Agfa discontinues ALL MEDIUM FORMAT FILMS... NOT!!!

[skahde]

This Morning Ralf Büscher from Agfa Germany officially commented on the ongoing rumours about Agfa discontinuing their line of 120 films on http://www.schwarzweiss-magazin.de/swmag_frame_forum.htm:

"Agfa wird in Deutschland auch in Zukunft Rollfilm (Format 120) anbieten. Anderslautende Gerüchte, die derzeit in Internetforen kursieren, treffen also nicht zu."

Let me try to translate: "Agfa (germany) will continue to offer 120 films in germany for the foreseeable future. Rumours to the contrary currently circulating on Internet-forums are false."

He furthermore states that decisions to offer or not offer a product in a certain country is the sole decision of the local distributor. Therefore, as I understand this, if Agfa Sweden will no longer deliver 120 films, it has been Agfa Sweden's decision to end their customers supply of film that is still being manufactured and sold elsewhere.

best

Stefan

 

[david b]

This is really great news for several reasons.

The first being that the "rumor" has made it inside to someone at Agfa.
Second, now they know we love their film.

Maybe this means something?

 

[gma]

Sounds promising, but does continuing to offer film in Germany in the foreseeable future really mean anything to us?


gma

 

[Tom Duffy]

yeah, it means you'll be able to order it from J&C

 

[skahde]

Sounds promising, but does continuing to offer film in Germany in the foreseeable future really mean anything to us?
gma

Agfa Germany can only speak for Agfa Germany. If Agfa USA decides not to carry 120, they are obviously free to do so. If you want to replenish your stocks now you can get as much as you can carry even if local distributors don't have it in stock or removed it from their list as Agfa is still manufacturing it and will at least deliver it via the mailorder-company already mentioned, the latter being a last resort.

Stefan

 

[Aggie]

Wasn't this how the demise of agfa apx100 in 4x5 started last year? Seems it only took a couple of months and it was entirely gone. Same response from agfa too.

 

[skahde]

Wasn't this how the demise of agfa apx100 in 4x5 started last year? Seems it only took a couple of months and it was entirely gone. Same response from agfa too.

Good point. If was in love with APX 100/400 in 120 I would fill my freezer right now as long as it is available. Maybe a good time to fill the freezer with *anything* you would miss in a few years from now.

Stefan

 

[jrong]

I've heard from an insider source that Agfa Scala is being put "on trial" for the next 18 months or so before Agfa decides on its future. I can only guess that Scala sales are disappointing, what with the difficulties associated with processing the film in numerous countries. Living in London, I consider myself fortunate to have easy access to the sole UK lab that processes Scala. However, it is also one of my very favourite B+W films and this is very disturbing news. What can we film users do to persuade Agfa not to pull this excellent product?? Given Agfa's track record, I don't feel particularly optimistic.....

Jin

 

[gma]

For anyone who has not had the opportunity to view Agfa Scala 35mm slides, they are really amazing. I recently attended an architectural lecture that had all Scala slides. They have a full range of tones and look very sharp to me. I read somewhere that scanning from a Scala LF transparency for publication is superior to using either negatives or prints. In the US there are only 3 processing labs that I am aware of. The cost for 35mm is about $15 including processing. I suspect that this is another superior product about to disappear from the market due to lack of interest.


gma

 

[jrong]

Not sure if it is lack of interest from users or a flawed marketing strategy from Agfa. Whatever the case, it'll be a sad sad day if Scala were to disappear from our shelves. I might have to buy a new freezer.

Jin

 

[gma]

You are probably right, jrong. I had seen the name Agfa Scala in photo magazine mail order ads, but I never paid any attention until I saw the slides at the architectural lecture. When I heard that special mail- in processing is required I lost interest. I can't think of any reason to use Scala in LF unless I wanted to publish b&w photos. There are excellent negative films available that we can process ourselves + or - to our personal requirements.

gma

 

[Annemarieke]

Scala is absolutely beautiful. I have been using it in 35 mm format for the past two years, mostly for close-ups in nature. I consider it to be the "fibre" quality of slide material and to me it is an enormous bonus that it is in black & white.

Due to health reasons I have not been able to do any long printing sessions recently, and Scala forms a perfect alternative.

As to scanning: I have found Scala to be very hard to scan. It can be quite contrasty and colour casts is also a problem. Scanning the matte side of the slides helps, but only marginally.

I have now asked a photography friend who owns a very good scanner and who has more knowledge than me about scanning, to scan a few slides for me. When I get them back next Tuesday, I will post some examples.

To me it is not at all a problem that very few labs process this material. I buy mailers and send it to the lab in Amsterdam, or take it there myself, in which case I have it back in two hours.

When I am in Scotland doing my landscape photography, I post the films directly from there to the lab in Holland, and the slides are waiting for me at home when I come back.

I truly hope Agfa does not discontinue this beautiful film.

Anne Marieke

 

[gma]

I fully agree. It is a most beautiful product for 35mm slides. I believe that the market for black & white slides is very limited in the US, however.

gma

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

Scala and general reversal question

I just started looking at Scala as a potential way to get to larger negatives for contact printing:

Shoot Scala
Enlarge onto large Sheet film (perhaps litho with contone developer)
Contact print

This seemed easier that interpositive or whatever that involves.

In reading, I see that it may be possible to get a positive transparency from a negative by reversing.

Do I understand this correctly and is the quality good enough?

I have aerial film in mind (Kodak 2402).

Thanks

Murray