Securing Fresh Supplies of 25 ASA LF Black and White Film

[Regular Rod]

This forum has many participants. Just how influential might the membership be? Over the last couple of days I have been searching for slow speed panchromatic film in 8x10 and 4x5 sheets and (if possible) 120 Rolls. It is old news that EFKE, ADOX et al have simply dropped from the market and are unlikely to return. For those of us without a lifetime supply stashed in cold storage what can we do except buy the odd lot that is occasionally made available, out-of-date, unguaranteed and over-priced?

One company approached was b+g Banse und Grohmann GmbH who sent me a price list. There listed was sheet film in every inch size that ever there was, including 20x24, and the prices were very reasonable. I immediately asked to order some 8x10 and 4x5 of their product NP15, which is panchromatic 25 ASA. The reply came back that they could only supply 100 ASA. This not being what was wanted I asked if the lack of 25 ASA was permanent or if there may be some available in future. The reply came back that due to a lack of funds they couldn't make any more NP15... Naturally my next request was "How much money do you need?" "€30,000..." This was so they could make a jumbo roll that is then cut to sheets. OK I haven't got a spare €30,000, I bet not many of us have. However, could a consortium of forum members be formed to make it worth this small scale manufacturer's while to make this film available again? We would be offering a sure bet to the company and at the same time securing a supply of sheet film of 25 ASA with traditional high silver content. In effect we would simply be offering to place "making orders" on b+g Banse und Grohmann GmbH.

If enough of us believe this to be worth trying, how do we go about it? Is anyone interested?

RR

[Mark Woods]

Put the goal on Kickstarter with the various amounts put into the fund going to the purchase of a given quantity of film & format. You'd have to get a breakdown of prices so individuals would know what they have to put in for the film they want.

[hendrik faure]

I am highly interested. The film gives optimal results with Tannol- development is best for Guillotine- and MMC- shutter.
I telephoned to Mr. Grohmann: 30.000€ in advance is right. It would not be necessary to specify in advance the formates, this can be done (in reasonable amounts) individually after the production of the film, so you get what formates ever you want for your money.
I have bought for years from B&G (they are some 50 miles from me) and they are sometimes slow, sometimes fast, but were always reliable. By the way, they offer orthochromatic glass plates.
hfa

[Andrew O'Neill]

I would support this! Putting it on Kickstarter is a good idea.

[Mark Woods]

An individual could "donate" to kickstarter based on the square footage s/he expected to be produced. For example, it costs the same to make the sheets regardless of how they're cut. So what we pay for is the real estate of the total amount of what we want in the desired format.

[Oren Grad]

Folks, read the Kickstarter guidelines. For starters, it's currently open only to ventures in the US, UK and Canada. But more fundamentally, KS was established to enable funding of new "creative projects", not production runs and volume sales of established products.

Talk to Keith Canham or Freestyle. But keep in mind that €30,000 is more than double what Canham has to raise for one of his Kodak special orders.

EDIT: And a question: is €30,000 the price for finished product (boxes of cut sheets) or just the cost to coat a master roll, after which additional funds would be required for finishing to specific formats?

[mdm]

Its a wonderful film. I got 50 sheets. I would support some sort of 'kickstarter' style fundraising, specially if the film is cheap and available in 5x7, whole plate and 11x14. 60 people with 500 euros, a tall order maybe but very possible.

[UlbabraB]

Wephota NP15 was Efke 25 (and NP22 is Fomapan 100), I'm wondering if they have found a master roll somewhere or they can run a last 25 ASA batch in Efke's factory. Anyway count me in, I'd like some 5x7, 8x10, 8,5x15 and 14x17 boxes and Kickstarter seems a viable option for this project!

[Regular Rod]

Rather than adding another layer of complication to things such as a Kickstarter campaign (for which this is probably not eligible) could we not instead simply go straight to the company?

There is a real need for a panchromatic, high-quality, 25 ASA film. This company can supply it but they are somehow divorced from their potential clients, who are spread over the surface of the globe. Our difficulty arises in that not one of us requires 30,000 Eurosworth of film for our own use.

However, even in this one puny thread, we have identified several of us who would be happy to buy SOME of the film in sizes to suit our individual needs. How about we each state on here how many sheets, in whatever sizes, that we would be prepared to buy of this film (called NP15)? If the thread looks as though we have enough requirement to equate to the 30,000 € then one of us, preferably fluent in German, could re-approach the company and find out how we go about consolidating our needs into one big fat making order.

The prices are as below:

Packungen a' 25 Blatt (This means 25 sheets in a pack)

Format / inch - NP 15 (25 ASA) - ohne MwSt. - mit MwSt.

2 ½ x 3 ½____________________7.97 €______ 9.48 €

3 ¼ x 4 ¼ __________________12.57 €_____14.96 €

3 ½ x 5 ½___________________14.32 €_____17.04 €

4 x 5_______________________13.80 €_____16.42 €

4 ¾ x 6 ½___________________23.63 €_____28.12 €

5 x 7_______________________20.50 €_____24.40 €

8 x 10______________________51.45 €_____61.23 €

10 x 12____________________109.20 €____129.95 €

10 x 15____________________135,14 €____160,82 €

8,5 x 15___________________114.45 €____136.20 €

11 x 14___________________140.15 €____166.78 €

12 x 15___________________163.82 €____194.95 €

14 x 17___________________216.61 €____257.77 €

12 x 20___________________218.44 €____259.94 €

20 x 24___________________436.84 €____519.84 €

I think the lower price is without VAT and would apply to non-EU buyers. The rest of us get the higher prices in the right hand column.


Maybe a story-free post from each of us that simply states the sizes and quantities wanted with the prices and then total price at the end? That will make it easy to keep track of the "demand". If and when the total looks attainable then we can contact the company and introduce them to a whole new group of clients from around the world...


RR

[Regular Rod]

8 Boxes of 25 sheets 4x5 of NP 15 @ 16.42 € per box = 131.36 €
4 Boxes of 25 sheets 8x10 of NP15 @ 61.23 € per box = 244.92 €
__________________________________Total Order = 376.28 €