{"title":"New Arrivals","description":"\u003cp\u003eNew colour film reaches the market rarely enough that when several arrive at once it is worth putting them in one place. Everything here is new to us, and most of it is new to the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOptik Oldschool OptiColour 200\u003c\/strong\u003e is the genuinely new one, a Wolfen NC200 emulsion coated by InovisCoat in Germany that had never properly reached photographers before. It comes in \u003ca href=\"\/products\/optik-oldschool-opticolour-200-35mm-colour-negative-film\"\u003e35mm\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/optik-oldschool-opticolour-200-120-medium-format-colour-negative-film\"\u003e120 medium format\u003c\/a\u003e, and new colour film in 120 is rarer still. Alongside it, \u003cstrong\u003eSantaColor 100\u003c\/strong\u003e is Kodak Aerocolor IV, the aerial survey emulsion hand spooled into cassettes, and \u003cstrong\u003eSantaColor 800\u003c\/strong\u003e is a purpose-made still film that shares the name and very little else. All four sit in the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/optik-oldschool\"\u003eOptik Oldschool\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFujifilm Velvia 100\u003c\/strong\u003e is the outlier. It is slide film rather than colour negative, which means E-6 processing and a positive on the film instead of a negative, and metering that leaves you almost no margin. Landscape photographers have been accepting that trade for thirty years. \u003cstrong\u003eLucky C400\u003c\/strong\u003e is the newest colour emulsion out of Hebei, a full stop faster than the C200 that proved the factory could make colour film again, and better at holding mixed and secondary hues together.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEverything here is fresh and cold stored, and posted from North Essex. Send the C-41 stocks back to us for \u003ca href=\"\/products\/film-developing\"\u003edeveloping and scanning\u003c\/a\u003e. We do not process E-6 yet, though it is in development, and we are happy to scan and print slides once they have been developed elsewhere.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"lucky-c400-35mm-colour-negative-film","title":"Lucky C400 - 35mm Colour Negative Film","description":"\u003ch1\u003eLucky C400 - 35mm Colour Negative Film\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre order now. Limited to our first 30 rolls, arriving end of August and despatched in the order orders were placed.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe one everyone has been waiting for. Lucky C400 is the second modern colour emulsion from Lucky Film, arriving a year after C200 proved the factory in Hebei could genuinely make colour film again rather than just talk about it. This is an ISO 400 daylight balanced colour negative film, processed in standard C-41, and it is the film that answers the obvious complaint about C200: that 200 speed is lovely right up until the sun goes behind a cloud. Not a rebadge, not repackaged surplus, not somebody else's emulsion in a different box. New coating equipment, new chemistry, new recipe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes Lucky C400 Worth Shooting\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISO 400\u003c\/strong\u003e - A full stop over C200. Overcast British afternoons, interiors, shutter speeds fast enough to actually stop something moving. The speed most people reach for by default, for good reason.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBetter Colour Accuracy\u003c\/strong\u003e - The headline improvement over C200. Reds, greens and blues were never the problem before, but scenes with mixed and secondary hues used to fall apart. C400 holds them together properly. Early testers have been noticeably more complimentary about this film than the last one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStrong, Warm Saturation\u003c\/strong\u003e - Punchy without going full Phoenix. Reds in particular have real presence, which is very much Lucky's house signature and not something they seem inclined to apologise for.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVisible Grain\u003c\/strong\u003e - Grain has gone up with the speed, as physics demands. It is well behaved for a consumer 400 stock and holds together on dull days, which is more than several of its contemporaries manage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDaylight Balanced\u003c\/strong\u003e - Optimised for natural light. Handles mixed lighting with the sort of colour shifts that flatter a scene more often than they ruin it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eC-41 Processing\u003c\/strong\u003e - Standard colour chemistry. Any lab can handle it without a phone call or a raised eyebrow. Or send it to us and we will develop, scan and print it for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDX Coded\u003c\/strong\u003e - Automatic cameras will read ISO 400 correctly off the canister. Load it, shoot it, no dial fiddling required.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e36 Exposures\u003c\/strong\u003e - Full length roll. Enough frames for a proper day out without rationing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFreshly Manufactured\u003c\/strong\u003e - Made now, not decanted from something that expired during the last recession. Lucky Film has been producing photographic materials since 1958 and is one of very few manufacturers actively expanding what it makes rather than quietly discontinuing it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBest For\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eStreet and travel work, overcast days, indoor available light, portraits with warmth rather than clinical neutrality, and anyone who has looked at the price of Portra 400 recently and made a small involuntary noise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for: shooting 400 speed colour without the premium, backing manufacturers who are still investing in new emulsions, and having something genuinely worth discussing when someone asks what you have loaded.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003cp\u003eColour film from a factory that stopped making it in 2012 and decided, more than a decade later, to start again from nothing. C400 is the proof that the first attempt was not a fluke. Pre order now and it will be on its way to you as soon as it lands.