I fucking hate Fuji now!

[mtbakerskier]

Fuji just announced that they will be disscontinuing Velvia 50, the standard color emulsion for profesinonal photography.



FUJIFILM INTRODUCES FUJICHROME VELVIA 100 PROFESSIONAL


Successor to Velvia 50 Offers Higher Speed and Finer Grain

PMA Booth # 3508
www.fujifilm.com/pma

Valhalla, NY, February 8, 2005 - Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. is introducing new Fujichrome Velvia 100 Professional color transparency film at the PMA 2005 Annual Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, FL. Velvia 100 employs new technologies to deliver finer grain and twice the speed while offering the color saturation and palette that have made Velvia 50 the film of choice for leading landscape and nature photographers.

"Fujichrome Velvia 50 was the first high color saturation, high contrast transparency E-6 compatible film when it was introduced in 1990, and it has been a favorite among photographers ever since," said Steve Herstatt, Marketing Director, Professional Film, Imaging Group, Fujifilm USA. "In new Velvia 100, using its vast emulsion experience and knowledge, Fujifilm has applied updated technology to develop an improved product that is truly a worthy successor to the original. The new generation Velvia 100 not only will appeal to photographers demanding the color saturation standard that Velvia 50 created, but will also provide state of the art technology that fits in perfectly with the complete Fujichrome Professional line."

Features
Fujichrome Velvia 100 has several characteristic features that set it apart from the marketplace.

ISO 100 speed - At ISO 100, Fujichrome Velvia 100 provides a more useful speed for greater flexibility in varied shooting situations.

Ultra-high-saturated color reproduction - Color saturation is an important feature of Fujichrome 50. Recognizing this, and by incorporating advanced cyan, magenta, and yellow couplers as well as CEL (Color-Extension Layer) technology, new Fujichrome Velvia 100 gives photographers the saturation they require with the added advantages of higher speed and finer grain.

Super-fine grain - Fujichrome Velvia 100 boasts an RMS* granularity of 8**, a significant improvement over Velvia 50 and ranking it alongside other Fujifilm professional film products, such as Fujichrome Astia 100F, Fujichrome Provia 100F and Fujichrome Velvia 100F.

Improved color stability - The new color couplers employed in Fujichrome Velvia 100 significantly improve color stability and freedom from fading/shift over conventional films.

Improved versatility - Fujichrome Velvia 100 can accept push/pull processing from - 1/2 stop to + 1 stop with minimal changes to color balance and gradation. Push can even be extended to up to 2 stops, depending on the subject, allowing easy and precise correction of exposure and density.

Availability - The new Fujichrome Velvia 100 is designed to replace the current Velvia 50 product line. Initial shipments of the new Velvia 100 are scheduled for late spring 2005. It is anticipated that Velvia 50 will be available for the balance of 2005. Fujifilm intends to make the transition from Velvia 50 to the new Velvia 100 as smooth as possible for professional photographers by having both Velvia products available simultaneously in 2005 to allow photographers time to test the new product.

Velvia 100 Professional: Technologies

PSHC (Pure, Stable & High-Performance Dye-Forming Coupler) technologies
The couplers developed for new Fujichrome Velvia 100 combine remarkable color stability with high color formation efficiency. This makes possible not only Velvia 100's fundamental ultra-high saturation, but also its outstanding image stability.

X-Coupler technology: A unique cyan coupler developed by Fujifilm and employed in such products as Velvia 100F.
V-Coupler technology: A magenta coupler that extends the technology that has markedly improved color reproduction and stability in products such as Fujifilm's color papers.
S-Coupler technology: An enhanced yellow coupler that improves upon the already excellent color reproduction and stability characteristics of Fujifilm's current generation of yellow couplers.
Together with these new-generation X, V, and S couplers, new Fujichrome Velvia 100 further benefits from dramatically reduced secondary absorption constituents - a primary cause of color impurity in other film products.

CEL (Color Extension Layer) technology
The multi-color correction layers that contribute to faithful color reproduction in Fujichrome Velvia 100F have been reworked to function as color extension layers in Velvia 100. In combination with the new-generation color couplers and optimized gradation and spectral sensitivity, color extension layers give Velvia 100 the ability to record natural greens, the glory of morning and evening skies, and other dramatic colors with intensity.

MSSC (Multi-Structured Sigma Crystal) technology
Based upon the highly regarded ultra-fine grain emulsion technology of Provia 100F, the new Fujichrome Velvia 100 grain structure has been further improved even while maintaining ultra-high color saturation. MSSC technology makes it possible to manufacture a film that actually surpasses the existing Velvia product in terms of both the fineness of grain (RMS granularity: 8) and speed (ISO100).

About Fujifilm
Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. is a subsidiary of Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. and delivers technology solutions to meet the imaging and information needs of retailers, consumers, professionals and business customers. As a global leader in digital imaging, Fujifilm pioneered the development of digital medical systems, and today is the leader in digital minilab systems. The company was ranked in the top ten for U.S. patents granted during the last decade, employs 73,000 people worldwide and in the year ending March 31, 2004, had global revenues of more than $24 billion.

In the U.S., Fujifilm is a leader in delivering high quality, easy-to-use imaging and information solutions in the following categories: Digital Imaging Systems, Recording/Storage Media, Film and Imaging Systems, Motion Picture Film, Graphic Arts and Printing Systems and Medical Imaging and Diagnostics Systems. Fujifilm is an environmentally friendly, humane enterprise and an exemplary corporate citizen.

