Cease of production of Rollei R3

[AgX]

Maco has announced that the production of the R3 has been stopped.

The cease of production has been reasoned by Maco by stating that the R3 was hard to push into the market due to its 3-layer technology.

Actually this most probably means that the production will not be taken up again, as already in July they announced the stop of production of the sheetfilm version. At the same time they stated to be able to deliver the very much asked for spooled versions for a very long time due to their stocks. And a shift of production to Japan or Belgium was indicated then.


However, coated on a dyed PET base the film seems still to be produced as Filmotec’s own Orwo TC 27.

 

[Henning Serger]

AgX is referring to this official statement of Maco at www.aphog.de :

http://www.aphog.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=7273

It is right that next year the last 135 and 120 R3 films will be sold.

But three new films are introduced, which will hit the market next year:
1. Rollei Retro 80S
2. Rollei Retro 100 Plus (at first sheet film will be offered, when stocks of Retro 100 will be depleted then 135 and 120 format wil be offered, too)
3. Rollei ATP 3.1

So, one film lost, but three new films won.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Mahler_one]

Rollei R3 sheet film

Is Rollei R3 sheet film available any longer?

Ed

 

[Stefan Findel]

Seems, it's no longer produced.
http://macodirect.de/analog-sheet-films-c-1_386.html
Stefan

 

[sly]

I liked R3 and have a stash in the freezer.

They had a run that got notched in the wrong corner (or some of it did). They sold it off at discount prices and stopped making it. The stuff in my freezer is from that batch. When I enquired via Email I was told there was none available; it was Wolfgang Moersch who let me know there were some problematic sheets left. I was only able to buy it because I have family in Germany who ordered it for me. After I bought mine last spring they had 400 sheets left. Probably all gone now.

 

[Alexander Ghaffari]

Several photographers have told me that they had quality issues with the R3 sheet film, but not in 35mm or 120 format. Has anyone here experienced any quality problems with R3 sheet film?

 

[Mahler_one]

As I feared...thanks.

 

[Aurelien]

Well it is a pity because things were known about R3. Retro 80S is superpanchromatic with IR extended sensitivity... What is the emulsion of retro 100 plus?
Probably an already made film from gevaert, but which one?

At this time we can not pet a film, we do not have the time : when we know it well it is discontinued... it s boring a bit...

Fortunately, pan 25 is still made.

 

[AgX]

Aurelien,

Obviously the strategy of Maco is to shine by means of a large assortment of films. And that is great for any photographer.

However, the minimum production runs at Agfa and still so with the smaller coating or converting companies make every custom coating or conversion an endeavour.

To my understanding the R3 was a given emulsion custom coated on two other bases. If sales don't let expect any reasonable profit by a new production run, the cease of such is understandible.

I rather don't see this as boring or annoying but rather as the risk of us users when accepting such choice.

Annoying however is the confusion originating by Macos's information policy in general; but I hinted at that before and it is not to that extent related to the case of the R3.

 

[Mahler_one]

Several photographers have told me that they had quality issues with the R3 sheet film, but not in 35mm or 120 format. Has anyone here experienced any quality problems with R3 sheet film?

No, but I didn't use very much. I admit to liking the "quality" of the negatives the film provided, and the prints made from R3 negatives had deep easily printed shadows, and highlights that did not block up.

Too bad.

 

[Klopstock]

So, what's next? If a small manufacturer drops one of his best-known products... does anyone know if Maco/Rollei is in trouble?

 

[AgX]

Mahler one,

In case the Orwo TC 27 has got the same emulsion as the R3, as Maco once stated, and there should still seem to exist sufficient demand for sheetfilm, why not contact Wephota and ask them to offer Filmotec's Orwo TC 27 as sheets (in 100μ though)?

 

[JanaM]

So, what's next? If a small manufacturer drops one of his best-known products... does anyone know if Maco/Rollei is in trouble?

Yes, I know, because a friend of mine is working in the photo industry. I have asked him and he said that Maco is very healthy and better operating than most of the competitors. Their market share is increasing.
They now have the greatest BW film programme on the market, with 14 different films (without R3). Next year the new films Retro 80S, Retro 100Plus and ATP 3.1 will hit the market.

In the german forum www.aphog.de there is an official statement from Maco that R3 ist stopped because of very high production costs (3 layer coating) and the fact that the other films like Superpan 200 are selling much better. They said the market prefers the other, newer films and that they are reacting to the changes in demand.

Regards, Jana

 

[Mahler_one]

<Orwo TC 27>?????

I'm sorry....I simply don't understand what you are referring to in your post. Who is Wephota?

Thanks.