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lucky","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58422885187958,"sku":null,"price":11.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/3892\/5430\/files\/LuckyC400PreOrder.jpg?v=1786214206"},{"product_id":"optik-oldschool-opticolour-200-35mm-colour-negative-film","title":"Optik Oldschool OptiColour 200 - 35mm Colour Negative Film","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOptik Oldschool OptiColour 200 - 35mm Colour Negative Film\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA genuinely new colour emulsion. Not a rebrand, not a respool.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew colour film almost always turns out to be something old in a different box. This one is not.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool OptiColour 200 35mm Film is an ISO 200 daylight-balanced colour negative film built on the Wolfen NC200 emulsion, coated by InovisCoat in Germany. Natural colour, good contrast, strong greens and reds, and an orange base that lets it scan like any conventional negative. Standard C-41. DX coded, 36 exposures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes Optik Oldschool OptiColour 200 Habit-Forming\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA New Emulsion, Not a Respool\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool run a lab in Düsseldorf with Frontier and Noritsu scanners, processing C-41 and black and white for a community of fairly serious photographers. When colour film got difficult to buy, they went to InovisCoat, toured the factory, tested preproduction batches and fed back on colour rendering and scanning performance. OptiColour 200 is what came out of that. The emulsion is Wolfen NC200, which sits above the more common NC400 and NC500 in the series and had never been released in this form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Orange Base\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was Optik Oldschool's idea rather than part of the original plan, and it is the single most practical thing about the film. Earlier Wolfen colour stocks had a reputation for giving lab scanners trouble. This one goes through a Frontier or a Noritsu like any conventional C-41 negative, which is what turns an interesting emulsion into one you can shoot every week without a conversation with your lab.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNatural Colour Rather Than Punchy\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe palette reads closer to Agfa stock from the late eighties than to anything Kodak or Fuji currently make. Contrast is good, greens and reds are strong, and skin tones behave themselves. It sets itself apart clearly from the NC400 and NC500 films in the same series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIt Is Not Portra, and Not Trying to Be\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe honest limitation. This is a young emulsion from a small coating operation, and it does not have the clinical consistency of Kodak's professional line. It is nowhere near as clean as Ektar and it is not a Portra replacement. What you get instead is a slightly rougher, more classic look with genuine character. If you need predictability above all else, buy Portra. If the sameness of the current colour options is the problem, this is the answer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Glow in the Highlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a faint glow around bright highlights from the anti-halation layer. It is not extreme and most people read it as character, but it is worth meeting deliberately rather than being surprised by it on a backlit frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExposure: Be Generous\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBox speed works, though the film prefers a little more light than the meter suggests. Err towards overexposure rather than under. It will take a one stop push at a pinch, but that is not where the emulsion is at its best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBuilt to Stay Flat\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA PET base with a non-curl addition means the film comes off the reel straight rather than fighting you in the scanner. Anyone who has wrestled a curly negative into a holder will understand why this earns a mention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eC-41 Processing, DX Coded\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStandard C-41 chemistry at any colour lab, including here at Chemical Dependency Lab. DX coded for automatic cameras. No special handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e35mm, 36 exposures\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISO\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e200\/24°\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eColour negative\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcess\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eC-41\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEmulsion\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWolfen NC200, coated by InovisCoat\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBase\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrange, PET, non-curl\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDX coded\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat emulsion is OptiColour 200?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWolfen NC200, coated by InovisCoat in Germany. It sits above the more familiar NC400 and NC500 in the same series and had not previously reached photographers in this form. Optik Oldschool worked with the coating plant on it directly, including pushing for the orange base that makes it scan conventionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIs OptiColour 200 like Kodak Gold or Portra?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeither, though Gold is the closer comparison of the two. OptiColour is less warm than \u003ca href=\"\/products\/kodak-gold-200-35mm\"\u003eGold\u003c\/a\u003e and less clinically consistent than Portra, with a look most people describe as late eighties Agfa. Buy it because it is different, not because it replaces something.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCan you push OptiColour 200?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne stop, if the day turns against you. It survives it, but this is a film that rewards generous exposure rather than underexposure and pushing, so it is a rescue rather than a technique. Rate it at 100 to 200 and give it light where you can.