☞ This is the 76th monthly Analog.Cafe Newsletter, filled with the latest updates in film photography. Sign up to receive it via email on the last Tuesday of each month (it’s free). What’s new? The average cost of 35mm film has increased by 9% over the last six months — but it's not all negative, as there are still some good deals available, and a new, affordable, and visually appealing film is set to arrive from China: 乐凯C200 (Lucky C200). This comes alongside the German ORWO NC200, marketed as OptiColour 200 and KONO Color 200 — I've tested it myself, with samples below. Additionally, we have the Harman Phoenix II launch, an update on Adox Color Mission, and I'm also giving away free film to fortunate GOLD members. Moreover, we experimented with “faking” CineStill 800T by pre-washing the remjet, yielding some surprising results. 💛 GOLD members can learn about our attempts to “fake” CineStill’s 800T film, download and print the internet's most comprehensive “Guide to Film Photography,” invert film negatives online using film Q, and occasionally win free film! 🎁 Try GOLD free for 14 days! In this newsletter: What’s new? A first look at the new colour-negative film from Germany: ORWO NC 200 / OptiColour 200 / KONO COLOR 200. We created “fake” CineStill 800T. Analog.Cafe Podcast S1:E2. New colour film from China: Lucky C200. Harman Phoenix II. Adox Color Mission. Film prices rose by 9%. Free film! Latest updates on Analog.Cafe. Support this blog & access premium features with GOLD memberships! ORWO NC200 / KONO COLOR 200 featuring Ricoh GR1s. Scanned with Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED. Inverted with film Q (no edits). A first look at the new colour-negative film from Germany: ORWO NC 200 / OptiColour 200 / KONO COLOR 200. ORWO has been discreetly distributing their ISO 200 colour-negative film since early this year, yet it has not been officially released under its own brand. You won't find this film available at the ORWO shop in any format, but images captured with this emulsion continue to appear online, and recently, there’s a method to obtain it in two repackaged forms: OptiColour 200 and KONO COLOR 200 (currently out of stock). I have shot a roll of the latter. ORWO NC200 / KONO COLOR 200 with Ricoh GR1s. Scanned with Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED. Inverted with film Q (no edits). This newsletter is packed with film-related news — this is not a full review of the film (check back with Analog.Cafe in late August for an in-depth analysis). However, you can easily notice its resemblance to ORWO’s previous colour film in decades, the NC 500 and its relative Lomochrome Color’92 — along with improvements over the original. ORWO NC200 / KONO COLOR 200 with Ricoh GR1s. Scanned with Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED. Inverted with film Q (no edits). The NC200 remains quite a grainy film, but there’s a visible enhancement in colour, especially in saturation and the variety of green tones. Additionally, this version seems to produce strong halations, which were absent in previous versions. Speaking of halations, we created “fake” CineStill 800T. Shot on “fake CineStill.” CineStill is simply Kodak Vision 3 film with the remjet pre-washed, right? At least, that’s what the internet has claimed for the past 13 years. Oddly, there have been no independent attempts to verify that assertion. Moreover, it’s even suggested that Kodak Vision 3 500T is the base for the 800T, with the increased ISO resulting from either a “stronger” C-41 developer or light reflecting off a pressure plate. However, this month, I discovered precisely what is involved in pre-washing the remjet (spoiler: it’s quite complicated) and compared my “fake CineStill 800T,” prepared according to the internet’s guidelines, with the authentic product and normally processed Vision 3 film — all in C-41. This was a monumental undertaking, made possible with assistance from Vancouver photographers Daren and Yvonne, joined by Shawna in front of the camera. We shot five rolls of film across three cameras and completely wasted a roll of Kodak Vision 3 film during this endeavor, excluding film used for product photos (like the one above). I also fully darkened my room and built a device with a hairdryer. Read the article for detailed side-by
The typical cost of a roll of 35mm film has increased by 9%... However, we have introduced a new film: 乐凯C200 (Lucky C200) and ORWO NC200 — I’ve tested it, with samples included! Additionally, we can't overlook the launch of Harman Phoenix II, Adox Color Mission, and the free film I’m offering to fortunate GOLD members.