Ilfochrome - sales drive

[sandholm]

I've just realised this is a three stage process rather than the two stage RA4 process I'm used to. This may scupper my plans as my Nova is only two slot.

Do all three stages need to be kept at the same temperature? I'm thinking is it feasible to heat, say, the dev and bleach stage and then have the fix at room temp in an open tray? Also, do I need a stop between any of the steps?

Well, if i had to choose I would put the fix in a tray, developer and bleach is really important for the colour, place the fix tray in a big bath that has the same temperatur as your Nova and you should be fine.

cheers

 

[sandholm]

I haven't so far. I have replenisher on hand but I'm a little unsure of how to use it. I am using the Durst Printo.
I also have the Ilford CAP-40 but I use that for 16x20 only and after I finish off my box 16x20 I'm going to look for a new home for the CAP-40.

If it would been located in Europe i would have got it, these machines are great

 

[sandholm]

Big shame on Ilford for being unresponsive and for making it a royal hassle for people willing to pay money for their products. I hope my post can help you finding and getting Ilfochrome supplies.

Well, i can make the story even a bit worse, I live in Switzerland, but the sale rep here is not good at all, its super hard to find and most of the time they have it listed but not in stock.

So, I get my material from Germany, so the material is produced in Switzerland, which is then exported to Germany, then imported again to Switzerland. Its a shame that Ilfochrome is managed like this, not Swiss in any form (and definitv not Ilford).

Personal i would like ilford (UK) to take over the whole distribution, then we would have access to the material, not like now were we have to chaise it all over the world

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Sandholm,

Do you know anything about current availability of the Thermaphot machines?

Tom

 

[sandholm]

Thanks Kraker.
I've also got an unheated 3-slot Nova, perhaps that would be better to use and just do it all at room temp. I wonder if I could run the chemicals closer to 20C rather than the 24C on the datasheet.

No, i would not do that, use the two slot for developer and bleach, and keep it at the right temperatur, then just make a huge water bath where you place the fix. If you want you can get a tray heater, its just a heating pad which you place under the tray. I got mine of e-bay for some few dollars and it works perfect for B/W

cheers

 

[sandholm]

Sandholm,

Do you know anything about current availability of the Thermaphot machines?

Tom

Well, you can actually pick them up second hand, i personal have a Thermaphot UCP 403 with the 402 dryer as a spare machine (i got it when a lab closed in Geneva). I use it sometimes just to maintain it and it works perfect.

I dont know if they are still produced, dont even know if they still support or make spare parts for them.

cheers

 

[AgX]

They are still listed and Thermaphot handles requests for spares.

 

[Wayne]

I dont know if they are still produced, dont even know if they still support or make spare parts for them.

cheers

I am 99% sure they are not making them.

 

[michaelbsc]

Big shame on Ilford for being unresponsive and for making it a royal hassle for people willing to pay money for their products. I hope my post can help you finding and getting Ilfochrome supplies.

Well, i can make the story even a bit worse, I live in Switzerland, but the sale rep here is not good at all, its super hard to find and most of the time they have it listed but not in stock.

So, I get my material from Germany, so the material is produced in Switzerland, which is then exported to Germany, then imported again to Switzerland. Its a shame that Ilfochrome is managed like this, not Swiss in any form (and definitv not Ilford).

Personal i would like ilford (UK) to take over the whole distribution, then we would have access to the material, not like now were we have to chaise it all over the world

But no one should blame Simon and crew.

The terms of the reorganization after the insolvency left the B&W side of the house in the hands of Simon and crew, but the color side belongs to someone else.
MB

 

[Bob Carnie]

This is true as I know it , Harmon is not involved in any way with the Ciba product.

But no one should blame Simon and crew.

The terms of the reorganization after the insolvency left the B&W side of the house in the hands of Simon and crew, but the color side belongs to someone else.
MB

 

[Ektagraphic]

Is there any company still making table top processors?

 

[AgX]

I am 99% sure they are not making them.

Thermaphot centers their activity on servicing theirs and other brands processors. But as I said before, they are still listed.

 

[sandholm]

But no one should blame Simon and crew.

The terms of the reorganization after the insolvency left the B&W side of the house in the hands of Simon and crew, but the color side belongs to someone else.
MB

Not blaming anyone, and here in Switzerland Ilfords products are really well presented, we have three camera stores were i live, all of them carry Ilford, Kodak and Fuji, but the Ilford side is bigger then Kodak and Fuji together. When it comes to chemicals and paper its more or less 100% Ilford. Another good thing is that the store can get any Ilford product in max three days, most common they have it the next day. What i mean is that this way is how ciba should be, i see no reason why I, living in Switzerland, has to import the material from Germany. I see no reason why people from Italy/Sweden/Norway/US or Australia should have to search for the material. The photo stores here has just given upp the material, they all say that they would not mind having some boxes of chemicals and papers but its just not worth the trouble.