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest For\u003c\/strong\u003e Everyday colour, travel and portraiture in reasonable daylight, particularly for photographers who have grown tired of choosing between the same handful of Kodak stocks. The natural palette suits documentary and street work where you want the colour to describe the scene rather than editorialise about it. C-41 development, scanning and printing are available here if you would rather hand the chemistry over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Photographers curious about genuinely new emulsions rather than rebadged old ones, anyone who liked the idea of Wolfen colour but was put off by the scanning, documentary and travel shooters who want natural colour, and anyone whose dependency now extends to reading about coating plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery few new colour emulsions reach the market in any given decade, and most that do are older stocks wearing a new label. OptiColour 200 is a real one, brought out by a small lab that went to the factory and argued for the changes it needed. It is not perfect and it is not trying to be Portra. It is characterful, consistent, and finally easy to scan, which is a rarer combination than it sounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available in \u003ca href=\"\/products\/optik-oldschool-opticolour-200-120-medium-format-colour-negative-film\"\u003e120 medium format\u003c\/a\u003e, and the rest of the range sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/optik-oldschool\"\u003eOptik Oldschool\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Optik Oldschool","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58435897229686,"sku":null,"price":10.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/3892\/5430\/files\/OptiColour.jpg?v=1786480629"},{"product_id":"optik-oldschool-opticolour-200-120-medium-format-colour-negative-film","title":"Optik Oldschool OptiColour 200 - 120 Medium Format Colour Negative Film","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOptik Oldschool OptiColour 200 - 120 Medium Format Colour Negative Film\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew colour film is rare. New colour film in 120 is rarer still.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMedium format shooters have spent years watching colour options disappear. This one arrived going the other way.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool OptiColour 200 120 Film is an ISO 200 daylight-balanced colour negative film built on the Wolfen NC200 emulsion, coated by InovisCoat in Germany. A new emulsion rather than a repackaged old one, with natural colour, good contrast and an orange base that scans conventionally. Standard C-41, 10 to 16 exposures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes Optik Oldschool OptiColour 200 120 Film Habit-Forming\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA New Emulsion in a Format That Rarely Gets One\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool run a lab in Düsseldorf and got involved with InovisCoat at the factory rather than simply putting their name on someone else's box. They toured the plant, tested preproduction batches and pushed for changes. The result is Wolfen NC200, a stock in the same family as NC400 and NC500 but distinctly better behaved, arriving in a format where new colour film almost never appears.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Orange Base Matters More Here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool argued for the orange base and it was not in the original plan. Earlier Wolfen colour films were awkward on lab scanners. This one behaves like a conventional C-41 negative. On a 6x7 frame, where every characteristic arrives enlarged and every flaw with it, that consistency counts for more than it does in 35mm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNatural Colour, Good Contrast\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe palette is natural rather than saturated. Greens and reds hold up well, contrast is good, and skin tones come out better than the Wolfen lineage might lead you to expect. The comparison people keep reaching for is Agfa stock from the late eighties, which is about right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIt Is Not Portra, and Not Trying to Be\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe honest limitation. This is a young emulsion from a small coating operation and it does not have the clinical consistency of Kodak's professional line, which is felt more keenly in medium format where a wasted frame costs proportionally more. It is not as clean as Ektar and it is not a Portra replacement. What you get instead is character, in a format where your colour options have been narrowing for years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Glow in the Highlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe anti-halation layer produces a faint glow around bright highlights. On a larger negative it is more visible than in 35mm, and most people who have shot it read it as character rather than fault.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExposure: Be Generous\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eISO 200 is honest, but a little extra light does no harm at all. One stop of push is survivable if the weather turns, though the film is at its best properly exposed in the first place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBuilt to Stay Flat\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA PET base with a non-curl addition means the film comes off the spool straight. Anyone who has fought a curly strip of 120 into a scanner holder at eleven at night will appreciate the thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStandard C-41 Processing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeveloped in standard C-41 chemistry at any colour lab, including here at Chemical Dependency Lab. No special handling required.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e120 medium format\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExposures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e10 at 6x7, 12 at 6x6, 16 at 6x4.