Fujifilm’s re-released version of its much-loved Neopan Acros II black-and-white film appears to be made in the UK.
The film – which was re-released after being discontinued in 2018 – has started shipping to Japanese retailers this week.
But the 100-ISO film’s packaging appears to show that the new, reformulated emulsion is made in the UK, rather than Japan.
Japanese Instagram user schoichi_ayoyama posted a picture of the 120-format packaging in on an Instagram Story which clearly shows the words: “Made in UK”.
The only commercial film producer in the UK is, of course, Ilford Photo.
There is no suggestion, however, that the film is repackaged Ilford Photo product, rather that Fujifilm have used another facility to produce this first version of the film.
Ilford Photo tweeted on Friday morning: “I can 100% guarantee that we do not put our ILFORD films into boxes for any other companies.”
Emulsive tweeted the film’s spec sheet on Friday (22 November) which shows the new Acros 100 II shows near enough the same reciprocity values as the old version of the film. Acros was regarded by photographers as the best film for long exposures, needing no adjustment to shutter times.
Kosmo Foto has contacted Fujifilm UK to find out more details about the film and its apparent UK manufacturing.
There is as yet no announcement of when the film will be sold outside Japan, though Emulsive reported last week that it is likely the film should be available in Spring of 2020.
I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).
I’m doing everything I can to promote film photography in the 21st Century, and help it survive and thrive. If you want to write something for Kosmo Foto, please drop me a line at foto.dowling@gmail.com.
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Perhaps it’s just the cardboard box…??
No, I think that’s unlikely. 😉
Ilford have put their product into another companies before!!! They made the Fuji 400cn which is ilford xp2
400CN is made by Ilford. But it is definitely not the same formulation as XP2. We process it. Ilford are 100% sincere when they say they wont “own label” an Ilford branded product, a very long standing policy of the company. Fuji devise the formulation and use Ilford to cook it up, make it and confection it for them. Fujifilm then handle distribution.
The wrapper around the film spool sure looks like Ilfords. Ilford may not “put our ILFORD films into boxes for any other companies”, but they may put Fujifilm (made by Ilford under contract) in Fujifilm’s boxes. Perhaps Fuji now lacks the coating machinery for B&W, enlisting Ilford to do the work. This is not the first time Ilford made film for Fuji. Neopan 400 CN was made by Ilford at one time.
There is a new post in the Japanese Instagram user schoichi_ayoyama.
He received some rolls and some information from fujifilm, and he posted (free translation by myself):
“Apparently the emulsion development and production is being held in the Ashigara Factory, and the final processing is being outsourced. This decision was made to guarantee long-term stable production.
Since the last processing step is being made in UK, they are using the MADE IN UK mark.
Well, it doesn’t matter where it’s being manufactured anyway.”
Ashigara Factory is a Fujifilm factory in Japan.
Good news!!
Awesome extra info, thank you so much!
[…] noted by Kosmo Foto, Japanese photographer shoichi_aoyama posted a now-expired Instagram story showing “Made in […]