Efke woes

[Woodsy]

Apologies if this has been posted already...

Looks like Efke are no longer producing film: Bad news for Adox CHS series films initially, but it appears that Adox are going to become self sufficient in due course. Just as well imho, I can't survive without CHS25!

http://lavidaleica.com/content/fotokemika-ceases-production-affects-efkeadox

Also, AGPhotographic here in the UK confirm the above.

[renes]

I love CHS 25, my main film! Time to make huge buy.

[evan clarke]

There's not a huge supply to buy unless you do it right now and verify it..Freestyle in the US is talking im terms of five to ten boxes only of most products..

[AuditorOne]

There's not a huge supply to buy unless you do it right now and verify it..Freestyle in the US is talking im terms of five to ten boxes only of most products..

This is true. The supply on hand is being bought up very quickly. Word has it that Efke has some additional coated stock that has not yet been cut or distributed so there may be more available at some point in the near future. But that may just be another rumor, and if not it will likely go quite quickly as well. I know I will be watching Freestyle closely over the next few weeks, just in case.

[Michael Kadillak]

I love CHS 25, my main film! Time to make huge buy.

When you wait for the news of the demise of this film to make a "huge buy" you are at serious risk. The time to do so was before they made the decision to shut down.

[Sevo]

Looks like Efke are no longer producing film: Bad news for Adox CHS series films initially, but it appears that Adox are going to become self sufficient in due course. Just as well imho, I can't survive without CHS25!


I'd be very surprised if Adox can carry on CHS25 on their own - while they now have a coating lab (and cooperate with the Inoviscoat coating plant, so that they can up-scale), their gear, expertise and even their consultants all have a Agfa background. Buying into Efke components and knowledge would be quite a detour from their plans. Personally I'd be happier if they stick to their intentions and revive APX 400, and maybe do something in the legacy of Agfapan 25 to fill the gap left by Efke, rather than try to set up for yet another very different film family.

[Michael Kadillak]

I'd be very surprised if Adox can carry on CHS25 on their own - while they now have a coating lab (and cooperate with the Inoviscoat coating plant, so that they can up-scale), their gear, expertise and even their consultants all have a Agfa background. Buying into Efke components and knowledge would be quite a detour from their plans. Personally I'd be happier if they stick to their intentions and revive APX 400, and maybe do something in the legacy of Agfapan 25 to fill the gap left by Efke, rather than try to set up for yet another very different film family.

I get the impression that there is in fact a reformulated group of films coming down the pike. To the degree that they have the necessary esthetic appeal to support a higher price point remains to be seen. I hope like hell they do because loosing a known product is not a good feeling particularly in ULF sizes.

[renes]

Adox, keep the Efke 25 alive !!!

[BILL3075]

What Michael said above, so stay tuned...... At best, it probably will be a new version of Agfapan; and most likely ISO100 first, then perhaps ISO25 later. Good chance it will be available in most LF sizes. No matter what, though, expect to pay more.


Adox, keep the Efke 25 alive !!!

[renes]

I believe that new Agfapan 25 iso version film will be a great film, but it will not render certainly same image as Efke 25. I do not know any B&W which is close to it, only Efke 50.

[Michael Kadillak]

Adox, keep the Efke 25 alive !!!

The coating equipment at Adox should have done the dirt dance in 1985. They kept it alive alive and kicking all of those incremental years because of the sheer determination and hard work. Without a major failure it was hope and pray for continued good fortune. The major failure took place, the coroner was called, the death certificate was issued and the funeral has taken place. There is nothing more that needs to be said because Adox is a page in the history books.

It was good while it lasted and the stock I have will be used wisely.....

Onward!

[James_Spain]

I believe that new Agfapan 25 iso version film will be a great film, but it will not render certainly same image as Efke 25. I do not know any B&W which is close to it, only Efke 50.

?

Please tell more.

Is this being re-released?

[Roger Cole]

The coating equipment at Adox should have done the dirt dance in 1985. They kept it alive alive and kicking all of those incremental years because of the sheer determination and hard work. Without a major failure it was hope and pray for continued good fortune. The major failure took place, the coroner was called, the death certificate was issued and the funeral has taken place. There is nothing more that needs to be said because Adox is a page in the history books.

It was good while it lasted and the stock I have will be used wisely.....

Onward!

Um, no. Adox is alive and well. The MCC and MCP papers are coated in Germany. Fotokemika/Efke is in Croatia. Adox is working on a new version of Polywarmtone.

The confusion is because Adox also sold material coated by Fotokemika/Efke. The Adox Vario papers for one, the CHS films for another. So the CHS films and some of the Adox papers are going away, but the superb Adox MCC and MCP papers are, thank goodness, not, and other products may be coming out. Mirko from Adox posts on APUG and is talking about possible doing an ISO 25 film coated in Germany as well as possible yearly runs of an IR film using the IR820 sensitizer.

[Sevo]

The confusion is because Adox also sold material coated by Fotokemika/Efke.

It is way more complex than that. Adox (a.k.a. Dr. Schleussner) of old was the second largest German film factory up into the sixties - a Dupont subsidiary since the early fifties, they grew into a global heavyweight in process and X-ray film, and quit photography (where they did not have a global presence like in their technical branch) by the seventies. Their patents and production line were sold on to Fotokemika in Yugoslavia, but as the Schleussner heirs had only leased the use of the Adox trademark to Dupont and socialist Yugoslavia did not want to pay extra for that, the product line, now made in Yugoslavia, was eventually renamed Efke. Fotoimpex, the German Efke importer for something like thirty years, recently acquired the now abandoned Adox trade mark, and started to use it for items from their catalogue - among them a few relabelled Efke ones, but also some of their own which they developed with former Agfa engineers.

