The bargain of APS: I had originally canned APS as a format following use of a cheap Point & Shoot....

After ignoring APS for a year, then finally evaluating with a quality
camera - I'm hooked.
APS has a lot of limitations, but also a lot of advantages.

*The biggest current advantage is price*. There is simply no way a buyer
could obtain equivalent quality from 35mm at today's distressed APS prices.

The "format agnostic" are having a very good time of this




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On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 21:51:58 -0600, "AD" wrote:

*The biggest current advantage is price*. There is simply no way a buyer
could obtain equivalent quality from 35mm at today's distressed APS prices.

The "format agnostic" are having a very good time of this

This can be true, subject to three limitations:
-- You don't enlarge your shots much past 8x14.
-- You accept the film choices available in an APS cart. In the US at
least, this means ISO 200/400/800 color negative and ISO 400 C-41
black and white.
-- You shoot less than about a roll of film a week. Otherwise, the
extra cost of APS film and developing catches up with you.

--
Michael Benveniste --
Spam and UCE professionally evaluated for $250. Use this email
address only to submit mail for evaluation.

I believe Fuji just discontinued their 100 speed film in the US. Are they
marketing it abroad? And what about the Fuji slide film - is it still available
outside the US? I checked on the Jessops (UK) website and couldn't find it
anymore. I believe Kodak has recently added a 100 speed Advantix "High
Definition" film overseas. Any chance that might make it into the US?

Michael Benveniste wrote:

On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 21:51:58 -0600, "AD" wrote:

*The biggest current advantage is price*. There is simply no way a buyer
could obtain equivalent quality from 35mm at today's distressed APS prices.

The "format agnostic" are having a very good time of this

This can be true, subject to three limitations:
-- You don't enlarge your shots much past 8x14.
-- You accept the film choices available in an APS cart. In the US at
least, this means ISO 200/400/800 color negative and ISO 400 C-41
black and white.
-- You shoot less than about a roll of film a week. Otherwise, the
extra cost of APS film and developing catches up with you.

--
Michael Benveniste --
Spam and UCE professionally evaluated for $250. Use this email
address only to submit mail for evaluation.

This depends. I shoot mostly 35mm and if I see it getting dark I'll blast out
some extra exposures so that I can switch to the 800 speed film. Now with APS, I
wouldn't be wasting those exposures and could switch right away to the 800 film.
How many shots end up being sub-optimal because you have the wrong speed film in
the camera? Do you end up having to stop shooting at dusk because you have 200 or
100 speed film in the camera? As you can see the actual and opportunity costs can
add up.

Anna Nimotti wrote:

Case in point: I recently picked up a Contax Tix APS camera on Ebay for
£180. It was a chance to buy into Contax quality in 'as new' condition
at a knockdown price. As it happens, Contax make a 35mm camera, the T3,
that is very similar to the Tix, so a reasonably good like-with-like
comparison can be made. T3s seem to go for around £325 on Ebay, so by
buying the APS Tix, I 'saved' about £145 over what I would have paid for
the comparable 35mm T3.

Now consider running costs. Here in the UK, I reckon the cost of film
and processing will run £3-£5 more for a 40exp APS than for a 36exp
35mm, depending on what film I use, where I buy it and where I get
processing done.

This means that if I shoot one roll of film a week in my Tix, I will
almost certainly have reached the break-even point with the cost of a T3
and 35mm film within a year. This assumes minilab processing. If I shoot
silver halide B&W 35mm and do my own processing (not an option with
APS), then I'll break even well within the year.

Did I make the right decision?
--
a n n @ n i m o t t i . p o r t 5 . c o m

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:27:05 GMT, wrote:

I believe Fuji just discontinued their 100 speed film in the US. Are they
marketing it abroad? And what about the Fuji slide film - is it still available
outside the US? I checked on the Jessops (UK) website and couldn't find it
anymore. I believe Kodak has recently added a 100 speed Advantix "High
Definition" film overseas. Any chance that might make it into the US?

http://www.fujifilm.at/Produkte/Filme/ lists Fujichrome 100ix and two
versions of ISO 100 Nexia. Can't say for sure if it's up to date, but
several German online stores claim they have the films in stock.

As for Kodak HD100, who knows if it will make the US? Given their
latest shifts in strategy, I was surprised to see HD200 make it.

--
Michael Benveniste --
Spam and UCE professionally evaluated for $250. Use this email
address only to submit mail for evaluation.

They make it in the US, ship it overseas, but make sure American citizens like me
can't get their hands on it! This is the worst form of punishment!
I believe the reason why Fuji won't market the slide film in the US is because they
bundle the film and processing overseas. This practice is illegal in the US.

Anna Nimotti wrote:

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:27:05 GMT, wrote:

I believe Fuji just discontinued their 100 speed film in the US. Are they
marketing it abroad? And what about the Fuji slide film - is it still available
outside the US? I checked on the Jessops (UK) website and couldn't find it
anymore. I believe Kodak has recently added a 100 speed Advantix "High
Definition" film overseas. Any chance that might make it into the US?

