AgfaPhoto CT 100 Precisa: Best quality film at lowest price

[BobYIL]

Originally Posted by k__43

I find the Precisia CT to have a old school-ish color (which is nice) and a bit difficult to scan: the shadows are loosing detail faster than E100G or Elitechrome.

The price here in germany is really good tho

Have any chance to compare it against the Provia?

[paulfish4570]

what are processing costs, and where?

[Mablo]

A friend of mine - a long time chrome shooter - says he thinks Precisa is like Sensia but be it Provia or Sensia, who cares. It's great value for money if chromes are your thing.

Btw. the AgfaPhoto Vista Plus 400 (Made in Japan) is also clearly a Fuji film. it looks more like Superia than Reala to me. I shoot it at EI200 and get good results.

[HHPhoto]

Originally Posted by k__43

I find the Precisia CT to have a old school-ish color (which is nice) and a bit difficult to scan: the shadows are loosing detail faster than E100G or Elitechrome.

Then you have probably used the first, original Agfa Leverkusen version.

I cannot confirm this for the current Fuji version: Shadow detail is on the same level as E100G, Elitechrome 100 and Provia 100F.

Cheers, Jan

[HHPhoto]

Originally Posted by BobYIL

Have any chance to compare it against the Provia?

I've already written it in my thread opening post:

"This new version has been intensively tested by lots of film experts.
I have tested it also, and compared it to all other ISO 100 color slide and color negative films.

All who have tested this film so far came to the same conclusion, that this emulsion is almost identical to Provia 100F. It is either the Fuji Trebi 100 (Japanese amateur version of Provia), or Provia 100 batches, which are not 100% identical to Provia QC norms.
No matter what it is, it is very hard to distinguish the results of CT Precisa from Provia 100F. "

Cheers, Jan

[wblynch]

Originally Posted by HHPhoto

...Freestyle (and other North American companies) ignored that for years and refused to offer this film (and lots of other excellent stuff from Europe; films, chemicals and gear)

Well to consider fairness, many times deals are struck between suppliers and retailer/distributors that prevent some offerings.

We never know about these confidential agreements.

For example, in exchange for providing Arista Premium films, Kodak may have extracted an agreement for Freestyle to not carry certain competitive films. Same may have happened with Fuji and Legacy Pro.

Of course this is only conversational because I certainly don't have any evidence of such agreements, only that they do occur.

It might well be that some agreements have expired or made obsolete which now frees up new offerings.


Just a thought...

[Trius]

It is available to North America via eBay sellers. I don't know which offerings (if any) are the new Fuji OEM version.

[HHPhoto]

Originally Posted by wblynch

Well to consider fairness, many times deals are struck between suppliers and retailer/distributors that prevent some offerings.

We never know about these confidential agreements.

Well yes, that is right.
But I doubt that this is the case here, because AgfaPhoto Precisa has been sold for years by lots of different distributors worldwide.
And as posted above someone asked for this film at Freestyle and they answered from summer on they will stock it.
Looks like the pressure from customers is needed.
Very sad that we as customers have to be active to get the distributors in action......

I think Freestyle can do better and should do better. It's not only the Precisa, some other excellent films are not offered so far as well: Agfa Scala 200X, Agfa Copex Rapid, Fuji Pro 160 NS, Kodak Gold, Superia 1600.
No problem here for me to get these films by my online distributors in Europe.
Same with photo chemistry, and quite worse is the situation with film cameras, where only a very limited range is offered by FS.
A company, which is permanently emphasizing their "commitment to film" should show much more efforts.
And they should start marketing for film as a photographic medium. That is absolutely necessary in this tough times for film.
Only selling is not enough anymore. These times are definitely gone.
If you want to sell film products nowadays you have to do marketing for film products.
LSI and IP are the only ones so far who have realised that. All others like Freestyle, AG-Photographic, Fotoimpex, Maco, Fotohuis, Riegler, Ars-Imago, Puntofoto, R3, cameraquest etc. continue their deep sleep and remain passive.
That is the major problem of the film market.

Cheers, Jan

[k__43]

Originally Posted by HHPhoto

Then you have probably used the first, original Agfa Leverkusen version.

I cannot confirm this for the current Fuji version: Shadow detail is on the same level as E100G, Elitechrome 100 and Provia 100F.

Cheers, Jan

bought this year from DM .. no I think it's the current version. I've never tried Provia 100 so I can't compare. I'd definitely prefer E100G if it came with the same price tag.
For Fuji .. I really liked Astia - anyone with insight knows why they decided that they axed Astia not Provia or Velvia 100 (I mean .. when I go Velvia I'd pick 50) ?