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISO\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e200\/24°\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eColour negative\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcess\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eC-41\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEmulsion\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWolfen NC200, coated by InovisCoat\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBase\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrange, PET, non-curl\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat emulsion is OptiColour 200?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWolfen NC200, coated by InovisCoat in Germany. It sits above the more familiar NC400 and NC500 in the same series and had not previously reached photographers in this form. Optik Oldschool worked with the coating plant directly, including pushing for the orange base that makes it scan conventionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow many frames do you get from OptiColour 200 in 120?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt depends on your camera back rather than the film. A standard 120 roll gives 10 frames at 6x7, 12 at 6x6, or 16 at 6x4.5. A 6x9 back will give you 8. The roll is the same in every case.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCan you push OptiColour 200?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne stop, if the light goes and you are committed to the roll. It survives it, but the film rewards generous exposure rather than underexposure and pushing, so treat it as a rescue rather than a technique.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest For\u003c\/strong\u003e Landscape, travel, portraiture and general colour work in decent daylight, on any 120 camera you own. The natural palette and larger negative suit photographers who want colour that describes rather than exaggerates, and the price sits below the professional Kodak stocks that dominate medium format colour. We develop, scan and print 120 as well, and a 6x6 frame from this film printed full and centred is worth seeing on paper rather than a screen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium format shooters tired of the same two or three colour options, photographers who want a genuinely new emulsion on a big negative, anyone shooting travel and landscape who prefers natural colour to saturated, and anyone whose dependency has quietly moved from 35mm to 120 and is now considerably more expensive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe colour options in 120 have been shrinking for years, so a new emulsion arriving in medium format is worth attention on its own terms. That it scans cleanly, stays flat, and renders colour with actual character rather than novelty is what makes it more than a curiosity. Shoot it in good light, give it a touch more exposure than the meter asks for, and it holds its own on a frame that shows you everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available in \u003ca href=\"\/products\/optik-oldschool-opticolour-200-35mm-colour-negative-film\"\u003e35mm\u003c\/a\u003e, and the rest of the range sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/optik-oldschool\"\u003eOptik Oldschool\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Optik Oldschool","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58435897491830,"sku":null,"price":10.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/3892\/5430\/files\/OptiColour120.jpg?v=1786480558"},{"product_id":"optik-oldschool-santacolor-100-35mm-colour-negative-film","title":"Optik Oldschool SantaColor 100 - 35mm Colour Negative Film","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOptik Oldschool SantaColor 100 - 35mm Colour Negative Film\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKodak aerial survey film, hand spooled and pointed at things much closer to the ground.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDesigned to resolve detail from several thousand feet. It turns out that translates rather well to a Tuesday afternoon in town.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool SantaColor 100 35mm Film is an ISO 100 daylight-balanced colour negative film made from Kodak Aerocolor IV, an emulsion built for aerial mapping and reconnaissance. Manufactured in the USA and hand spooled in Finland. Very fine grain, exceptional sharpness, and usable latitude from ISO 25 to 800. Standard C-41, 36 exposures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes Optik Oldschool SantaColor 100 Habit-Forming\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAn Emulsion That Was Never Meant for You\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKodak Aerocolor IV was made for medium and high altitude aerial mapping and reconnaissance work. It reached photographers through a crowdfunding campaign in 2022, and the reasons it had not arrived sooner are worth knowing. Kodak's minimum order came to roughly fifteen thousand rolls, and the film is too thin for standard spooling machinery, so every roll has to be wound by hand. That is a great deal of effort to get an aerial emulsion into a 35mm cassette.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVery Fine Grain, Exceptional Sharpness\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA film designed to resolve ground detail from altitude has to be sharp, and this one is. Grain is very fine and detail holds up under scrutiny, which is why it turns up so often in conversations about the sharpest colour negative films currently available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePunchy Reds, Lush Greens\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaturation sits above Kodak's Portra series without reaching Ektar, and the contrast curve is longer than Ektar's. In practice that means colour with real presence that still holds its shape in the highlights, and a red response that is noticeably strong. Scans tend to come through on the warm side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLatitude From ISO 25 to 800\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the characteristic that keeps people buying it. The film gives acceptable results anywhere from ISO 25 to ISO 800 with appropriate pulling or pushing. Rated at 400 and pushed two stops in development it returns accurate colour with almost no visible grain, which is not a trick most emulsions will perform. Tell your lab what you rated it at and the rest follows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Base Is Not a Normal Negative Base\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe