Fotokemika ...

[Rick Olson]

Hope this is not true ...


http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?93463-Fotokemika-shuts-down-film-and-paper-manufacture

 

[Ian Grant]

It could well be true.

Fotoimpex have been a major distributor of their products but now have their own options for getting materials coated.

Ian

 

[Roger Cole]

Does this hit Adox as well? I see a reference to them including Adox in another post.

If so that makes it much worse. I really like MCC 110.

In Efke I wanted to get some IR but that's not a huge thing to me. The Arista Silver Artist paper is rumored to be Varycon and I hate to see that disappear as soon as it came about too. I like it. But I won't miss it like Adox MC110.

 

[NB23]

Duuuude!

 

[zsas]

Can we get some verification? FWIW, I called Freestyle, the rep said paper yes, but film no.

Can folks call their distributors and can any Croatian speaking mbr call them directly abd confirm its paper and film?

 

[Roger Cole]

Can we get some verification? FWIW, I called Freestyle, the rep said paper yes, but film no.

Can folks call their distributors and can any Czech speaking mbr call them directly abd confirm its paper and film?

Well that's something. I still wonder if Freestyle will continue to offer their Silver Artist paper. It's very nice and totally unlike anything else on the market that I'm aware of.

 

[zsas]

Gosh Roger that just hit me!!! I too am in love with that paper!!!!! Oh gosh this just hit home!!!!

 

[Roger Cole]

Yeah, if it really is Varycon (which seems likely given the claim of needing a red safelight - even though I had no problems with OC - and the fact it lith processes similarly) they may need to find someone else to coat it. That might be possible, given their relationship with Adox, assuming this doesn't impact Adox as well. I notice Freestyle has a ton of Emaks and Varycon paper on their closeouts page now, plus the older Adox Vario Classic, but not the newer MCC 110, thankfully.

I managed to get one pack of 8x10 and one pack of 11x14 of the Silver Artist before this. I have maybe 15-17 sheets or so of the 8x10 left and the 10 sheets of 11x14 is unopened. I was going to try to print on the 11x14 this weekend but now I'll wait. If that's the last of it I'll save that for very special images (and try to find room for it in my freezer.)

 

[zsas]

I just emailed FOTOKEMIKA-NOVA, sent and email in English and Croation, hope it is not true.....

Hope the reply is positive

 

[removed account4]

mirko is a member of this forum
has anyone made contact with him
to find out what is true and not-true ?

 

[MDR]

The Efke emulsions are unique and I absolutely love their paper so I hope this isn't true.

Dominik

 

[mhanc]

re: Adox -- From what I understand the Adox "Art Series" films and papers are manufactured by Fotokemika. Thus, if and only if true all current Adox films and about half the papers would go away. From personal experience I really liked these films but the horrendous QC made them largely unusable for my purposes. I have had no experience with the papers.

Adox's "Premium Line" of papers which includes the MCC, MCP and the Fine Print Variotone will still be available as they are made at their own factory in Germany. I have used all these and they are superb.

Their website indicates they are preparing to manufacture their own "Premium Line" of films but they are not yet available.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Oren Grad posts on the LF Forum:

From the Freestyle "Industry Snapshot - August 2012", which arrived in my email this morning:

One bit of industry-product related news we need to report is the discontinuation of Fotokemika Emaks and Varycon black and white photographic papers by the manufacturer in Croatia. Efke brand films will continue to be produced for the foreseeable future but paper production from this factory will cease. This is due to the coating machinery no longer being economically repairable due to age and current manufacturing volume. While this is sad news, we are continuing dialog with the Fotokemika factory and working with them to acquire as much of Emaks and Varycon paper that they have left to keep this product in stock as long as possible.

 

[zsas]

Well that corroborates what the Freestyle rep told me when I called yesterday. Very sad. At least film is still going in a positive note. Wonder if Silver Artist will then be coated by Foma or Kentmere next???

