Forte stop it's production

[uraniumnitrate]

I also do not like Ilford papers much as it seems that it just lacks silver and the VC stuff just doesn't tone well or do anything well to be honest. I have tried a few of the papers and never rally liked it.

watch out with statements like this you could be called for "anti British".

 

[uraniumnitrate]

You are really losing any credibility you might have had with these comments.

Maybe so but I do hope I don't have to ask you for advice! I have tryed Ilford in a bad nordic light conditions and it won't work. Got nothing in the shadow aria! If I had been living in California somewhere than it would work as it does here too during the summer!
I didn't mean anything about the other factors I mean the film is clean and no emulsion falling off it's just don't work when exposed for a long time in bad light conditions. And the reciprocity table is a joke. That's all.

 

[Terence]

Ah yes, the stereotypical dirty-biker-photographer-poet. Saddle-bags full of Forte and pyro, riding the highways, giving the finger to "The Man" and capturing light . . .

Brings a tear to my eye. Where's Hunter S Thompson when you need him?

 

[Photo Engineer]

UN;

Just FYI, I have a few friends in Sweden and Finland who use Ilford films among others and like them.

PE

 

[kjsphoto]

watch out with statements like this you could be called for "anti British".

That would be hard for someone to call me anti-British as me mum was born and raised in Belfast and me relatives still live in Europe.

But then again this is APUG

 

[uraniumnitrate]

UN;

Just FYI, I have a few friends in Sweden and Finland who use Ilford films among others and like them.

PE

Maybe so but, they might not use the film at dark places as I do or late evenings which is your nights at Rochester!
If you are out during the regular daytime the film works well so as when it's sunny or during the summer, it's all depens when you are out. Somethimes I got as much as 2 or more minits to expose and that reciprocity table doesn't work at all.
PE, I drive 8x10 I cant afford to fail it's expencive.

I have tested like together with Forte and did ecxacly the same image camera and lens and developed at the same time got more details on Forte. Can you explain it why? I have even tryed Fortes reciprocity table which is no good but nothing happened.

 

[jgjbowen]

Now we just need some companies to start making 400 speed film for LF to give Ilford a run for the money and get more products on the market.

Kevin,

Last I checked (earlier today) Kodak still made Tri-X and Tmax-400 in LF sizes. I use Tri-X for 4x5 and Tmax-400 for 5x7, 8x10 and 7x17. Prices are very comparable to Ilford and I've NEVER experienced the quality issues you raise with HP5.......

Of course, it's not cool to support Kodak these days, but if you want quality products, Kodak still delivers the goods.

 

[JLP]

I use Tri-X for 4x5 ?

Would that not be TXP 320 instead of Tri-X?

jan

 

[jgjbowen]

Yes it would be TXP 320. Please excuse me as I still refer to this film as Tri-X. It is available in 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 at B&H and probably elsewhere

 

[MattCarey]

The comment about Ilford lacking soul. Horseshit. If Sam Cooke, Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett had ever been black and white film enthusiasts, they would have used Ilford.

Go ahead and say it: "I'm Black and White, and I'm proud"

(I helps if you use a thick Irish accent)

Matt

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...If I had been living in California somewhere than it would work as it does here too during the summer!...just don't work when exposed for a long time in bad light conditions. And the reciprocity table is a joke...

Maybe so but, they might not use the film at dark places as I do or late evenings which is your nights at Rochester!
If you are out during the regular daytime the film works well so as when it's sunny or during the summer, it's all depens when you are out. Somethimes I got as much as 2 or more minits to expose and that reciprocity table doesn't work at all...I drive 8x10 I cant afford to fail it's expencive...

Well, since Ron's years at KRL and my amateur experience haven't helped, and you're convinced that even the Howard Bond reciprocity table won't work, perhaps it's time you switched to 8x10 Acros:

Dead Link Removed

Fuji states no reciprocity correction is necessary for exposures up to 120 seconds, and a 1/2 stop increase is required for exposures from 120 to 1,000 seconds. Please establish a usable EI and development time at normal light levels before telling us Fuji doesn't know what it's talking about either!