Ed

 

[PHOTOTONE]

I believe "Orwo" is film coated and marketed by Filmotec in Germany. Maco contracted with Filmotec to custom coat and cut film using one of their existing film emulsion formulas they already sell in the motion picture and survellience industry. Hence Rollei R3 is actually a film from Filmotec which may be still sold in 35mm by other vendors. Maco was the only source for the sheet-film sizes of this emulsion, as they custom comissioned it. Wephota is another German "marketer" of photographic films and papers, but does not actually own a coating line. They have their name put on existing products. To my knowledge the only film coating plant operating in Germany is Filmotec (formerly Orwo), and they are specialized in motion picture and survellience emulsions in b/w only. Other vendors possibly offer Filmotec coated filmstocks for still camera use but as I said, Maco was the only vendor to offer sheet-film sizes from Filmotec emulsions.

 

[AgX]

Both, Filmotec and Wephota, are off-springs of the late GDR Orwo company.

Filmotec originating from one of their research departments are now producing films. (Under Orwo brand.)
They are one of the suppliers for Maco and their Rollei brand.

Wephota originates from one of the late Orwo photographic paper coaters. They stopped manufacturing paper and turned into a sales house. But as, aside from manufacturing paper, they had been involved in converting film masterolls into sheets, they still cut, and sell, sheet film.

 

[ath]

<Orwo TC 27>?????

I'm sorry....I simply don't understand what you are referring to in your post. Who is Wephota?

Thanks.

Ed

http://www.filmotec.de/
http://www.wephota.de/fotogra.htm

A search in APUG will give plenty of information.

 

[Philippe Grunchec]

Did someone soup R3 in Pyrocat HD?

 

[Domin]

I find maco/rollei completely unreliable when it comes to product continuity. I actually treat anything they sell as "while stock lasts".

They apparently don't even try to develop any good reputation and prefer hype, wooden boxes, confusion, repackaging and overpricing and then discontinuation.

Latest stunt is rollei vintage paper - seems to be rebranded foma in black box and price 50% higher.

 

[df cardwell]

I actually treat anything they sell as "while stock lasts".

Yes. It takes me a long time to learn the nature of a film, and for it to become second, as my vision, such as it is, grows to incorporate the new film. Like a musician.

Give me Tri-X every day, forever. Or FP-4. Or anything. Don't waste my time with a boutique film that won't be around in 6 months, or 6 years !

 

[tef312]

Latest stunt is rollei vintage paper - seems to be rebranded foma in black box and price 50% higher.

=Fomabrom Variant

 

[cmo]

Yes, I know, because a friend of mine is working in the photo industry. I have asked him and he said that Maco is very healthy and better operating than most of the competitors. Their market share is increasing.
They now have the greatest BW film programme on the market, with 14 different films (without R3). Next year the new films Retro 80S, Retro 100Plus and ATP 3.1 will hit the market.

In the german forum www.aphog.de there is an official statement from Maco that R3 ist stopped because of very high production costs (3 layer coating) and the fact that the other films like Superpan 200 are selling much better. They said the market prefers the other, newer films and that they are reacting to the changes in demand.

Regards, Jana

Well, at least that is what they tell us...

 

[cmo]

I actually treat anything they sell as "while stock lasts".

Many people will heed your advice.

After all that marketing bla for this film of the same manufacturer the end of production comes sudden. If it were so great, why did they not take over the world? Now it looks like an episode of "Pinky & The Brain".

I say: if a product is made for other purposes - in this case: traffic surveillance - and remarketed for photographic purposes it is not made for photographers in the first line, no matter what the company tells you that sticks new labels on the box.

 

[jd callow]

threads merged

 

[wogster]

Aurelien,

Obviously the strategy of Maco is to shine by means of a large assortment of films. And that is great for any photographer.

However, the minimum production runs at Agfa and still so with the smaller coating or converting companies make every custom coating or conversion an endeavour.

To my understanding the R3 was a given emulsion custom coated on two other bases. If sales don't let expect any reasonable profit by a new production run, the cease of such is understandible.

I rather don't see this as boring or annoying but rather as the risk of us users when accepting such choice.

Annoying however is the confusion originating by Macos's information policy in general; but I hinted at that before and it is not to that extent related to the case of the R3.

I think film is like many other products, technically most films are out of production at any one time. They brew up a batch of a particular emulsion, set up a coating machine, and run a master roll off, this is then slit, packaged and put in the warehouse, then they move on to another film. Because film is perishable, they need to sell enough of a particular emulsion over a specific period of time, if the expiry is 3 years from production, they need to sell the entire batch within 1 year from the warehouse, so that dealers have enough time to sell it out, before it expires.

Companies use discontinued announcements for two things, one is because they genuinely want to end a product, or because they want to restart the market for it. In either case, if a discontinued product starts to fly off the shelves, then they can always do another production run.

About the only companies that don't operate this way are car companies, and we all know how well they are doing.....