Kodak HD100 APS is widely available in the UK. I recently bought a
3-pack on which the outer packaging carried the words "Made in USA".
Apparently, either the packaging is wrong, or they make the packaging
in the US but not the film or they make the film in the US but don't
sell it there.

Fuji APS slide film was still in the last Jessops printed catalogue I
saw, so if they discontinued, it's very recent.
--
a n n @ n i m o t t i . p o r t 5 . c o m

I find myself shooting mostly 100 speed and 800 speed film. The 100 I'll shoot in
bright sunlight and indoors with flash (I have a GN60 flash arrangement). Outdoors in
the evening, I like 800 film. The only film I really miss in APS is Konika's Impresa 50
- this is a film that gives you E6 colors on a C41 print, the blues are exceptional.
For a bright day it can't be beat. 1600 film is still kind of grainy and 3200 is barely
doable in B&W, much less in color (colour).

Anna Nimotti wrote:

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:33:16 GMT, wrote:

I shoot mostly 35mm and if I see it getting dark I'll blast out
some extra exposures so that I can switch to the 800 speed film. Now with APS, I
wouldn't be wasting those exposures and could switch right away to the 800 film.
How many shots end up being sub-optimal because you have the wrong speed film in
the camera? Do you end up having to stop shooting at dusk because you have 200 or
100 speed film in the camera? As you can see the actual and opportunity costs can
add up.

What you're saying is all true, but the issues of sub-optimal film and
opportunity bring you up against the problem of the much smaller range
of film types available in APS than in 35mm. To me, this limits that
value of APS mid-roll film change.
--
a n n @ n i m o t t i . p o r t 5 . c o m

You have to remember, though, that the Fujichrome 100ix is a
slide/transparency film, and the price includes processing and return
shipping(you pay to send the film to them, they pay to send it back - even
overseas), for 40 exposures. I have used a few rolls and it is a superior
product.

"Anna Nimotti" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 09:29:34 +0000, Anna Nimotti
wrote:

Fuji APS slide film was still in the last Jessops printed catalogue I
saw, so if they discontinued, it's very recent.

It's apparently still being offered he

http://www.camera-shop.co.uk/acatalo...S_Film_18.html

£13 for 40 exps? I'll leave it!
--
a n n @ n i m o t t i . p o r t 5 . c o m

Maybe so, but if you do manage to get it here to the US, when you send it
for processing they will very happily send the processed slides back at no
extra charge!

wrote in message
...
They make it in the US, ship it overseas, but make sure American citizens
like me
can't get their hands on it! This is the worst form of punishment!
I believe the reason why Fuji won't market the slide film in the US is
because they
bundle the film and processing overseas. This practice is illegal in the
US.

Anna Nimotti wrote:

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:27:05 GMT, wrote:

I believe Fuji just discontinued their 100 speed film in the US. Are
they
marketing it abroad? And what about the Fuji slide film - is it still
available
outside the US? I checked on the Jessops (UK) website and couldn't
find it
anymore. I believe Kodak has recently added a 100 speed Advantix
"High
Definition" film overseas. Any chance that might make it into the US?

Kodak HD100 APS is widely available in the UK. I recently bought a
3-pack on which the outer packaging carried the words "Made in USA".
Apparently, either the packaging is wrong, or they make the packaging
in the US but not the film or they make the film in the US but don't
sell it there.

Fuji APS slide film was still in the last Jessops printed catalogue I
saw, so if they discontinued, it's very recent.
--
a n n @ n i m o t t i . p o r t 5 . c o m

I just think that in cases like this, where you have a niche product that really
no one else wants to produce (least of all Kodak), the Department of Justice
should give them a free pass. The same goes for Kodachrome, which has all but
been destroyed due to antitrust action which resulted in no sustainable
competitors. There is a logic in bundling the film and processing. Poor
processing would kill the product e.g. 120 sized Kodachrome.

"Woody W." wrote:

Maybe so, but if you do manage to get it here to the US, when you send it
for processing they will very happily send the processed slides back at no
extra charge!

wrote in message
...
They make it in the US, ship it overseas, but make sure American citizens
like me
can't get their hands on it! This is the worst form of punishment!
I believe the reason why Fuji won't market the slide film in the US is
because they
bundle the film and processing overseas. This practice is illegal in the
US.

Anna Nimotti wrote:

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:27:05 GMT, wrote:

I believe Fuji just discontinued their 100 speed film in the US. Are
they
marketing it abroad? And what about the Fuji slide film - is it still
available
outside the US? I checked on the Jessops (UK) website and couldn't
find it
anymore. I believe Kodak has recently added a 100 speed Advantix
"High
Definition" film overseas. Any chance that might make it into the US?

Kodak HD100 APS is widely available in the UK. I recently bought a
3-pack on which the outer packaging carried the words "Made in USA".
Apparently, either the packaging is wrong, or they make the packaging
in the US but not the film or they make the film in the US but don't
sell it there.

Fuji APS slide film was still in the last Jessops printed catalogue I
saw, so if they discontinued, it's very recent.
--
a n n @ n i m o t t i . p o r t 5 . c o m