After Dutch, English is the most easy language to learn for us. Then German (only for correct writing it is more complicated). Then the Roman type languages like French, Spanish etc. and French is not very populair here. Talking and writing Russian it is an insane language for us.Блин, какой этот английский трудный, может, лучше на Эсперанто?
Svema was never on the West-European market so I never could try it. In their last years the cassettes were filled with OEM film from Foma, Czech Republic.
OrWo (=now Filmotec) I tried because they had export for hard valuta to West Europe. Their color films were moderate quality but their slow speed B&W films were good (NP15). OrWo died around 1994/1995. Now the OrWo Filmotec factory is selling motion film and TSF (Traffic Surveillance Films).
During a very short time in 2004 some old batches FP4/HP5 were sold when ilford/Harman went in bankruptcy. But that was not a big supply. They re-started with a management buy out and without selling any original Ilford films to any third party anymore.
That was different when Agfa Photo went in bankruptcy in 2005/2006. Floating over a big stock of APX-100, sold under LUPUS APX-100, sold under Rollei Retro 100 (Film brand name of Maco from Hamburg-Stapelfeld Germany). The other Agfa film stock was less but you could buy Optima 400 C41 in bulk (30,5m) exp. 2007 for Eur. 10 (approx. 100 Grivna). Cheap assy of the raw APX-100 material was sold for Eur. 1,75 (135-36) (17,50 Grivna) till approx. 2010. The reason was that Agfa produced a very large stock of this film just before they closed the factory.
When Forte in Hungary in 2007 stopped they did not have any large stock. Their films were pretty bad but their photo papers were sold and also under the Bergger Brand name in France. But small stocks so in a few months it was gone.
The same with Fotokemika in Croatia. They could make interesting small batches of special films but often a lack of quality. In fact they continued making the old Dr. Schleussner/Adox single layer type films on Polyester base till 2012 (Efke 25/50/100 and their Adox equivalents, exactly the same films) when they were forced to stop because they ran out of money and nobody want to invest in an old fashioned factory. These stocks were also depleted in a few months.
Since last year Kodak went also in a type of bankruptcy. After re-organisation the film division went independent but they made obselete already all special films (TP, Ortho, HIE-IR and later Kodachrome, all Ektachrome E6, Tmax 3200, PXP etc.) in fact left over Tmax 100/400, Tri-X 400 and their Portra C41 films 160/400/800 and Ektar 100)
Also Fuji downsized quickly all their production, stopping in 2007 in Holland (Tilburg factory) all consumer type films for Europe production. They have a very small film program left over too but still a few E6 films.
The last competitor for Ilford in UK was bought in 2007 too (Kentmere) so it is now a B brand for cheaper films and photo papers for some special markets. For example they are selling under LUPUS APX-100 (NEW) the Kentmere 100 film in Europe.
Also the special papers for Bergger are made by Ilford/Harman now so is the complete line Rollei RPX 25/100/400 B&W films: Special application by Ilford. All other special Rollei films came from Fotokemika (Pan 25, ATO2,1, Retro 100 TONAL) and also finished in 2012.
On the other hand the Rollei Retro (S) (S)ynthetic films are coming from Agfa Gevaert In Belgium, in fact aviation type emulsions. Aviphot pan 80 PE1 (100um) Retro 80S, Aviphot pan 200 PE1 Retro 400S/Rollei Superpan 200, Aviphot pan 400 PE1, IR-400(S). Aviation, hence the extended Red sensitivity of these type films.
The reason that all type films are on the same 100um Polyester base. Sharp film type emulsion, fine grain but they push bad. THE reason Rollei/Maco introduced the RPX film line. Agfa Gevaert is also producing some micro film type: Sold under Rollei ATP1,1 and Adox CMS 20 or Agfa Copex. SPUR in Germany is making the special (low contrast) chemicals for these films and a few more like the dedicated RPX-D Rollei developer for the RPX 100/400 line films. In fact the same trick Ilford is doing with DD-X for their Delta films to create maximum speed for their high speed films.
Now Ferriania in Italy want to start up again film production. A very complicated and dangerous project. Like the Impossible Project (polaroid type) film from IP in Holland (Enschede). I can say from good resources that IP did not made any profit yet after a few years. They could not start from the old Polaroid type quality but much less and they had to improved step for step. So like their name suggests: Impossible Project it is indeed almost a mission impossible and very dangerous.
Foma sold in the past some films to Svema, later Paterson and now on the USA market under Arista brand. They made a huge quality improvement during the last years. But they have a medical dpt. too of X-ray films. Comparing to Kodak, Fuji and ilford/Harman they are pretty small but in the last 20 years more populair in West Europe.
Conclusion: Real cheap films are not on the market anymore because obselete stocks has been depleted so depending on the film format you're using you can look for B&W motion film or a good offer from Foma which is in general the cheapest in actual film production. For a regular 135-36 Fomapan 100 you will pay around Eur. 3,25 (32,50 Grivna) incl. our nice 21% VAT in the Netherlands.
If you look at a same ilford FP4+ film you will pay almost the double price (at least here in Holland). If you look at Kodak: They do not have such an equivalent film anymore in their program and Fuji has only the Acros 100 left (also expensive), a modern technology film like Tmax100/400 and Delta 100/400.
In iso 400 Fomapan 400 (but in fact an iso 250 film) half priced comparing to HP5+, Tri-X 400 a bit cheaper, no Fuji iso 400 film anymore and then you have the modern technology films TMY-2 and Delta 400, also expensive.
In high speed B&W film only Delta 3200 left with a Dutch price around Eur. 8,50 (85 Grivna). And in slow speed the Ilford Pan F+, Rollei Retro 80S (in fact iso 50 too) and their new RPX 25 film. Apart from that the document type films Rollei ATP1,1 , Adox CMS 20, Copex, not extremely in price but with technical limitations, slow speed (iso 6-20) and expensive special developers.
In between the Fomapan 200, iso 160 and a mix between cubical and hexagonal silver crystals. A nice film but soft in emulsion.
Good luck in your choice for finding cheap film!