[Big E]

So film isn't dead!

I am far too much of a camera JONG to make any comment on the discontinuation of Velvia 50.

[Lane Meyer]

Allow me to join you in saying that that FUCKING SUCKS. Way to go Fuji. Although I suppose we should shoot it first and see if they're full of shit before ripping it to shreds, but over all I gotta agree with my fellow Grant that this sounds like a fucking stupid dumbass corporate-whore-money-saving-let's-streamline-our-product-line-to-save-money idea.

[Telepath]

But hey; it sounds to me like you get the color of the Velvia 50 in a finer grain that needs less light. If that's true that'd be good, right?

....but of course it's all just marketing and they're really just putting a crap product out there because the origina Velvia 50 was too expensive to produce; and since all the good photogs are on digital anyways noone wil notice

[Trackhead]

Back in my photoslutting days, Velvia is all I used, except for the rare Provia day.

[meatdrink9]

"Profesinonal photography" will never be the same....whatever that is.

[Powdurr]

damnit78910

[Lane Meyer]

since all the good photogs are on digital anyways noone wil notice

Umm, no.

And

watch out, choose wrong film and down you will be in bukakke spew!

[Telepath]

Umm, no.

Hence the smiley.

[Lane Meyer]

Hence my sarcasm. Which apparently I need to get better at conveying through my fingers and a keyboard.

[Telepath]

Hence my sarcasm. Which apparently I need to get better at conveying through my fingers and a keyboard.

Don't worry, I might have to improve on this whole "thinking twice" thing.

[midget]

So why the hell can't they use that same tech to make the 50 better than it is already as well? Sometimes it's nice to have slower film.

[freshie247]

I don't have a good feeling about this,but I'll wait & see.

[snorkeldeep]

lane, your avatar slays me. i dont shoot enough any more to care that much, but sucks anyways.

[Dr. Send]

I used to use Kodachrome, but the first time I used Velvia I was instantly hooked. Velvia 50 is the shit, and if 100 isn't hella better I'm gonna be very angry. Hulk angry.

[The AD]

Wait a minute, here. Hasn't Velvia 100 been out for a while? I swear I bought some about a year ago. Seriously, a 50 speed film (and a lot of people think it's really 40) is too god damn slow for action.

[mtbakerskier]

Wait a minute, here. Hasn't Velvia 100 been out for a while? I swear I bought some about a year ago. Seriously, a 50 speed film (and a lot of people think it's really 40) is too god damn slow for action.

WTF are you talking about??? 50 to slow for action my ass! 90 % of all ski shots shot on a sunny day are shot with velvia 50 it is plenty fast egnough for action. Yes velvia 100 has been out for over a year, it is esentially inbetween the 50 and provia in terms of saturation. Velvia 100 pro is new, and hopefully it is as saturated as the 50 or Im going to get me a digi.

[Dr. Send]

Im going to get me a digi.

Don't do it! Don't give in!

(unless you mean a digeridoo. Those are cool.)

[The AD]

WTF are you talking about??? 50 to slow for action my ass! 90 % of all ski shots shot on a sunny day are shot with velvia 50 it is plenty fast egnough for action.

OK, I'll take your word for it. But I have heard some people suggest Velvia is too contrasty for sunny situations anyway. You're certainly more of an expert than me on ski photography. My personally preference is Provia 100F.

[midget]

Im going to get me a digi.

Um......I'm going to call bullshit on that one.

[cj001f]

WTF are you talking about??? 50 to slow for action my ass! 90 % of all ski shots shot on a sunny day

Ski action shots on a sunny day = butt load of light. Not same for most other action shots.

[bad_roo]

"Profesinonal photography" will never be the same....whatever that is.

Getting proofed by the dyslexic guy = owned.

[summit]

FUCK THAT! FUCK FUJI!

I guess I'll buy some E100VS and see what that's all about.

[Meathelmet]

FUCK THAT! FUCK FUJI!

I guess I'll buy some E100VS and see what that's all about.

NOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo!!!

That films colorbalance truly sucks for snow...Almost as sucky as 100SW...

Mtbkr, have you tried out the old EPP and EPN? Some people dislike those films, but the really low saturation and neutral (almost monochromatic) colorbalance is titties in certain light situation (ia broken light,dusk,whiteout).
And the EPL (400x) is funky too. VERY contrasty,rich blacks and few films that has a decent sized grain nowadays. Best film ever if you use it with low col.temp lights (halogens,candlelight etc..). You get a certain "golden" hue that is completely unachievable by any other media, film or digital, due
to the certain greenish base"hue" that the film has.
The film has a same kind of hue that you had in nov(?)2004 issue where the guys is backwards in the air after launching the windlip.(Wich, infact, was my favourite skiing picture of the 2004 season. Love the composition of the pic... )

And yes. The canons eos 1ds mrkII is a superb digicamra. The pic quality beats a relatively well skanned 6x7 in res.. If they only upped the shots/per sec to 7-9...

[Tippster]

...I guess I'll buy some E100VS and see what that's all about.

I prefer the E100Gx (less technicolor-like,) but I agree with you. Time for you guys to give old Kodak another shot. The main reason why Fuji film became so "popular" is that they were giving it away to the big agencies like Getty Images and yes (the company I work for) Reuters.

A stop is a stop. Use ND to knock down the light if you don't want the DoF.

If you insist on a 50 speed film, try this one:


Agfa Agfachrome RSX II 50

It's actually pretty bad-ass, IMHO, but then again I'm an Agfa fan.