ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology : SFX Film / ULF Film / New Prods

[Russ Young]

Simon-

Thanks for asking- and listening. The Great Yellow Father went deaf circa 1985.

I have no interest in 35mm but would dearly love to see Delta 25 available in 120, 4x5 and 5x7. The Mamiya lenses in 120 are so incredible and need a film to match. In large format, well, I'm using a tripod to begin with so what's the hurry in exposure?

Am a regular user of Ilford Ortho in 4x5 and 8x10- please be sure it continues!

toodle pip,
Russ

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

In large format, well, I'm using a tripod to begin with so what's the hurry in exposure?

Wind, subject motion, and reciprocity in low light are the usual answers, and some of us shoot handheld LF.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Take the bickering offline, please.

 

[Dave Miller]

Take the bickering offline, please.

Thank you.

 

[Curt]

Your welcome.

 

[Black Dog]

Sounds like gadget bags at 10 paces LOL....

 

[Dracotype]

Sorry to leap in so late on this one, but here is my wish list.

3200 sheet film would be fantastic, but I am a little wary of the price. I know that this is a high speed emoulsion, and it costs to coat sheets of it. If the price were not too exorbant, I might consider it for 5x7.

SFX and Delta 25 would be fun for medium format. I would be quite happy with that.

Drew

 

[Simon.Weber]

Delta 25

My first post in this forum, but why not ...

I would absolutely love Delta 25. Best in 120 size. Since I'm a student I wouldn't even have a chance to stock up on the film, so slow, steady sales from me

I'm quite happy as well that Ilford has turned into a proper photographic company - meaning they seem to actually care. Maybe the future's not too bleak ...

Simon

 

[Schlapp]

FWIW. Delta 25 in 5x7 please.

 

[Jerevan]

I think I may be interested in Delta 25 in 120. I'd buy SFX in 120, also possibly in 35mm. The cooltone fibre base papers is the most interesting. More choices in paper is good, as long as the different types don't cancel out each other sales-wise. My personal feeling is that in the analog photographical food chain, papers are an endangered species due to all the inkjet printing, while film is much less so as many uses film but not traditional papers. Graded papers are redlisted. And I am probably a dinosaur by now.

 

[Curt]

FWIW. Delta 25 in 5x7 please.

I second that, 5x7 or 7x5 and in 2x3 or 3x2 size. Delta 25 120 and sheet sizes as I stated since PanF is a no starter. Don't be afraid to do 25, it isn't that painful.

name withheld due to my begging for something I can use, and use a lot of

 

[gphoto120]

I would definitely buy SFX 120 and 35mm, and also the cold tone MG grade fibre paper. I'll keep checking to see if/when any/all are available.

 

[waynecrider]

Simon; What's happening?

I'd like to know what quanity of anicipated orders are needed in a new product to make it a worthwhile project. You talk about SFX in 120, what yearly sales projections are needed to get it off the ground? 50,000 rolls? 100,000, 400,000? Here at APUG, and other forums, if certain members had their way, we'd have you produce our own particular interest in every format, but then that's not economically viable for you as a manufacturing interest. It's obvious that when certain products disappear it's due to low sale volumns and high manufacturing costs. What has changed in Ilford's philosophy as concerning manufacturing? Are you now going to special runs once or twice a year? Has the market for b&w been so healthy lately that you can actually contemplate another iso 25 film, or even make LF 3200 iso film? Not too long ago I shot Delta 400 in 4x5. Of course it stopped being manufactured as sales must have been too low, but I read above at the start of the thread that many are wanting 3200 iso film in ULF, and this following a pretty successful Ilford and Kodak ULF sale. I would love to know just for the sake of knowledge, just what changed lately that supports these request by you as a manufactuer to ask for our interest. Is b&w usuage increasing?

 

[Simon R Galley]

Good Question...

Dear Wayne,

You ask a very good question, firstly, yes our business is growing and thats great, and although KODAK pulling out of mono paper and the sad demise of AGFA Photo has given us a great boost, its not the full story, we are working hard to have a range of products that appeal to all photographers from students just starting out to the biggest names in photography.

We think a vital part of ensuring a vibrant traditional monochrome market both now and in the future is to maintain the utmost quality and develop new products that increase the creative options available to photographers and printers. Since taking over the business we have spent a huge amount of time and effort bringing back products that were lost during receivership ( mostly chemistry ) and we have been very active in the market place listening to what our customers want and yes we now run a business that has the flexibility and skills to look at things in a different way, the ULF film was a good case in point as was postcard papers, we just have to ensure that demand is there and that we do the correct business things.

SFX for instance, we will coat it again in 35mm only, providing our trials continue OK, we know the historical volumes, our distributors will be pleased to order it, retailers will buy it and we can therefore coat that at little risk, we just will not hold stock going forward, we will coat annually, what we also know that 120 would need a new base, the minimum base volume would not be viable ( it would be several years coated volume ) even if we doubled the historical SFX 120 sales.

As to new products we need to ensure that all our monochrome R&D is focussed toward developing products that will sell and be a success, we therefore now try and communicate with our customers to ensure that when we decide to commit R&D, launch a project, we are as comfortable as we can be that we making products people want to buy.

Ah I hear you say....more products, more SKU's, well no...we are trying hard to reduce our SKU's, in the future you will not have a choice of 10, 25, 50, 100 or 250 sheet boxes or 250ml, 500ml, 1lt, 5lt bottles, so we will reduce SKU's in that way but keep all our product families in tact.