Technically the stuff made by Efke is the film photo lab books from the sixties/seventies knew as Adox - the first thin layer films on the market, a lineage wholly independent from Agfa, Kodak and Ilford and arguably the highest resolving films in each sensitivity class in the early sixties - while the non-Efke products now distributed as Adox are based on the last Agfa products before their collapse.

[Roger Cole]

Thanks for the rest of the story. It's as interesting as it is confusing.

But still - of the products currently sold as Adox, some are going away, some are not, some new ones are in development (particularly Polywarmtone) and there's a chance some will be replaced with new ones

[Woodsy]

Um, no. Adox is alive and well. The MCC and MCP papers are coated in Germany. Fotokemika/Efke is in Croatia. Adox is working on a new version of Polywarmtone.

The confusion is because Adox also sold material coated by Fotokemika/Efke. The Adox Vario papers for one, the CHS films for another. So the CHS films and some of the Adox papers are going away, but the superb Adox MCC and MCP papers are, thank goodness, not, and other products may be coming out. Mirko from Adox posts on APUG and is talking about possible doing an ISO 25 film coated in Germany as well as possible yearly runs of an IR film using the IR820 sensitizer.

That is certainly good news. I very much hope that replacements for the ISO 25 and 50 films are brought out sooner rather than later. While I do love acros 100, some slower films will be very welcome!

Without wishing to sound stupid, are there any other makes out there that do sub ISO 100 sheet film? Ilford, Fuji, Kodak agfa, kentmere, foma, rollie all don't (to the best of my knowledge) make any, but have I missed a make that does?

[Roger Cole]

Fomapan 400 in my experience is best used at 200. I don't know if the same "it's really a stop slower" applies to Fomapan 100.

And t-grain films like TMX and Delta 100 will certainly tolerate exposure at 50 with absolutely no problems. Some people believe TMX is closer to a 50 speed film anyway.

[edp]

are there any other makes out there that do sub ISO 100 sheet film?

I have a fridge full of Wephota NP15 (DIN 15, so ISO 25), which I understand to be coated by Filmotec in Germany. It comes in ORWO packaging.

See http://www.lumiere-shop.de/index.php?page=categorie&cat=640 for example.

[IanG]

Fomapan 400 in my experience is best used at 200. I don't know if the same "it's really a stop slower" applies to Fomapan 100.

And t-grain films like TMX and Delta 100 will certainly tolerate exposure at 50 with absolutely no problems. Some people believe TMX is closer to a 50 speed film anyway.

I use both Fomapan 100 & 200 at half their box speeds with great results but they need less development than other films or contrast builds up excessively. I did test when I began using Foma films 5 or 6 years ago.

Ironically I shoot Tmax 100 and EFKE/adox PL25 at 50EI same dev times for both, again the results of testing and also many years of use. The 25 nmae comes from its Tungsten ISO speed it's a stop faster in Daylight.

Ian

[Michael Kadillak]

I use both Fomapan 100 & 200 at half their box speeds with great results but they need less development than other films or contrast builds up excessively. I did test when I began using Foma films 5 or 6 years ago.

Ironically I shoot Tmax 100 and EFKE/adox PL25 at 50EI same dev times for both, again the results of testing and also many years of use. The 25 nmae comes from its Tungsten ISO speed it's a stop faster in Daylight.

Ian

For you what developers work best with Fomapan 100?

[John Kasaian]

IMHO, Agfapan 25 & 400 would be great options to have again for sheet film!

[Andrew O'Neill]

possible yearly runs of an IR film using the IR820 sensitizer.

fingers crossed...

[IanG]

For you what developers work best with Fomapan 100?

I now use Pyrocat HD for all my films including Fomapan 100 & 200 and get great results, I've also used Xtol (replenished) with Fomapan 100 & 200 and again good results, I've standardised on Pyrocat as I travel between two locations and it gives me negtaives that are easy to print.

Ian

[Michael Kadillak]

I now use Pyrocat HD for all my films including Fomapan 100 & 200 and get great results, I've also used Xtol (replenished) with Fomapan 100 & 200 and again good results, I've standardised on Pyrocat as I travel between two locations and it gives me negtaives that are easy to print.

Ian

I will have to give it a second look. My first pass at Fomapan 100 and Pyrocat HD did not provide me with the density build on the negative that I was expecting. Next time I will lower the ASA and let the development times increase.

[drew.saunders]

I just called Freestyle about the IR820C Aura in 4x5 50-sheet boxes, and the had some and were expecting more, so if you need some Efke film, you might not be completely out of luck just yet. I ordered 2 boxes, which should keep me going for years, based on my current usage.

[SpeedGraphicMan]

Favorite for 35mm was Efke 25!

[hendrik faure]

Looks like Efke are no longer producing film: Bad news for Adox CHS series films initially, but it appears that Adox are going to become self sufficient in due course. Just as well imho, I can't survive without CHS25!

http://www.fotoimpex.de/shop/ (the catalogue is mostly german)