[LargeFormat] arista

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message -----
From: "walter de groot" <wdegroot@ptd.net>
To: <largeformat@f32.net>
Sent: Friday, November 22, 2002 1:50 PM
Subject: [LargeFormat] arista


> do you have any info on arista chemicals on the east
coast?
> the surcharge on shipping from california for a
european?? product
> doesn't make sense
> could it be that the arista anme is freestyles own name
> and the fiulm although named arista is ilford
> BUT they just use the same name for the color chems and
have their own
> mixed elsewhere?
> looked on ilford and that seel to be mostly out of  color
35mm
> even tho at5 one time , they and 3m were the only
manufacturers of a
> "kodachrome" clone film
>
Arista is Freestyle's house brand. The B&W pictorial film is
made by Ilford (definite), I don't know for certain who
makes their graphic arts films. Agfa, and other companies,
make color films under contract to be sold under house
brands. I don't know who makes Arista film but you could
probably tell by comparing it to Agfa or other well known
brands.
   Paper varies, some of it is Kentmere. At one time I used
a lot of Freestyle Arista paper. It was good stuff but
definitely not Ilford, at least at the time.
  I have no idea who they contract with for chemistry,
probably more than one company.
  The whole idea of the house brand stuff is to sell it
cheaper than name brands. If shipping costs make it more
expensive there is really no point in it.
  AFAIK, Ilford has never been a significant maker of color
materials other than Ilfochrome paper. They did make a film
similar to Kodachrome many years ago but it used a different
method of blocking light to allow reversal by differential
exposure. This is done in processing Kodachrome by using a
first developer which preserves the color sensitizing of the
emulsions. This allows the bottom, or red sensitive layer,
to be developed by exposure to red light through the support
side. Ilford included a thin layer of fogged silver which
would become opaque during the first development, allowing
independant re-exposure of the bottom layer.
  Agfa and Fuji both make film as a custom product. I don't
think Kodak does or ever has.