 

[Photo Engineer]

Maybe he is using the film where the sun don't shine.



PE

 

[uraniumnitrate]

Well, since Ron's years at KRL and my amateur experience haven't helped, and you're convinced that even the Howard Bond reciprocity table won't work, perhaps it's time you switched to 8x10 Acros:

Dead Link Removed

Fuji states no reciprocity correction is necessary for exposures up to 120 seconds, and a 1/2 stop increase is required for exposures from 120 to 1,000 seconds. Please establish a usable EI and development time at normal light levels before telling us Fuji doesn't know what it's talking about either!

Thanks for the tip. Right now I’m okay I did stock up with Forte and Kodak so I got films for many years to come. I never tried Acros yet only their colour occasionally.
Observe that Ilford do works well in the usual sense of use I used their 120 rolls too immediate after Agfa disappeared but what I’m doing with my 8x10 is a different thing so as with the pinhole. And it’s not make sense to anybody especially not to my girlfriend. But when the moon shines there is a lot for me outside, the mystic. Well I’m not worry about films more of the problem is the paper as I love Forte graded or polywarmtone.

 

[uraniumnitrate]

Maybe he is using the film where the sun don't shine.



PE

That is correct sir!

 

[Soeren]

Maybe so but, they might not use the film at dark places as I do or late evenings which is your nights at Rochester!

Whoops!! So my HP5+ shots taken at night is no good?? ay bummer
Cheers
Søren

 

[RobertP]

Weren't there some issues in stocking up on Forte films? I think I read where even with it being in cold storage the film had a tendency to fog over time. So stocking up with a 5 year supply wouldn't seem feasible. I was told to buy only what you will use in the next year. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Leon]

I have tryed Ilford in a bad nordic light conditions and it won't work. Got nothing in the shadow aria!

I regulalry use HP5 plus, FP4 plus and delta 100 in very poor winter light situations - maybe I'm not as far north as Norway, but the light here is certainly not like California. I get gret shadow detail because I took the time to
learn the importance of testing for personal speed and how certain films responds in certain conditions. I refer back to my previous point - any problems are down to user error.

You seem to think that just because you havent had a good experience with Ilford products, then they are all bad. I suggest to you that you didnt take the time to learn how to get good results and have gone on to a more instantly gratifying product. Which is fine - noone is going to stop you you doing what you find best. Just dont come here and make broad negative statements when it is clear that others are getting effective, reliable and successful results.

BTW - noone has said that you are anti-british because you dont like Ilford products. They have said you hint at a prejudicial stance when you say Apug is "dripping of the Union Jack" - this can only have negative connotations (unless you can convince me otherwise?) and is a totally unreasonable thing to say - and, as I said earlier, is a blatant untruth.

I notice you dont have any pictures posted in your gallery here. It would be excellent to see some of your prints - just some scans posted here would be fine. It maybe not the best way to see the excellent results you get with your prodcuts of choice, but it may show us all why you are so committed to using anything non-ilford.

with regards to Ilford papers not giving good toning reults or being too thin in silver (I think it was kevin saying this) - I guess a lot of this opinion is down to personal choice, but see a good print by an excellent printer, and you'll see that ilford products are as good, if not better than many of it's rivals. BTW MGiv FB tones excellently in brown toners and thiocarbamide, MGFB warmtone is great in all sorts of toners.

 

[uraniumnitrate]

I notice you dont have any pictures posted in your gallery here. It would be excellent to see some of your prints - just some scans posted here would be fine. It maybe not the best way to see the excellent results you get with your prodcuts of choice, but it may show us all why you are so committed to using anything non-ilford.

.

Actually I do time to time and just did it if you go back one page but also I pick them out as it's allways goes together with something I wrote so you must have miss it. And of course need a space for new one as what I can put up is limited. But here is one. I don't like to do this because what the elctronical world can offer me is a joke.