What i would like is that ilfochrome would look how Harman manage to get there products out, and (which would be the best for ciba) collaborate with Harman and there channels, but that would never happen.

sorry for the rambling, I just which that ilfocrhome would be a bit like Ilford when it comes to customer care... How it is like now ilfochrome will be dead in 5 years...

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

The shop I got my Ilfochrome stuff from is called Foto Köberl, and according to their web page they ship within the European Union.

Rud, thanks a lot for the link. Will surely give it a try, in case I'll make my mind up to use it again this summer. After all I wonder if it makes any sense at all to insist getting such an expensive product from a a factory that doesn't care at all to sell it.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

I see that the more long-time users of Ciba kick-in, the more I find simpathy of thoughts. Which unfortunately are all towards the negative.

sorry for the rambling, I just which that ilfocrhome would be a bit like Ilford when it comes to customer care... How it is like now ilfochrome will be dead in 5 years...

Fully agree, perhaps even earlier. I have the impression that swiss CEOs are somehow content with their present sales with Disney, so they don't care if their representatives spend their days at pubs nor if their export net sinked deep ten years ago.

The problem is that one day, possibly tomorrow morning, some digital gizmo or alike will replace all Ilfochrome use at Disney's (whichever it may be), and that would instantly kill Ilford Imaging's sales figure. Not having ANY OTHER alternative market to rely on, no international sales net to expand with some commercial campaign, no direct sales office, they will bankrupt within the year.

In the meanwhile, even those customers who used to ask for Ciba (and there were LOTS once upon a time) have totally forgotten it once ever existed.

 

[Stephen Frizza]

Not having ANY OTHER alternative market to rely on, no international sales net to expand with some commercial campaign, no direct sales office, they will bankrupt within the year.

Ilfochrome material is only a small product in a large line of products the company make. In my opinion if they stopped making it they would be letting go of a burden
and prosper through focusing on their remaining products.

Ilfochrome isnt the only product of theirs which goes largely unpromoted look at Ilfoflex RA-4, IlfoVinyl RA-4 etc....

Saying Ilford would go bankrupt if they ditched ilfochrome is like saying kodak will go bankrupt from stopping the making of Kodachrome.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Yes, of course my post was focused on their main (sole?) item of interest in a traditional-photography-oriented forum.

I dont' care much for their unadvertised and undistributed inkjet paper. There are so many others available, by the way.

Replace "bankrupt" with "dismiss production lines" if you will. The final effect stays the same, even in terms of profit.

 

[perkeleellinen]

Ilfoflex and IlfoVinyl sound interesting. I suppose these are sold in rolls only?

 

[Stephen Frizza]

Yes, of course my post was focused on their main (sole?) item of interest in a traditional-photography-oriented forum.

I dont' care much for their unadvertised and undistributed inkjet paper. There are so many others available, by the way.

Ilfoflex and Ilfovinyl is not an inkjet material. They are Ra-4 analog papers for traditional printing of colour negative film. Ilford also make other traditional analog 3D papers, Colour Film, and yes as is most commonly known inkjet papers.

but they still make many other analog colour products ilfochrome is just a small player in their unique range.

 

[Stephen Frizza]

Ilfoflex and IlfoVinyl sound interesting. I suppose these are sold in rolls only?

Ilfoflex can be bought in sheets or rolls while Ilfovinyl is roll only and is the only Ra-4 emulsion on vinyl. The Colour gamut of IlfoFlex is an RA-4 partner to Ilfochrome Coated onto the same base its properties are ASTONISHING!!!

 

[perkeleellinen]

Does Ilfoflex require the standard RA4 chemistry?

 

[Stephen Frizza]

Does Ilfoflex require the standard RA4 chemistry?

yes it does.

 

[perkeleellinen]

I wonder if Ag Photographic could stock this as well as the Ilfochrome paper. Sounds like it has great potential as the RA4 chemistry is cheaper than the Ilfochrome stuff.

 

[Ektagraphic]

There needs to be places in the US that use these outstanding Ilford color products!!!!

 

[Stephen Frizza]

I wonder if Ag Photographic could stock this as well as the Ilfochrome paper. Sounds like it has great potential as the RA4 chemistry is cheaper than the Ilfochrome stuff.

yes but its for prinitng from colour neg not transparency