Forte stop it's production

[uraniumnitrate]

I am starting to become a skeptic when people come out with corporate announcements when the person posting said information hides behind an online alias. It comes down to transparency, I don't know you, what your line of business is and where you fit in the scheme of things.

I am going to wait for Mirko from Fotoimpex to weigh in since he sources his Classicpan film through Forte.

PS Ilford film rocks especially HP5 and FP4.

Yeah! Talk for yourself what is uncle bill? Yes you should wait for him I don't have anything against it!

 

[lightranger]

I've recently come to that conclusion too. Not to discount Kentmere, but it doesn't make film.

I disagree; such a demand is unrealistically greedy. We need to support them by buying their existing products. If, in the face of ongoing market contractions, they survive and maintain sufficient profitability, any advancement in the materials that becomes possible will be a bonus. Current materials are already at a high level.

I have read where Ilford is testing new papers right now, so why wouldn't people who have many years of experience in the darkroom not offer their input. It is my hope that the materials and medium keeps growing and improving over the years. I hate to think it will dwindle down to a mind set of take it or leave it. As photographers we certainly need to buy their products, but we should also give feedback to the limits of their products if we see them. We get to know their materials better than the people in the labs do.

 

[hal9000]

fotohuis confirmed this in a Dutch post, they also received the information that current orders will be filled and then no more.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...so why wouldn't people who have many years of experience in the darkroom not offer their input. It is my hope that the materials and medium keeps growing and improving over the years. I hate to think it will dwindle down to a mind set of take it or leave it...we certainly need to buy their products, but we should also give feedback to the limits of their products if we see them...

I never suggested not offering Ilford input. Rather, I disagreed with your original wording

..we need to communicate with the companies like Ilford and tell them we will support their product if they make the investment to advance the materials we need to do our work.

which made your support contingent upon its ongoing product improvement investment. My judgement is that product improvements would be a bonus, but the shrinking market may indeed reduce us to "take it or leave it." If enough users refuse to purchase these materials because they don't incorporate desired changes, the only relevant category left will be Silver Gelatin Based Emulsion Making and Coating. Better get blades while Ron is facilitating their availability.

Despite all that, I think Ilford has been remarkably active in exploring product improvements and adaptations lately. Many here don't know how good they've got it.

 

[uraniumnitrate]

I never suggested not

Despite all that, I think Ilford has been remarkably active in exploring product improvements and adaptations lately. Many here don't know how good they've got it.

Than you should come up over here right now load your holders with Ilford because I don't have it right now I used that last one during this summer and we go out arund 3 a clock and do some photographic experiment! Just in case we load one holder with Forte too and than we develope those at the same time and see what we are going to find out!
Of course we gonna use the same equipment a tachihara 8x10 and my wonderfull Goerz Apo Red Dot Artar! At the same time we do one more experiment and than we switch over to a G-claron, also we gonna made all the nesseserly correction for rep and for the bellows.

 

[david b]

Another reason to support Ilford.

 

[semeuse]

well, that was just great...I finally get a week's vacation, spend the time testing various papers for my applications and settled on (surprise) Forte, bought a bunch, log on here and find they've gone out. *sigh*

 

[Petzi]

Maybe we should! If everybody get's something we can own our own company! Nice idea ha? How many people in this site seventeen thousend? Well it's a huge amount of money! I think we could buy it cheap!

If you want to do that, let's rather buy the Agfa factory, it is state of the art, and looks like new. I saw it, sent shivers down my spine. Could be used for color film also...

APUGcolor, APUGchrome and APUGpan film....

 

[copake_ham]

If you want to do that, let's rather buy the Agfa factory, it is state of the art, and looks like new. I saw it, sent shivers down my spine. Could be used for color film also...

APUGcolor, APUGchrome and APUGpan film....

In other words, all dressed up and nowhere to go!

This is damned depressing. I no longer can find any silver linings in these clouds - at least for 35mm and 120.

What to do? :confused:

 

[Jim Chinn]

From what I gather, Forte made the only 200 and 400 speed sheet film besides Kodak and Ilford. Those films primarily showing up as "house" brands of J&C and Freestyle and I guess Berger was also re-badged Forte film.

The greatest loss is for those ULF folks who counted on the greatly discounted prices when compared to Kodak and Ilford. (about 1/2 the price). That leaves Efke/Adox (pretty good films but nothing faster than 100) as the remaining low cost sheet film alternative.

I understand that Foma makes the Ultra Edu film for Freestyle, but that seems to only be available as 100 speed film. Does Foma or anyone else make a 400 speed film in ULF sizes besides Kodak and Ilford?

 

[kjsphoto]

Jim the only 400 speed film I know of it HP5 and TMAX 400 now. in 4x5 and 8x10. For 5x7 at 400 the only film is HP5 that I know of.

I know Foma makes a 200 speed film in LF.

 

[jd callow]

tri-x 400?

 

[jd callow]

I wish Ilford would launch an Expressive line: papers with strong characters that are jacks of one trade, not many. I still like their RC a lot because it's so neutral: after all, I use RC for proofing, so something plain is more useful.

This is whay I loved Agfa Ultra 50. it was crap film for most everything but a handfull of subjects. I guess the market is nolonger large enough for niche products.

 

[uraniumnitrate]

Another reason to support Ilford.