 

[Leon]

Actually I do time to time and just did it if you go back one page but also I pick them out as it's allways goes together with something I wrote so you must have miss it.

my apologies - now I've seen your work. thanks

 

[uraniumnitrate]

my apologies - now I've seen your work. thanks

You are welcome!

 

[uraniumnitrate]

Weren't there some issues in stocking up on Forte films? I think I read where even with it being in cold storage the film had a tendency to fog over time. So stocking up with a 5 year supply wouldn't seem feasible. I was told to buy only what you will use in the next year. Can anyone confirm this?

Just for the record last week I opened one box of Forte and one box of 4x5 films from my freezer the forte dated back to 2000 so as kodak. Some sheets had ben allready developed from both and there is no fog at all. They are all deep frozen in my house.

But if just keep in it cool or in the fridge proboly fog accour I don't know as I never tryed!

 

[Fotohuis]

Not everything is lost yet. We got a telephone call yesterday when I was in Germany about an attempt by Kentmere to look at the financial situation by Forte and check if there are some additional mutual interests for Kentmere to sell the P.W. papers and maybe some film in the future.

We will see what is going to happen next week.

 

[BarryWilkinson]

Not everything is lost yet. We got a telephone call yesterday when I was in Germany about an attempt by Kentmere to look at the financial situation by Forte and check if there are some additional mutual interests for Kentmere to sell the P.W. papers and maybe some film in the future.

We will see what is going to happen next week.

That would be fantastic. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Barry

 

[Rolleijoe]

I wish this to be true as I love the forte warmtone paper! I would buy it over Ilfords warmtone any day! Fingers crossed and GO Kentmere!

I am so greatfull for FOMA and Kentmere I tell you that! I also do not like Ilford papers much as it seems that it just lacks silver and the VC stuff just doesn't tone well or do anything well to be honest. I have tried a few of the papers and never rally liked it. I switched to Forte a while back and really liked the paper, now that it is gone FOMA, Kentmere, Fomeika and the new Russian paper will be the ones I will try.

If Fuji would only release their Neopan 400 in sheet film in 4x5 and up that would be something.

Does anyone know if it is more costly to make sheet film than roll film? I know they offer ACROS 100 up to 8x10 but never seen the 400 speed offered in the sheet film sizes.

Now we just need some companies to start making 400 speed film for LF to give Ilford a run for the money and get more products on the market.

I have some Fuji Presto (Neopan) 400 in 4x5 sheets. Bought the last 3 boxes from the Fuji store in Hawaii. I think Fuji dropped it, which is unfortunate. But then they're dropping their bulk film now as well.

 

[Martin Reed]

uraniumnitrate.

I assume that you must be a major customer of Forte for you to be sent a personal letter on its closure.

In other words are you a wholesaler of the product or at least a major customer in some other way? Otherwise if you are a normal retail customer and there are thousands of those then I can't work out why you got a personal letter. I and many on this site are retail customers of Ilford, Fuji etc but we wouldn't get a personal letter telling us of Ilford's or Fuji's closure.

I think it reasonable to assume that other major wholesale customers will have been sent the same letter as you received. Such customers include, I believe, Silverprint and possibly Retrographic in the U.K. so we might see confirmation from say Silverprint or another source.

pentaxuser

The statement quoted is exactly the same as sent to the UK Forte distributors. The last day of production is stated to be January 26'th.
Those involved in distribution would not want to be the first to blow the whistle. There is still quite a bit of stock in the UK, much more in the US presumably, and it would have been useful if there had been a little more time to sell this out in an orderly way, as well as planning subsitute products before the Forte situation became common knowledge.

Foma offers the closest range of products, and in some cases, such as the 'lith' capability of Fomatone these have advantages over the equivalent Forte product. Foma is in good shape, and with Forte unavailable can only improve. Silverprint has been dealing with Foma for about a year, and the intention is to ramp up imports to meet what is anticipated to be an increasing demand. To achieve this it is not the intention to dispose of Forte stock at fire-sale prices, (and I am sure this goes for other Forte distributors!)