honest complication. This is not a conventional orange-masked colour negative, which is a consequence of its aerial origins rather than a defect. It affects inversion, and scans can come out looking wrong if whoever is doing the inverting treats it like ordinary C-41. The film is fine. The handling needs to know what it is looking at, which is worth bearing in mind when choosing where to send it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHand Spooled, With What That Implies\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery roll is wound by hand because machinery cannot handle film this thin. That is part of why it costs what it costs. It also means a little more variation between rolls than you would get from a factory-loaded cassette, which most people accept as the price of the emulsion being available at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNo Remjet, No Complications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike respooled cine stocks, there is no remjet backing to remove. It goes through standard C-41 at any colour lab without special handling, including ours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e36 Exposures\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA full 36-exposure roll in standard 35mm format.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e35mm, 36 exposures\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISO\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e100\/21°\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eColour negative\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcess\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eC-41, no remjet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLatitude\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISO 25 to 800 with pull or push\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource emulsion\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKodak Aerocolor IV\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMade in\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUSA, spooled in Finland\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIs SantaColor 100 the same as Elektra, Aeronega or Maverick?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey all come from Kodak Aerocolor IV. What differs is who spools it, what speed they rate it at, how it is packaged and what it costs. We stock four of them because those differences are real even when the emulsion is not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/flic-film-elektra-100\"\u003eFlic Film Elektra 100\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/alien-aeronega-35mm-colour-negative-film\"\u003eAlien Film Aeronega 100\u003c\/a\u003e rate it at 100, as this one does. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/this-is-how-i-roll-maverick-125\"\u003eThis Is How I Roll Maverick 125\u003c\/a\u003e rates it at 125 and comes hand-rolled into a recycled canister with no DX code, so you set the ISO yourself. Given how much latitude the emulsion has, the difference between 100 and 125 matters less here than it would on a less forgiving film. Pick on price, packaging and whose spooling you trust.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCan you push SantaColor 100?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, and it is one of the reasons to buy it. Rate it anywhere from 25 to 800 and pull or push to match. At 400 pushed two stops it comes back with accurate colour and almost no visible grain. Tell us the rating when you send it in, because we cannot see it on the cassette.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDoes SantaColor 100 need special processing?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. There is no remjet layer, so it runs through standard C-41 alongside everything else. The only thing worth flagging to your lab is the rating if you shot it off box speed, and the unusual base, which affects inversion rather than development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest For\u003c\/strong\u003e Landscape, travel, street and general daylight photography where sharpness and colour presence matter more than a forgiving meter reading. The latitude makes it unusually versatile for a slow film, so one roll can cover bright midday and dim interiors if you commit to a rating and push accordingly. C-41 development, scanning and printing are available here, and since we know what the base is, we invert it accordingly. Tell us what speed you shot it at.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Photographers who want the sharpest colour negative they can load, anyone drawn to emulsions with an industrial past, shooters who like one film covering several situations through pushing, and anyone whose dependency has reached the stage of finding surveillance film genuinely romantic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAerocolor IV has been quietly doing serious work for years while photographers argued about Portra and Ektar. Getting it into a cassette took a crowdfunding campaign, a fifteen thousand roll order and a lot of hand winding, which tells you something about how much people wanted it. Shoot it at box speed for fine grain and strong colour, or rate it at 400 and push it, and either way you get something that does not look much like anything else in the fridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe faster stablemate is \u003ca href=\"\/products\/optik-oldschool-santacolor-800-35mm-colour-negative-film\"\u003eSantaColor 800\u003c\/a\u003e, which shares the name and nothing else, and the rest of the range sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/optik-oldschool\"\u003eOptik Oldschool\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Optik Oldschool","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58435897590134,"sku":null,"price":10.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/3892\/5430\/files\/SantaColor100.jpg?v=1786480358"},{"product_id":"optik-oldschool-santacolor-800-35mm-colour-negative-film","title":"Optik Oldschool SantaColor 800 - 35mm Colour Negative Film","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOptik Oldschool SantaColor 800 - 35mm Colour Negative Film\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSanta in a new coat. This one was made for cameras rather than aeroplanes.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe name is shared with the aerial stock. Almost nothing else is.