For what? A no good film which only works in sunlight and the souless paper? No thanks I rather go back to Kodak

 

[uraniumnitrate]

Jim the only 400 speed film I know of it HP5 and TMAX 400 now. in 4x5 and 8x10. For 5x7 at 400 the only film is HP5 that I know of.

I know Foma makes a 200 speed film in LF.

Forte made 100, 200 and 400 in sheets on 120 rolls and on 135 mm also where willing to cut film in any sizes!!!!! Up to 50x60 cm and 20x24 inch!

 

[uraniumnitrate]

From what I gather, Forte made the only 200 and 400 speed sheet film besides Kodak and Ilford. Those films primarily showing up as "house" brands of J&C and Freestyle and I guess Berger was also re-badged Forte film.

The greatest loss is for those ULF folks who counted on the greatly discounted prices when compared to Kodak and Ilford. (about 1/2 the price). That leaves Efke/Adox (pretty good films but nothing faster than 100) as the remaining low cost sheet film alternative.

I understand that Foma makes the Ultra Edu film for Freestyle, but that seems to only be available as 100 speed film. Does Foma or anyone else make a 400 speed film in ULF sizes besides Kodak and Ilford?

You are correct Fote had all 100, 200, and 400, and I think Ulf sizes going to get big problem as Fortes sortie going to efect a lot's of other companies in repack! Some of those going to dissapere and others might repack som low quality from Russia or china for the same price!

Films that not even my Russian friends would put into their camera! I think you people just about to relize how big Forte really is!

As for the papers it's even worst!

 

[uraniumnitrate]

If you want to do that, let's rather buy the Agfa factory, it is state of the art, and looks like new. I saw it, sent shivers down my spine. Could be used for color film also...

APUGcolor, APUGchrome and APUGpan film....

I don't think that Agfa's facilities still exist or if it does it might not be operational any longer!

But I do believe in photographers own coating company specially in this days and Forte is available!! We can get it cheap with all the knowledge and all. Just to shrinked down a little bit!
maybe we should take this crazy ideal a little more seriously!

 

[kjsphoto]

I already have realized and that is why I'm so down about this. This is a bigger hit than Agfa or Kodak especially this late in the game.

 

[ongarine]

As for the pepers it's even worst.
That is sadly truth......
Forte made some astonishing papers and in the years I appreciated them more and more above all Fortezo, since I have not great love with variable contast papers.
I spend some words for Bromofort: it is/was a really underestimated paper that give excellent results and only few Apug users seems to know it.
That's a pity a such great knowledge disappear and with Forte also the Bergger "premium" production.
Hope some investors will organize a new industrial masterplan to put the Forte production working again.
It is like a massacre game: only one or better two B&W materials producers will remain, I hope they will give us interesting products.
My wish is that Forte will survive.

 

[uraniumnitrate]

As for the pepers it's even worst.
That is sadly truth......
Forte made some astonishing papers and in the years I appreciated them more and more above all Fortezo, since I have not great love with variable contast papers.
I spend some words for Bromofort: it is/was a really underestimated paper that give excellent results and only few Apug users seems to know it.
That's a pity a such great knowledge disappear and with Forte also the Bergger "premium" production.
Hope some investors will organize a new industrial masterplan to put the Forte production working again.
It is like a massacre game: only one or better two B&W materials producers will remain, I hope they will give us interesting products.
My wish is that Forte will survive.

Yes because this site is dripping of the Union jack and pushing that soulless Ilford!
I forgot to mention that the makig or creating a paper with soul is even more of the art or that is the art or the soul of the photography! Manufacturing film is easy everybody can do that! Just looked the Chinese. But they won't bother with paper at all.

 

[Sean]

Yes because this site is dripping of the Union jack and pushing that soulless Ilford!
I forgot to mention that the makig or creating a paper with soul is even more of the art or that is the art or the soul of the photography! Manufacturing film is easy everybody can do that! Just looked the Chinese. But they won't bother with paper at all.

Not so sure about that, I've seen some jaw dropping images printed on Ilford papers (have a look at some Les McLean prints in the flesh). As for Forte (polywarmtone) it has been my primary paper for a while so will be sad to see it go.

 

[uraniumnitrate]

Not so sure about that, I've seen some jaw dropping images printed on Ilford papers (have a look at some Les McLean prints in the flesh). As for Forte (polywarmtone) it has been my primary paper for a while so will be sad to see it go.

I understand you but again the way I work there is a millions of possibilities what I can do with Any of Fortes paper which I never sussed to do with Ilford!
I brought Kentmere as I have never try that one before lets just hope that it's a nice paper!

As I stated before I'm not going to be effected of this much as I'm a gum printer but gum doesn't feet all of my images!
I'm seriously thought that I should go deeper into in Carbon printing to avoid to use Ilford!

 

[Steve Bell]

Even though I haven't used Forte products for some time, their demise is not good. I was considering trying some of the Efke /Adox films, but now, with a few minor exceptions (A little Acros 100 for its good reciprocity characteristics and infrared Rollei IR400), will be using 90% Ilford products. The times are here now when full support needs to be given to companies that support our long term photographic needs.

 

[Matt5791]

So I guess I wont be bothering to calibrate a paper channel on my RH Designs analyser for polywarmtone.......

Matt

 

[FrankB]

Yes because this site is dripping of the Union jack and pushing that soulless Ilford!

I'm getting a little bit tired of remarks like this. You have a right to your opinions, but this is starting to become offensive.

Could you tone it down a bit please?