Now try to compete with that. It is not that these manufacturers have no profit. It is just that they've seen a greater profit by doing something else. It is like one of us is working in a normal job, having even a high wage and a good living. Than somebody comes and tell us he can give us our salary for the next 10 years at once and we could do anything we want (even looking for another job) but not work in our actual job anymore. Now tell me how could the employer compete with this?

Sorry if this sound negativist.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Wow, that is really, really negative. I'm sorry, but that attitude is diametrically opposed to what I would consider sensible.

If we don't support the manufacturers that are left then we will have nothing to shoot.

What do we do if Foma and Ilford disappear? Kodak films might not be around for much longer and Fuji might give up and stick to digital. I certainly don't want to have to shoot crappy Chinese films like Lucky SHD100.

I loved Efke 50, it was expensive but the orthochromatic tonality was beautiful, now it's gone. I love Fomapan 100, if Foma disappeared I'd be very upset because it's my favourite bw film.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Foma have better price than most other quality films, what they need to improve web presence We can help in this, I never get ever reply to any maker to support us. I did write to Panasonic, Olympus and I did give up. I also write to Foma no reply , seems natural.

Bob van Sikorski · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 287 Location: Czech Republic

i think its simple: fuji is almost out, kodak is almost out, only ilford and foma stays. if foma stops making fomapans, it will be beginning of end of bw analog photographic materials for normal people. that is WHY we need foma to survive (especially when F100 is very good with 1/3 of price of ilford, and if they have lucky day, you also get F200/120 with no defects in emulsion).

so, feel free to not support foma. it is everyone decision.

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

I shoot a fair amount of Foma -- my only bad experience was when I bought out dated 400 from freestyle... fresh 400 is a very nice classic film. Here's a couple from the out dated 400

Pace by Nesster, on Flickr

automobile by Nesster, on Flickr

Fresh, Yashica Mat 124G

Lilly + Pizza by Nesster, on Flickr

How to support film (this was last February, I was cleaning out my 'current' camera cabinet, and found film I'd forgotten I had)

Some Film - Happy Pentax Day! by Nesster, on Flickr

Bob van Sikorski · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 287 Location: Czech Republic

ok, here is my older (not very good) sample of fomapan 100 (from flexaret Va):

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Selenium_27 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 118 Location: Strasbourg, France

And don't forget their papers, really interesting.

Fomabrom 111 : excellent. My "everyday" baryta paper..

Fomatone 542 : my photokina discovery. So smooth, so nice. For those who doesn't care about sharpness and deep black but care about great grey rendition.. Unusuel base. Very slow paper.

Love it !!

Aside of those two, they offer a great range of papers..

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

Should this area include a thread about where to buy film online? It would be good to know, also, which film companies sell direct.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

My only source because of their low prices is Freestyle Photo.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/

They sell the Arista Edu line of rebranded Foma film, papers and chemicals.
$2.59 for 35mmx36 ISO 100 BW

Bob van Sikorski · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 287 Location: Czech Republic

arista ... funny that on banner is also "made in the usa". Rolling Eyes

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Bob van Sikorski · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 287 Location: Czech Republic

i would like to not to fall into politics discussion, so i will only say that if this agreement with arista is ok for foma finances, then its better than nothing. foma itself sells others films under its brand (equicolor was in past fuji stuff, later ferrania). but if i search for fomapan on english-speaking sites, i usually find opposite: americans interrested in trying this "strange czech material". do they know that they can buy it under arista brand? i am not sure Smile

.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Bob van Sikorski · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 287 Location: Czech Republic

kind of typical for czech companies Confused

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 961 Location: Austin

It is pretty easy to find in the U.S. online. I don't think Foma is hurting for sales though, they have a limited line up and they sell through lots of outlets. They also have a few "speciality" products like double 8mm and double super 8mm B&W films, which I don't think any other film company offers these days. Unfortunately I don't think they offer cartridge super 8 film. They could probably make a killing if they did, but tooling up for it probably prohibits it. If you have an old 8mm camera though, Fomapan is a pretty cheap way to test it out. Lomography also sells Foma under their own label I think.

If one is bothered by Ilford's prices, there's also Kentmere films which are pretty good if you like old fashioned grain. Some may not. I've never been a particularly big fan of most of Ilford's line up, but Kentmere 100 is a decent replacement for the recently axed Neopan SS.

I will continue to buy Fuji while it is available because Acros is an amazing film and relatively cheap. I think Fuji is probably going to continue on with film for a while, but they're going to continue to cut down products until they have only basic offerings of color and B&W films. Fuji basically has the color film market in the palm of their hand, but I'm pretty sure they're going to simplify their line up until they only have a couple of options for C-41 and E6 same as they've done with their B&W films. Shame because I really like shooting slides.

europanorama · Joined: 27 May 2012 Posts: 128

How about offering longer than 120 lenght film rolls? We can then cut them down.