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool SantaColor 800 35mm Film is an ISO 800 daylight-balanced colour negative film made in the USA. It offers high sharpness, medium grain and natural skin tones at a speed built for low light and moving subjects. Optik Oldschool recommend Portra 800 guidelines. Standard C-41, 36 exposures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes Optik Oldschool SantaColor 800 Habit-Forming\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNot the Aerial One\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorth clearing up first, because the shared name causes genuine confusion. SantaColor 800 is not respooled movie film and not repurposed surveillance stock. Optik Oldschool are explicit that it is film made for use in still cameras, which puts it in a different category entirely from SantaColor 100 despite the family resemblance on the box.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eISO 800 Without the Usual Compromises\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeed normally costs you something. Here the grain stays medium rather than coarse, sharpness holds up, and colour reproduction stays true rather than drifting as the light fails. That combination is the reason to reach for this instead of pushing something slower and living with the consequences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNatural Skin Tones\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast colour film has a habit of turning complexions ruddy or sallow. This one renders skin naturally, which makes it considerably more useful for photographing people in dim rooms than the speed alone would suggest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eShoot It Like Portra 800\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool recommend using Kodak Portra 800 guidelines for both exposure and processing. If you have already worked that film out, you have effectively worked this one out. That is unusually specific advice from a manufacturer and worth taking at face value.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBuilt for Moving Subjects\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe speed buys you shutter time. Concerts, markets, children, dogs, anything that refuses to hold still long enough for an ISO 200 film to cope. It also earns its place in bright daylight, where ISO 800 buys back the depth of field you would otherwise have to give up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStandard C-41 Processing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeveloped in standard C-41 chemistry at any colour lab, including here at Chemical Dependency Lab. No remjet, no special handling, no awkward conversation with your lab.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e36 Exposures\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA full 36-exposure roll in standard 35mm format. No 120 version exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e35mm, 36 exposures\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISO\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e800\/30°\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eColour negative\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcess\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eC-41\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrain\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMedium\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMade in\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUSA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIs SantaColor 800 the same as Kodak Portra 800?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptik Oldschool have not said. They confirm it is made in the USA and recommend Portra 800 exposure and processing guidelines, which is suggestive but not a statement of origin. Photographers running side by side comparisons have found the two render very closely. Nobody in a position to confirm the emulsion has done so. But it could be the Kodak 800 Gold loaded into Kodak disposable cameras.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIs SantaColor 800 the same emulsion as SantaColor 100?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. They share a brand and nothing else. SantaColor 100 is Kodak Aerocolor IV, an aerial survey film hand spooled into cassettes. SantaColor 800 is a purpose-made still camera film. Different speeds, different origins, different behaviour. Buying one expecting the other will disappoint you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest For\u003c\/strong\u003e Available light photography, indoor events, evening streets, and any situation where a slower film would leave you at a shutter speed you cannot hold steady. It suits documentary and reportage work particularly well, where the light does what it likes and you have to keep shooting regardless. It sits alongside the rest of our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/low-light-high-speed-film\"\u003elow light and high speed film\u003c\/a\u003e for exactly those conditions. C-41 development, scanning and printing are available here if you would rather not deal with the chemistry yourself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Photographers who shoot indoors and after dark, anyone tired of pushing 400 speed film and living with the results, portrait shooters who need speed without wrecking skin tones, and anyone whose dependency does not observe daylight hours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast colour film has become an awkward category, with most of the interesting options being cine stocks that bring their own complications. SantaColor 800 is refreshingly ordinary in the best sense: a proper still film, made for cameras, that goes through standard chemistry and does what it says at the speed it claims. Load it when the light goes and stop worrying about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you want the aerial one instead, that is \u003ca href=\"\/products\/optik-oldschool-santacolor-100-35mm-colour-negative-film\"\u003eSantaColor 100\u003c\/a\u003e, and the rest of the range sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/colour-negative-film\"\u003ecolour negative film\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Optik Oldschool","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58435897622902,"sku":null,"price":17.4,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/3892\/5430\/files\/SantaColor800.jpg?v=1786480224"},{"product_id":"fujifilm-velvia-100-35mm-colour-reversal-film","title":"Fujifilm Velvia 100 - 35mm Colour Slide Film","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFujifilm Velvia 100 - 35mm Colour Slide Film\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe saturated one. It has never much cared whether you were ready for it.