Tabular grain shapes are normal and have been observed in emulsions
since microscopic examinations first started being made. In any
heterogeneous silver halide emulsion a certain proportion of grains are
almost certain to be tabular. In fact, it's hard to make an emulsion
that has none, I am told.
The ingenuity behind many patents lies in coming up with emulsification
methods that yield predominately tabular grains, and each manufacturer
makes them with certain special characteristics. Thus Ilford's tabular
films and Kodak's tabular films resemble each other but are still
noticeably different.
I think I remember reading somewhere (or did I dream it?) that Kodak did
successfully enforce patent rights against Foma a few years ago. If so,
I find it surprising that Foma couldn't have come up with a
non-infringing emulsion of their own, since so many tabular emulsion
patents are now expired and in the public domain.
Fuji's current films are all tabular, would be my guess -- I say that
since they continue filing patents that involve tabular emulsions.
David Foy
My personal belief is that Fuji could not "copy" Kodak's patented "tab" grained film. I believe they developed their own grain technology. That's my opinion from bits and pieces that I have picked-up from various sources over the years. It might be correct, and it might not. But I really like the Fuji Acros 100 and Neopan 1600 films. I don't particularly like Tmax films.
IMHO,
Jim
At 11:16 AM 6/14/2006 -0500, Bob Randall wrote:
Do you think it has the same grain characteristics as Kodak's high speed tab
film?
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