[HHPhoto]

Originally Posted by k__43

bought this year from DM .. no I think it's the current version. I've never tried Provia 100 so I can't compare. I'd definitely prefer E100G if it came with the same price tag.
For Fuji .. I really liked Astia - anyone with insight knows why they decided that they axed Astia not Provia or Velvia 100 (I mean .. when I go Velvia I'd pick 50) ?

Well I've compared CT Precisa directly to Provia 100F, E100G, Elitechrome 100, Sensia 100. Same subject, same shooting conditions.
There have been no differences in shadow and highlight detail between E100G, Provia, CT Precisa and Elitechrome 100.
Sensia 100 showed a bit more dynamic range. That's not surprising, this film has a bit flatter characteristic curve.

The reason why Astia has been stopped: Too little volume, too little demand.
Partly Fuji itself is guilty for that: They have never done a right marketing for this outstanding film. They said it is a subdued film, so people thought they get dull colors and never tried this film.
But Astia is not a subdued film, it is a natural color balanced film. And that is a huge difference:
If you have subdued colors in your original subject, Astia will show the colors right, subdued.
If you have very intensive and bright colors in your original subject, Astia will show these colors very intensive and bright as they are. And not subdued.

Cheers, Jan

[efix]

I tried Precisa a couple weeks ago. I get the same results as with Provia. If my basement weren't full of Elite Chrome 100, I'd stock up on this one. Best bang-for-the-buck slide film there is.

[wblynch]

Originally Posted by efix

...If my basement weren't full of Elite Chrome 100, I'd stock up on this one. Best bang-for-the-buck slide film there is.

I also have a small supply of Elitechrome that I love.

I hope Provia/Precisa are around for a good long time. I want to use this too.

[brbo]

I shot two rolls of AgfaPhoto CT Precisa 100.

Two from the first roll:


higher.2 by boachi, on Flickr


higher.1 by boachi, on Flickr

I few from second roll (I used it as a test for my new Canon F-1 (old) and 50/1.4):


myRobots by boachi, on Flickr


this is getting old by boachi, on Flickr


lalala... by boachi, on Flickr


simultaneous pull by boachi, on Flickr


I think I like this film. I cleared the shelfs of our local Müller store. I hope they restock soon.

[Drtenma]

Considering how cheap it is compared to other slide films and looking at the more than decent results I get, the Precisa CT is an excellent option.

[Fotohuis]

All others like Freestyle, AG-Photographic, Fotoimpex, Maco, Fotohuis, Riegler, Ars-Imago, Puntofoto, R3, cameraquest etc. continue their deep sleep and remain passive.

As long as DM Drogerie in Germany (19% VAT) and Kruidvat in Holland (for Agfa Photo / Fuji film 21% VAT) is offering Kodak Ektar 100 for Eur. 2,15 for a 135-36 film or equivalent prices in Holland for Agfa Photo CN films I am not going to do any attempt to try to get this market and make suicide for these prices.
They even do not know what they are selling.

Look at Lomography. 120 roll film for Eur. 60,- / 5 pack for their "special" IR color film. Pre-paid, maybe delivery in June 2013.
That is a better idea for surviving in the actual film market.

[brbo]

Originally Posted by Fotohuis

As long as DM Drogerie in Germany (19% VAT) and Kruidvat in Holland (for Agfa Photo / Fuji film 21% VAT) is offering Kodak Ektar 100 for Eur. 2,15...

WHAT? You can buy Ektar 100 for 2 EUR?!

[Fotohuis]

No, I should be able to sell Precesia CT 100 or Ektar 100 for EUR. 2,15 and then even put away Dutch 21% VAT from this crazy price.
DM Drogerie and Kruidvat are just taking in cliënts in their shop for these stunts and then hoping they are selling a lot of other crap too. Do not try to ask anything about their products because nobody will be able to help you.

[efix]

Originally Posted by brbo

WHAT? You can buy Ektar 100 for 2 EUR?!

Not anymore. They took Ektar out of their product range as it didn't sell well -- obviously. Also, it was € 4.something, at least where I live (central Germany). But Precisa ist still around € 3.70 per roll (comes in two-packs at € 7.45 iirc.)

[HHPhoto]

Originally Posted by brbo

WHAT? You can buy Ektar 100 for 2 EUR?!

