Could use a little help on film manufacturers, please.

[Prof_Pixel]

I'm writing an article for a Photokina Show Daily paper about film. I'm not very well versed on all the small manufacturers of film around the world and could use some help from you all in identifying such companies.

Telling me who there are, where they are and what they make would be very helpful. BTW, I need to finish the article by tomorrow night.

Thanks.

 

[Henning Serger]

I'm writing an article for a Photokina Show Daily paper about film. I'm not very well versed on all the small manufacturers of film around the world and could use some help from you all in identifying such companies.

Telling me who there are, where they are and what they make would be very helpful. BTW, I need to finish the article by tomorrow night.

Thanks.

The smaller ones in Europe are
- Filmotec in Wolfen, Germany: www.filmotec.de Producing only BW films, mostly for Cinema. Also some other special films. See their product range here: http://www.filmotec.de/?page_id=148&lang=en
Due to a recent article in one of the biggest German business magazines 'Handelsblatt', about 22 employees are working there. They only produce the emulsions, they have no own coating line. Due to a statement of their CEO in this Handelsblatt article, the coating is done by Harman / Ilford in Mobberly.

- InovisCoat, Monheim, Germany: www.inoviscoat.de They have bought the original emulsion making and coating machinery from the former Agfa plant in Leverkusen, Germany; moved it to Monheim, modernised it and have it scaled down. All engineers and technicians there are former employees from Agfa in Leverkusen.
They are cooperating with the Impossible Project helping them with development of the new color instant films.
Furthermore they have a cooperation with Adox, and are e.g. producing the MCC and MCP paper for Adox and have also produced the new Adox Silvermax film (production here means emulsion making and coating, cutting and packaging is made by Adox in their factory).

- Adox, Bad Saarow, Germany www.adox.de. Small new, modern factory with focus on converting (cutting, packaging) of film, paper, photochemistry, and emulsion making. With research labs and very small (hand) reserach coating possibilities. Emulsion making of Polywarmtone is in the works currently (research, test emulsions), emulsion making of film emulsions is planned for the future.

The bigger ones in Europe are
- Agfa-Gevaert in Mortsel, Belgium www.agfa.de . They are the world third biggest film manufacturer (behind Kodak and Fuji). Producing lots of different film types for primarily industrial use: movie print film, sound film, microfilm, aerial film, survaillance film, PCB film.

- Harman Technologies / Ilfordphoto; o.k. you know Ilford ;-).

- Foma in Czech Republique www.foma.cz; well, you know them as well ;-).

Then there is also still Tasma in Russia http://www.tasma.ru/en/
Also specialised on industrial film applications.

In China there is still Lucky Dead Link Removed. They are producing BW film (production of color film has currently been discontinued) and RA-4 paper e.g.
And in China there is also still Shanghai (BW films).

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Prof_Pixel]

Henning,

Wow!! That's exactly what I needed. Thank you very much!

Regards, Fred

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

In China, there might be another one: Huatianfu industrial development co., ltd. of Shantou
http://www.chinacsky.com/co/35150/about.htm
It seems they only package, finish and distribute film under the Sunny brand. It seems to be Ferrania.
Not sure if they actually produce film. On this page: http://www.chinacsky.com/co/35150/ t lists Colour film and digital paper as some of their products with the place of origin for film being in China.
Henning
What do you know about them?

 

[georg16nik]

There's also Slavich in Russia, since 1931.
Slavich export black-and-white photopaper and chemicals, oscillographic and registering paper, photoplates, holographic production.

 

[Henning Serger]

Henning,

Wow!! That's exactly what I needed. Thank you very much!

Regards, Fred

Hello Fred, you are welcome. I am glad if my information is helpful for you.
During the last years I've visited some plants of film and film related products, including camera manufacturing.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Henning Serger]

Henning
What do you know about them?

Well, Ricardo, honestly I know nothing about them.
Maybe they are related to the company which produced the ERA BW photo film. At least AFAIK ERA was located in the same region.
But it is only a guess from my side. I don't have any valid information.

There are still lots of small and mid-term companies in China who are involved at least partly in producing products for the film based industry.
For example cutting and packaging of film, producers of 135 format metal film cassettes, producers of single use cameras and normal cameras.
When I visited China I've seen lots of different film camera models from manufacturers I've never heard of before.
Models produced for the huge Chinese market, not for export.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Henning Serger]

There's also Slavich in Russia, since 1931.
Slavich export black-and-white photopaper and chemicals, oscillographic and registering paper, photoplates, holographic production.

Of course, there is still Slavich, too.
When I wrote my reply to Fred's question I knew I've forgotten something.....well, it was Slavich.
I should not answer questions so late in the evening....., or maybe it's because I am getting older .

Best regards,
Henning

 

[zsas]

Impossible's instant film?
Dead Link Removed

 

[Henning Serger]

Impossible's instant film?
Dead Link Removed

Of course! Oh man, I am really getting older......At least I am not the only one who has forgotten to mention it.....

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Prof_Pixel]

Henning,

Actually, you DID mention the Impossible Project in your comments about InovisCoat

 

[georg16nik]

Of course! Oh man, I am really getting older......At least I am not the only one who has forgotten to mention it.....

Best regards,
Henning

You see, I helped with Slavich but WE forgot about Impossible's instant film and I am sure there still someone left

 

[Ian Grant]

While not specifically film no mention is made of Fuji's coating plant in Europe, I've no idea if it's still in operation coating RA-4 paper. Also Kodak once coated all their films in the UK including Kodachrome, in fact Kodak Ltd, Harrow, controlled all coating in Europe at one time including Hungary (later to become Fprte).

