Topic: Neopan 400 discontinued

[Nigel]

Rather sad news. It seems Neopan 400 has been discontinued, if this posting from Freestyle is correct.   

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152451140034298&set=a.388202754297.167158.349078044297&type=1http://

[Urban Hafner]

As is Provia 400X

OTOH, Ferrania might start up again next year: http://www.filmferrania.it/ and http://www.apug.org/forums/forum390/120736-film-italy-ferrania-starting-production-2014-a.html

[Ezzie]

It would seem to be true too. Neopan may be available in Japan for the time being, but elsewhere not. Coincidently shot my last roll of Neopan 400 they day the news broke.

[Late Developer]

Rather sad news. It seems Neopan 400 has been discontinued, if this posting from Freestyle is correct.   

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152451140034298&set=a.388202754297.167158.349078044297&type=1http://

I can't access the FB link from work, Nigel. Is this Neopan 400 or 400CN (or both)??

[Nigel]

Hi Paul, it lists the following:

Provia 400X 135-36
Neopan 400 135-36 (5 pk)
Neopan 400 135-36
Provia 400X 120 (5 pk)
135 Velvia 100F Long Roll (special order)

So it looks like the 400CN is OK - for now.

[SLVR]

Not so sound like the jerk in the bunch, but I never had any luck with neopan 400. Possibly could be all my fault but I got a 5 pack of it for christmas last year and ended up not having much fun with it. I think around that time I was getting a little too comfortable and making mistakes in the darkroom though.

All in all, sad to see it go. After all, its still film and still has a warm place in my heart.

[John]

What a drag, another quality film hits the dust Neopan 400 wasn't my favourite, though I really like Acros. The Fuji range is a pale shadow of what it was, I liked Reala and the 2 Pro 160 films, then they went. I wonder how long the rest of the Fuji range will last?

[Francois]

Now, this is a bit of hockus pokus crystal ball nonsense but I'm starting to have a theory that could make some sense...
I noticed that most of the films we see disappearing are either high sensitivity emulsions or high silver content ones. High sensitivity films are more susceptible to environmental degradation. Also, they need the use of special sensitizing dyes. I'm thinking that the more sensitive the film, the more expensive the dyes (though I have absolutely no idea what they use in those dyes). So, you combine those things together and it ends-up that high sensitivity films get pulled off the lineup.

It could also be that sourcing the chemicals to make the dyes is becoming more and more expensive...