Also we believe we have a responsibility to take analog monochrome on from where it is now, we are the biggest name in mono, if we do not develop new products and maintain ( or improve ) the wide variety of products available we will fail to attract new users and loose existing ones.

I hope that broadly answers your question.


Simon.

 

[unregistered]

Simon,

Thank you for sharing Ilfords commitment to the monochrome market. It's refreshing to hear. What I'd like to know is Ilford going to be introducing more papers? While the smaller companies have filled a niche in papers, I think there is always room for more, especially ones more like papers that are no longer being made, like Ektalure, Portregia, Oriental, etc. I'm certainly not suggesting trying to copy those, although you'd probably sell a lot if you did, but more along the lines of the characteristics they offered. Currently, IMO, your line is very limited and the papers that you do offer don't have the lattitude to creatively do a lot with, at least compared to the papers I listed above.

Anyway, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on that matter.

Thanks.

 

[Jim Chinn]

Simon,

Thanks for the comments regarding Wayne's questions.

One reason I know Ilford/Harman will have continued success is the very novel concept of actually talking to customers, getting feedback and directly answering questions.

I use products from many different manufacturers, but Ilford/Harman has done more in the last year to bolster traditional photography and add products then anyone else in the last 20.

I fully understand your approach or requring demand meet the costs of producing any new product. Any other way would be irresponsible to shareholders and in the long run customers of well established products.

In the long run the marketplace will usually win. Case in point the ULF film run. I think a lot of people might have had doubts about this coming to fruition, believing you may have been only going through the motions of getting input. But demand was their and Ilford delivered. (and I think in a small way provided some incentive for Kodak to do a similar run with TMY).

 

[Klaus_H]

Simon,

does your statement:

"SFX for instance, we will coat it again in 35mm only, providing our trials continue OK, we know the historical volumes, our distributors will be pleased to order it, retailers will buy it and we can therefore coat that at little risk, we just will not hold stock going forward, we will coat annually, what we also know that 120 would need a new base, the minimum base volume would not be viable ( it would be several years coated volume ) even if we doubled the historical SFX 120 sales."

mean, that there will be no SFX200 120 film available in the near future?

Klaus

 

[Brac]

Ilford have said several times on various threads here that they are not going to make SFX in 120 size. My view is we should be glad they have survived and accept that realistically it's not financially viable for them to make everything we would like.

 

[Curt]

Why ask for anything, it's already been decided what the Ilford will make, it's corporate. Pretending to listen is an old company ploy to string along customers for a while but sooner or later the customers figure out that what they are asking for is not going to be made. The line I keep hearing is ULF and Ilford has bitten into this lucrative market placating the roll film and small sheet film users. Acting as the last man standing in the shadow of a withdrawing Eastman Kodak is more than interesting it's educational.

Some are realistic, some are grateful.

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear Curt,

We are a 'medium size' business not a 'Corporate Giant' we have no institutional shareholders, the six managers who bought the business own 100% of the business, we do care about our customers ( and so do all our staff ), we do want to make what they want to buy, and we will where it makes business sense to do so, and we do believe analog has a real and viable future....and I must put you right on one issue, if you think the ULF make of film is or was 'lucrative' compared to 120 you are 100% WRONG....we agreed to do it did it because our customers wanted it, and told us so, on this forum and others, and we could do it without losing money.

Kind Regards

Simon Galley ILFORD photo / HARMAN technology Limited

 

[Markok765]

Dear Curt,

We are a 'medium size' business not a 'Corporate Giant' we have no institutional shareholders, the six managers who bought the business own 100% of the business, we do care about our customers ( and so do all our staff ), we do want to make what they want to buy, and we will where it makes business sense to do so, and we do believe analog has a real and viable future....and I must put you right on one issue, if you think the ULF make of film is or was 'lucrative' compared to 120 you are 100% WRONG....we agreed to do it did it because our customers wanted it, and told us so, on this forum and others, and we could do it without losing money.

Kind Regards

Simon Galley ILFORD photo / HARMAN technology Limited

Great! Now a 20-25 Speed film in 35mm that goes good in rodinal

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...if you think the ULF make of film is or was 'lucrative' compared to 120 you are 100% WRONG....we agreed to do it did it because our customers wanted it, and told us so, on this forum and others, and we could do it without losing money.

Simon, I hope your criterion was not simply failure to lose money. If the ULF make did not net Harman margins comparable to standard catalog films, its propensity for continuing the process will be diminished. In that case, please increase prices accordingly. Everyone's needs would be best served by ongoing makes once or twice a year!

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear Sal,

We had start up costs ( cutter masks etc ) box art etc, item set up and the like, it means we did not lose on the first make and we will make an acceptable margin going forward, if we make twice per annum and if we sell each time the same amount as we did on the first make.

Regards

Simon.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Dear Sal,

We had start up costs ( cutter masks etc ) box art etc, item set up and the like, it means we did not lose on the first make and we will make an acceptable margin going forward, if we make twice per annum and if we sell each time the same amount as we did on the first make.

Regards

Simon.

Now Simon , if you could consider making *Ilfomar in all its range* I will feel a state of utopia not seen in a long time.

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear Bob,

no no no no no no no...noooooooooooo

I hear you had another vistor the other day !!!!! now 4 out of 6 including the Grande Fromage

Kind Regards

Simon.