It is not a normal price for Ektar in Germany.
Last summer German drugstore chain "dm" started to add Kodak Ektar to their film programme. At a price of 4,35€.
Probably that doesn't work very well and they don't have sold enough. The people buying their films in a drugstore chain are not the people which go for a professional film.
And for the cheap standard, automated scanning and printing in the CeWe labs, which dm is offering, Ektar is a problematic film (you need more sophisticated scanning and printing to use the potential of this film).
Therefore the customers keep preferring the amateur films (Paradies, Kodak Farbwelt) which dm is offering.

Now the 2,15€ at dm drugstores for Ektar is only a clearance sale. They are selling their last stock. And after that Ektar is not offered anymore by dm.
That's all.

But back to the original topic: AgfaPhoto CT Precisa 100.
This film is now available at all German drugstore chains. Not only at dm, but also at Rossmann and Müller.
Prices vary between 3,75€ a roll and 4,79€ a roll.

Cheers, Jan

[angelopartemi]

Here is a sample of Agfa CT 100 shot with a Hexar AF
I really love this film, especially for the price.

[HHPhoto]

Originally Posted by Fotohuis

As long as DM Drogerie in Germany (19% VAT) and Kruidvat in Holland (for Agfa Photo / Fuji film 21% VAT) is offering Kodak Ektar 100 for Eur. 2,15 for a 135-36 film or equivalent prices in Holland for Agfa Photo CN films I am not going to do any attempt to try to get this market and make suicide for these prices.
They even do not know what they are selling.

Hi Robert,

you've got my comment completely wrong. No one expects you to get into a price war with the drugstore chains.
But what the market needs is much more marketing for film.
For example there are lots of young photographers for which film is completely new. Lots of them are openminded and interested in new things like film.
But they want to know what advantages, strength and unique characteristics film have.
They think the film suppliers should be able to tell them. They look on their websites and see.....nothing.
There is a big chance for you and your collegues to get lots of new customers.

Silverprint and Blue Moon Camera for example have made first steps in this direction. With success, they've got got lots of new, loyal customers.

Originally Posted by Fotohuis

Look at Lomography. 120 roll film for Eur. 60,- / 5 pack for their "special" IR color film. Pre-paid, maybe delivery in June 2013.
That is a better idea for surviving in the actual film market.

Well Lomography is doing marketing for film as a photographic medium. They promote film use especially to young people who have grown up in the digital world.
These people appreciate Lomography's marketing efforts and are willing to pay higher prices to support their marketing efforts.
Same is valid for the Impossible Project.

If other film specialised distributors (like Freestyle, macodirect, Fotoimpex, ars-imago, you etc.) would start a marketing strategy for film, lots of customers would appreciate it. And they would accept a higher margin on the distributors side. Like the customers of Impossible and Lomography do.

Cheers, Jan

[Fotohuis]

And they would accept a higher margin on the distributors side.

They do not. At the end they are ordering in Germany because they can get a better price due to a lower VAT in Germany 19% instead of 21%.

Even in the Dutch Analog Foto Forum I get 5 private messages a day for information and for, of course professional answers. And at the end they say "thank you" and the next day it is an ordering for Germany or a cheap Drug store like DM or Kruidvat.

More or less the same like in a regular store: Asking for information, demonstration and then ordering on-line , even for the lowest price in the USA when possible without additional import duties and a minimum of extra VAT.

You have no idea what can be going on: I exchanged in Holland for free the bad batch Fomapan T200 from Foma, the Czech Republic. I have excellent contacts at Foma in Hradec Kralové. I am only asking a copy of the bill and Batchnr. of my clients. For a period of one year I can track easily all sellings of this film to who and when and these clients got an e-mail from me for free exchange. And then suddenly I got 200 rolls from somebody never heard from it without any bill and e-mail for exchange.

Of course not bought at Fotohuis but somewhere for the lowest price elswhere and this distributor was not willing to do anything with these films.

And then they are mad when you are not exchanging these films for them for free.

I have learned already enough in this business.

Best regards, beste Grüsse,

Robert

[sailor]

I've been trying out Agfaphoto Precisa CT 100 and have been delighted with the results. Definitely worth the money. These examples were shot with my Minolta Dynax 9 and either the 24-85mm or 80-200 f4 beercan. I shot two films and did not have a single duff exposure. I love the Dynax 9.


My Greyhound Sandy by Elmer Duck, on Flickr


Phone box & View Towards Conista by Elmer Duck, on Flickr


MV Hebrides by Elmer Duck, on Flickr


MV Hebrides Approaching Uig by Elmer Duck, on Flickr