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThirty years on, Velvia is still the film people mean when they say a photograph looks like a photograph.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFujifilm Velvia 100 35mm Film, known to Fuji as RVP 100, is an ISO 100 daylight-balanced colour slide film and one of the most recognisable emulsions ever made. New generation cyan, magenta and yellow couplers give it Fuji's claim to the highest colour saturation available, matched to an RMS granularity of 8 that puts it among the finest grained films at this speed. It requires E-6 processing, not C-41. In stock now and shipping fast from the UK. DX coded, 36 exposures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes Fujifilm Velvia 100 Habit-Forming\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImportant: Velvia 100 Requires E-6 Processing\u003c\/strong\u003e Chemical Dependency Lab currently processes B\u0026amp;W and C-41 colour negative film only, though E-6 is in development and coming soon, so watch this space. In the meantime, our friends at Not Quite North in Lincoln offer a mail-in E-6 service for both 24 and 36 exposure rolls. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.not-quite-north.co.uk\/e635mmfilmprocessing\" title=\"E6 processing at Not Quite North\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFind their E-6 service at not-quite-north.co.uk\u003c\/a\u003e. Once it is developed, send the slides to us and we will scan and print them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Saturation Velvia Is Known For\u003c\/strong\u003e Fuji claim the world's highest level of colour saturation for this film, achieved through new generation couplers, and it is the reason Velvia built its reputation on landscape work in the 1990s. Greens and reds go beyond documentary accuracy into something closer to how you remember a scene than how it measured. Foliage, autumn colour and low sun are where that pays off. Against Velvia 50 the saturation and contrast are marginally subtler, which makes the 100 the more usable of the two for anything with a person in it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUltra-Fine Grain\u003c\/strong\u003e An RMS granularity of 8 places Velvia 100 alongside Provia 100F and Astia 100F as one of the finest grained films in its speed class. On a lightbox or in a high resolution scan there is essentially nothing to see.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExposure: There Is No Margin\u003c\/strong\u003e This is the practical note that matters most. Slide film gives you roughly a stop of usable latitude where colour negative gives you five, and Fuji rate this one at plus or minus a third of a stop. Expose for the highlights and let the shadows go where they go. Plenty of photographers rate it slightly slower than box speed. A handheld incident meter earns its keep here more than on any negative stock, and bracketing in difficult light is not an admission of defeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePush Processing\u003c\/strong\u003e Velvia 100 pushes one stop with excellent results and little variation, which is useful when the light drops and you are committed to the roll.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColour That Lasts\u003c\/strong\u003e Fuji rate its colour image stability as equal to RVP 100F, so the slides you file away should still look like themselves in a few decades. Given that the point of transparency is holding the original up to the light, that matters more here than it does with negatives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Note on Supply\u003c\/strong\u003e Fujifilm withdrew Velvia 100 from the United States in 2021 over an EPA restriction on a trace chemical in the emulsion, and the wider Fujifilm film range has been contracting since. It remains available here, but this is not a stock to assume will always be on the shelf. It's hard to get hold of.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDX Coded, 36 Exposures\u003c\/strong\u003e DX coded for ISO 100 in automatic cameras.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest For\u003c\/strong\u003e Landscape, nature and travel photography in good light, and any work where you want colour with real force behind it. It is not a portrait film in the conventional sense and it will not flatter skin the way a negative stock does, though it is more forgiving in that respect than Velvia 50. It rewards photographers who meter carefully and punishes those who do not, visibly and immediately. Once it has been developed elsewhere, send the slides to us for scanning and printing, and consider a print rather than a screen. Transparency is the one format where paper genuinely competes with holding the original up to a window.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Landscape and nature photographers who want maximum colour, experienced shooters comfortable with unforgiving exposure, anyone who wants to project or lightbox their work, and anyone whose dependency has reached the point of owning a loupe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVelvia has been dividing photographers since the 1990s, and the arguments are always the same. Too saturated, too contrasty, too much. That is rather the point. It was never built to describe a scene faithfully, it was built to make a landscape look the way it felt at the time. Meter it properly, shoot it in good light, and hold the result up to a window. The argument tends to settle itself at that moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you want the other side of the slide film argument, we also stock \u003ca href=\"\/products\/kodak-ektachrome-e100\"\u003eKodak Ektachrome E100\u003c\/a\u003e, which is considerably more restrained.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fujifilm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58435897655670,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/3892\/5430\/files\/Velvia100.jpg?v=1786479971"}],"url":"https:\/\/chemicaldependency.co.uk\/collections\/new-arrivals.oembed","provider":"Chemical Dependency Lab","version":"1.0","type":"link"}