Fomapan R100 on the brink

[nickrapak]

From the filmshooting.com website (a cinematographic APUG):

well guys, don't get too excited about Fomapan R100. Latest information I've got directly from the Foma factory is that its production is currently on hold, as they are not able to buy the film base from their supplier in Germany ... and as this is unlikely to a situation to be resolved, Fomapan R100 will be discontinued.

Apparently, this information came direct from one of the managers at Foma (name can be supplied on request). Hopefully they can come through like they did with Fomapan 200, but I fear this is a more dire situation. Clear base is such a small market that I'm not sure whether anyone else can be persuaded to make it.

All of the cine gauges are already gone from the Foma website, leaving only 135-36.

[Jeff Kubach]

Hate to hear about that.

Jeff

[Aurelien]

I can't understand that. orwo still makes cine black and white films. So clear base is available somewhere.

[frdrx]

I can't understand it either. Doesn't Foma cooperate with Fuji? If Fuji coats its slide film on a clear base, why can't Foma? Don't tell me this bloody planet is too large for the base material to be shipped to them from wherever Fuji gets it from. For me, Fomapan R is Foma's best product -- actually, it's the only Foma product I currently use, along with the reversal developing kit. No-one else offers anything like it. Come on Foma, you ought to carry on making a B&W slide film. It's not as if an E-6 B&W film is taking your sales away (what happened to Kodachrome), so you have no excuse for not making every effort to bring Fomapan R back; you've done it with Fomapan 200. With Fomapan R, I'll probably lose an entire medium of expression. There's nothing else left: DR5 doesn't make sense for people in Europe, and I don't think I'm quite ready to experiment with home-brew recipes, although I may be forced to reluctantly do just that.

[railwayman3]

I can't understand that. orwo still makes cine black and white films. So clear base is available somewhere.

Agreed.... all color slide film, not to mention release movie print film, obviously also uses a clear base.

[hrst]

Almost all film, including all color negative films and most BW films, also use a clear base.

Although there are companies who have used grey or blue tinted polyester as a base for some BW neg films, it's more like an exception than a rule.

[Brac]

It wasn't all that long ago when there was talk of Foma possibly introducing R100 in 120 rollfilm. Let's hope they can resolve the supply problem. I'm sure they'll try, given how quickly they were able to reintroduce Fomapan 200.

[Dave in Kansas]

Freestyle even had Fomapan R100 listed in 120 for a while last fall indicating it would be available in December. As that time got closer the listing was removed and even the 35mm version wasn't listed the last time I checked.

Dave

[vencahaus]

there are some rumours that Foma will soon continue to produce this film again