Think we need to still myth bust the "paper and film" rumor, all we got thus far is someone who spoke to Fotokemika and reported film and paper (from LFPF) and Freestyle saying only paper....

 

[zsas]

Freestyle newsletter that mentions this sad news:
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/industry-updates/august-2012/snapshot.html

 

[Roger Cole]

re: Adox -- From what I understand the Adox "Art Series" films and papers are manufactured by Fotokemika. Thus, if and only if true all current Adox films and about half the papers would go away. From personal experience I really liked these films but the horrendous QC made them largely unusable for my purposes. I have had no experience with the papers.

Adox's "Premium Line" of papers which includes the MCC, MCP and the Fine Print Variotone will still be available as they are made at their own factory in Germany. I have used all these and they are superb.

Their website indicates they are preparing to manufacture their own "Premium Line" of films but they are not yet available.

Agree about the quality and that's a relief.

I wrote back to Eric at Freestyle asking about the impact on Silver Artist paper and whether, if it was being coated by Fotokemika, they might be able to get the same base coated with a different emulsion by someone else.

 

[Roger Cole]

Got a reply back from Eric, unexpected on Saturday. I'm on my iPhone now and will post the text from my computer later but the bottom line is yes - the Silver Artist is apparently too thick for anyone else with more modern equipment to coat. They are trying to get Fotokemika to coat a big batch before shutting down so they will have a stock.

 

[Roger Cole]

Accidentally posted this in the wrong thread last night but here's the reply from Eric at Freestyle:

Here is straight from Eric:

Hello Roger,

Good question. Yes, this factory situation does affect our Arista Silver Artist series. It has been project we had been working on for quite some time and this recent news has presented a bit of a hiccup in the future production of this paper. We were quite proud of this product and were looking for continued production for the long term. The good news is that we do have three other papers on their way to us that will be very exciting. This will include Platine White Matte, BFK Rives Cream Semi-Matte, and Arches Velin Black Semi-Matte. They should be arriving in the next few weeks.

We are trying to convince Fotokemika to do a big production of the BFK Rives White Matte paper we had coated earlier this year so we can have it for a while longer.

Unfortunately, no one else has the capability of coating this emulsion on the thick fine-art base. Fotokemika’s coating technology is quite old and totally incompatible with the machinery in the other remaining coating facilities.

If you have any other questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Regards,


Eric Joseph
Senior V.P. Merchandising & Product Development
Freestyle Photographic Supplies
www.freestylephoto.biz
etjoseph@freestylephoto.biz

 

[MDR]

Ilford should be able to coat the paper, they coat Multigrade Art 300 after all. They are probably more expensive though

 

[Roger Cole]

Maybe they won't or Freestyle can't afford it or there's too large of a minimum order. I don't know, I just posted what Eric sent me.

 

[JPD]

Emaks and Varycon papers are great stuff. I haven't used them for years though, since they aren't available in Sweden anymore. It's sad to see them vanish from the market.

The Efke films are popular and it's a relief that FK will continue to make them. There has been talk over the years about moving the production back to Germany and Adox, so these emulsions will probably still be made even if FK decides to quit.

 

[K-G]

Yesterday I read at the Adox/Fotoimpex Forum site that Mirko Boeddecker ( the Boss ! ) has been aware of the problems. He doesn't want to phrase the problem in the same way that has been done so far. Right now the factory is closed due to summer vacation but in about two weeks time he will visit them to see what can be done. All this according to my own school-German translation. I enclose a link to the Forum post and in the mean time you can start looking for your old German gramar and dictionary.

Karl-Gustaf

http://forum.fotoimpex.de/index.php?showtopic=2589

 

[darkosaric]

Hi,

I just called Fotokemika (I am Croatian btw) and talk to them. It is true, paper production is over. For film production still nothing is certain - it is possible that all factory will go down .

 

[georg16nik]

Lets hope for the best!

 

[Rolleijoe]

I need that EFKE film!!!