Fotokemika shuts down paper manufacture

[Roger Cole]

It could just be a rumor too. Nothing on LF-Rookie either, I'm sure he heard something from someone and he's just trying to pass the word. I think I'd wait and see if this is corroborated by a few more sources before I started blowing my life savings on Efke.

In any case, Ilford says they're in it for the long haul and should be making film and paper for at least the next 20 years. I sure hope that's true!

They certainly do. I support Ilford by using a fair number of their products, and I'm thinking seriously about changing to Ilford from some others.

What small companies can do that larger ones like Ilford probably can't are niche products with relatively low demand. Ilford makes SFX film and could probably make a true IR film if they wanted, but my guess is that the market isn't sufficient for them.

[John Kasaian]

The Efke sheet films I've used were slow (pl25) and easily scratched, but I used to shoot a lot of Efke in 127 format (pl100) although it's been so expensive I haven't bought any in quite awhile. It sounds like this will spell the end of my silly Brownie infatuation I will miss Emaks though, especially since Slavich is no longer imported to the US.

[Roger Cole]

It could just be a rumor too. Nothing on LF-Rookie either, I'm sure he heard something from someone and he's just trying to pass the word. I think I'd wait and see if this is corroborated by a few more sources before I started blowing my life savings on Efke.

In any case, Ilford says they're in it for the long haul and should be making film and paper for at least the next 20 years. I sure hope that's true!

It COULD be a rumor, but check out Freestyle's specials page. Full of lots and lots of Emaks and Varycon paper. At least the only film on there from Efke is 11x14 and 16x20 sheet film.

Since I've been back in photography starting in 2010, every single "rumor" I've read about a company going under or a material being discontinued has turned out to be true.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/clearance.php?man=

[Sylvester Graham]

RIP Efke. If true. Maybe someone will buy their equipment like the impossible project did for Polaroid. Although I doubt it, since they aren't exactly legends.

Remember, you can make your own emulsions, folks.

[Roger Cole]

Someone on APUG said they called Freestyle and were told they were stopping production of paper, but not film. IDK about the accuracy of that, of course.

[AuditorOne]

I certainly hope that Freestyle is right. I just recently started working very closely with the Efke 25 film because it works so well with my 35mm and medium format rangefinders with 1/500 second shutter speed limits. I am just now getting to the point where I think I understand what I am doing and I would be very disappointed if this film is discontinued. There are certainly other options but none that fit my current needs so well.

[Roger Cole]

I've never used the film though I have a mostly full 50 sheet box of 4x5 Efke 100 in the freezer, courtesy of a nice seller who threw it in as a bonus with a graphmatic. I've been meaning to try it. But I'd like to try the Infrared film.

If it only impacts the Fotokema and Emaks branded papers it won't really affect me as I've never used them. I do sincerely hope that Adox/Fotoimpex coats the MCC 110 and the RC 111 and 112 versions somewhere else and those continue. I'd hate to lose them. I also hope, if Arista Silver Artist is Varycon, that Freestyle finds someone else to coat a quality emulsion on that cotton rag paper. Funny how you can miss something that just came out and you barely tried, but I like it well enough to have been looking forward to using more of it.

[Andrew O'Neill]

and maybe one of the other makers will bring out an IR film in sheets - and a better one than the Rollei in rolls - if they go away

Well, I've got 100 sheets of Efke 8x10 IR which should last me a while. When it's gone, maybe Ilford will offer their SFX 200 in 4x5. I would buy tons of it if they did.

[Roger Cole]

No experience or even recall seeing shots on SFX. How close to infrared, how much of an IR effect can you get?

I didn't know the Rollei IR was available in sheets. It's not in the Freestyle catalog but they do list it on their web page. But Rollei is just a marketing name now so it may be made by Fotokemika for all I know, though the results I've seen look like it's different film from the Efke.

[Brian C. Miller]

For all practical purposes, Efke, SFX, and Konica have the same response. I don't have a handy scan to demonstrate it, so you'll just have to take my word for it. Sorry!

With deciduous trees and grass, you can get great IR effect. With conifers and shrubs, it goes downhill, but you never, ever, really know what's going to happen. Seriously, just when you thought you couldn't get something, it just happens. My first few rolls of Konica are really hit and miss like that. Anyways, it's a fun film, and I can, for a while still at least, get it in sheets.

(I emailed Fotokemika, and maybe they'll reply. Have to wait and see.)