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RIP Velvia


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Fujifilm discontinues two professional films [update] - British Journal of Photography

 

Fuji are discontinuing Velvia 100 in all formats, and Velvia 50 in LF. It's not the end of the line for Velvia 50 in 35mm and 120.

 

I thought it was Velvia 100F being chopped? Isn't Velvia 100 still available in 35mm, as well as Velvia 50?

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Velvia 50 has been discontinued before, for technical reasons.

 

I found it pretty brave at the time of Fuji to relaunch it in '07 or whenever it was.

 

Still I think it's time to bulk up.

 

It's the one slide film I've used for half my life and I'd be very sad to see it disappear.

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I found it pretty brave at the time of Fuji to relaunch it in '07 or whenever it was.

 

Still I think it's time to bulk up.

 

It's the one slide film I've used for half my life and I'd be very sad to see it disappear.

 

Agreed.

 

I never cared for 100F - no big loss there IMHO.

 

I do like the Velvia 100, though. However - if we can have only one Velvia emulsion, the ISO 50 RVP is the Velvia of choice.

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I thought it was Velvia 100F being chopped? Isn't Velvia 100 still available in 35mm, as well as Velvia 50?

 

Yes, its just 100F being dropped. Velvia 100 is a different film, and is still going. I hope it's the last to go as it's a favourite of mine.

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This is all inevitable, I'm afraid. Film will be B&W only in 10 years time

 

 

I'm a bit more sanguine. I agree that the choice of colour film types and formats will continue to narrow, but that they will not disappear altogether. And my bet would be on Fuji to be the last man standing.

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This is all inevitable, I'm afraid. Film will be B&W only in 10 years time

You may well be right about that. Yours is the first "end of film" prediction that has made any sense to me.

 

If you are right, I suppose we film shooters will soldier on with our film M cameras loaded withe B&W emulsions.

 

It's fortunate for me that my interest in B&W has supplanted my interest in color during the last three or so years. I started with Tri-X in the 8th grade and now I've come full circle.

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The pressure on E6 films is very high. So even Fuji has to make choices. My bet is Fuji Provia 100F and 400X will be the last real E6 slide films in production.

 

If you want a cheap E6 alternative: CR200 (Rollei), in fact old Agfa RSX technology from 10 years old, made by Agfa Gevaert. The film is available in 135-36 and 120 roll film and half priced compared to Fuji. It's a nice E6 film for cross processing, (development in C41).

 

About color negative films: They will be around for a much longer time, so don't worry about this. B&W: I think the actual choice in B&W films is pretty wide. Also in special films like Ortho, Orthopan and even IR films.

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I found AgfaPhoto CT precisa to be a cheap alternative for slide film (I used Fuji Sensia on occasion) but have not yet used it. Does somebody have experience with the AgfaPhoto CT precisa? Thanks

 

Best

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Since re-kindling more earnest interest in photography 15 years ago or so, I did not want to use Velvia 50 to maintain a "more natural" look of colors, supported by a few experiments I found too saturated.

 

Then, the very day this thread appeared, I came back plain happy from the lab with a role of Velvia 50 exposed at the Breton coast on an overcast day, marveling at the brilliance of the tones and looking forward to resort to the film on a regular basis to complement the Provias... and to project the whole thing! Fuji, after killing off Astia, don't slide down the Kodachrome slope any further, pleeze...

 

Jest aside, film seems to be modestly reviving these days (nice special issue no. 14 of Réponses Photo in the moment), and hopefully a balance (and more adapted business models) will be found before the medium gets deprived of more nuances from the palette.

 

Alexander

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Does somebody have experience with the AgfaPhoto CT precisa?

 

Modest but positive experience, quite "neutral" rendering in a city's daylight, perhaps a bit on the cool side. Just tried a role cross-processed (over-exposed by 1,5 IL), interesting. Not sure if they changed the emulsion since Agfa days. My concern would be long-term stability (25+ years). And definitely no replacement for Velvia, should 135 go dodo.

 

Alexander

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Fujifilm UK Disinformation?

 

I've just contacted Fujifilm USA, Badger Graphic and BH Photovideo and none of them has heard anything about discontinuations.

 

This sounds like the same issue that Fujifim UK had when they announced the discontinuation of Astia a couple of years back (as mentioned in the article). Strangely it's still available in the rest of the world but not the UK.

 

If this is the case then Fujifilm UK should be ashamed of themselves for spreading disinformation about the future of film, adding fuel to the fire that film's future is still in jeapardy and potentially stopping people taking up film again.

 

in actual fact it seems that Fujifilm UK can't manage to get film imported or distributed for a decent price. Buying 20 sheets of 4x5 Velvia in the US costs £33, the same film in the UK costs £86. Even with tax and import duty, that difference is astonishing and it's not surprising that people aren't buying much in the UK.

 

Posted by: Tim Parkin on 19 Jul 2012 at 20:17

 

 

 

Read more: Fujifilm discontinues two professional films [update] - British Journal of Photography

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BJP is a British magazine. If Fujifilm UK say that they are going to stop selling various films, that's news. If Fuji continue to sell the film in other countries, then the article still isn't disinformation.

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I found AgfaPhoto CT precisa to be a cheap alternative for slide film (I used Fuji Sensia on occasion) but have not yet used it. Does somebody have experience with the AgfaPhoto CT precisa? Thanks

 

Best

 

It is repacked Provia 100F. Color balance is a bit different from Sensia.

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