Not sure if Foton is still coating but last I heard it was X-ray films.

There is coating capacity in Europe and no shortage of skills.

Ian

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Henning,
Thanks!

 

[Prof_Pixel]

There is coating capacity in Europe and no shortage of skills.

Ian,

That's pretty much what I wrote. B&W should remain with good availability. Color is anyones guess, although both Kodak and Fuji making archival films for digital movie content will hopefully help keep it available (but probably at higher prices).

 

[Ian Grant]

Ian,

That's pretty much what I wrote. B&W should remain with good availability. Color is anyones guess, although both Kodak and Fuji making archival films for digital movie content will hopefully help keep it available (but probably at higher prices).

Agfa still make colour films, and Foma have in the not so distant past but they are tied in with Fuji cutting master rolls of colour papers I think at the moment. (They have a joint venture).

Ilford haven't made a colour film for many decades, there's no history at Mobberley but some of their board hold Colourv related Patents People forget that Ilford downsized many years ago selling their Medical & Graphic Arts sides to Agfa and that wass before the move to Mobberley.

Ian.

 

[Henning Serger]

Henning,

Actually, you DID mention the Impossible Project in your comments about InovisCoat

Fred, yes, you are right......and another evidence that I am getting older.......

And we all have forgotten Ilford, Suisse. I remembered our thread here on last Saturday when I visited their booth at the Photokina.
They make the Ilford micrographic colour microfilm (I've been told at their booth that there is quite a lot of demand for this material from the military).
And they are involved in the production of the new Harman Direct Positive paper on DuPont Melinex PET base.
I've seen a first sample of it at the Harman booth, looks very promising.
I will definitely try this paper, especially after my very interesting talk to Mr Walker, the manufacturer of the Harman Titan Pinhole cameras.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Henning Serger]

Fuji RA-4 paper production in Tilburg, Netherlands

Hello,

just an addition to the numerous operating film and paper production facilities in Europe (see the posts above):

Fujifilm is producing RA-4 silver halide colour paper in their factory in Tilburg, Netherlands.
Some years ago colour film was produced there. The film production is now concentrated in one Fujifilm factory in Japan.
And the plant in Tilburg has been converted from film to paper production (that is not difficult, production processes are very similar; some manufacturers like Ilford and Foma are coating film and paper on the same machines)
[source: Bernd Gansohr, Deputy General Manager. Fujifilm Imaging Systems in an interview at Photokina 2012 with FPP correspondent Viviane Li].

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Kokoro]

http://www.mitsubishiimaging.com/color-print-film.html Is this stuff reboxed film by someone else or do they make it?

 

[Karl K]

In China there is still Lucky Dead Link Removed. They are producing BW film (production of color film has currently been discontinued) and RA-4 paper e.g.
And in China there is also still Shanghai (BW films).

Best regards,
Henning

Henning: This information is much appreciated. I'm sorry that I was unable to attend PhotoKina this year. Question: was Lucky represented at PhotoKina and if so, were you able to get information/samples of their B+W films? I am curious about the quality and consistency of their B+W films. I have never seen them in the US. Are there any other Chinese companies that properly manufacture B+W films? If they don't sell to the US, do they export elsewhere?

 

[Henning Serger]

http://www.mitsubishiimaging.com/color-print-film.html Is this stuff reboxed film by someone else or do they make it?

It is film from a different manufacturer.
But as far as I know Mitsubishi's RA-4 color paper is manufactured by themselves.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Henning Serger]

Henning: This information is much appreciated. I'm sorry that I was unable to attend PhotoKina this year. Question: was Lucky represented at PhotoKina and if so, were you able to get information/samples of their B+W films? I am curious about the quality and consistency of their B+W films. I have never seen them in the US. Are there any other Chinese companies that properly manufacture B+W films? If they don't sell to the US, do they export elsewhere?

Hello Karl,

Lucky was there, but unfortunately I had no time left to visit their booth.
Just some weeks ago there was an official statement from Lucky that they stop their colour negative film production, it was also posted here on apug:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
Due to the current available data, afaik production of RA-4 paper and BW film is continued.

Well, their BW film: The emulsion has solid quality, but there is no antihalation layer. Some photographers like this and use the film for this "Aura" effect in back light scenes.
Other Chinese manufacturer of BW film: Shanghai. If you want to try some, best is to look for film distributors in HongKong or Macau.

But there are so much excellent BW films from Ilford, Kodak, Fuji, Adox, Maco/Rollei-Film (Agfa-Gevaert), Foma, FilmoTec. I think there is very little necessity to make the hassle with getting Chinese films.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Hi Karl,

In the UK there is only one brick-and-mortar shop selling Lucky B&W film. Most of it is available via Ebay sellers based in China and South Korea. I bought recently some to try the Super Colour 100 and SHD 100.
As Henning said, Lucky stopped production of their Super Colour 100 and 200 films. B&W in the form of the SHD 100 is still in production. They also produced a 400 ISO and a CN 400 ISO versions, but I can't find them anywhere and suspect production has ended for these films. Be aware that SHD 100 has had some problems in 120 format due to the type of tape used to stick the backing paper to the film. I'm not sure if they have corrected the problem as I don't use 120 film. The film is also thin.
In the past China Lucky had a collaborative agreement with Kodak until Kodak pulled out in 2008. But Lucky got some Know-How from Kodak.

Regards,
Ricardo

 

[CFynn]

In India there is HINDUSTAN PHOTO FILMS a government run enterprise which manufactures B&W films and papers - sold under the INDU brand name.