There's been a lot of doom and gloom about film and its viability as a photographic medium in the last few years. Film stocks seemed to be fading away faster than ever. However, this past year, Fujifilm decided to bring back one of their most beloved modern films, Acros, in a new formulation: Acros II. In this great video, Roger from Shoot Film Like a Boss puts the film through its paces and gives his thoughts.
As a film shooter myself, I loved the original Acros. It's sharp, fine-grained, and creates a punchy, contrasty look. It was also reasonably priced! I remember routinely picking up rolls for less than $6. Although Fujifilm has switched mainly to digital products as well as their Instax line, they decided to take a chance and bring back a new version of Acros. In the video, Roger completes a simple portrait shoot using the two stocks, new and old, side by side. The differences in the films are subtle but definitely present.
We certainly live in interesting times in the film world. Not only do we have boutique retailers, such as Lomography, but the top film companies, Kodak, Fuji, and Ilford, are bringing new and revived products to market. Of course, this resurgence doesn't come cheap, and there is certainly some risk to the companies who dare to fire up old equipment or contract other companies to make the film for them. Acros II is clocking in at about $9.50/roll in Japan, a massive increase.
Is it worth the extra cost? Check out the video and decide for yourself. I'll certainly be picking up a few rolls once it hits the US. If nothing else, I just want to support the industry. What are your thoughts?
Seems like the new film handles highlights and shadows much better out of the box. It should be compared to Ilford if it's suspected that they are the ones manufacturing the film. ;-)
I'll be sticking with bulk-rolling HP5, unless/until Ilford raises its prices, too. It's a fantastic stock for what I shoot, at a very affordable price. I used to like Acros, but won't come running back to it at $10/roll. Eventually I'll give the new version a try, though.
NOT watching video