Interview

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

There is another long thread discussing an interview I gave for the film foundation in Belgium.
I did not expect this to be discussed so controversial. But if there are any open questions feel free to post them here.

Mirko

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[miha]

Hi Mirko, thanks for bringing this up. Can you please comment on the hydroquinone ban thing? There are HQ-free developers on the market but I understand it serves as a preservative in light-sensitive emulsions (films, papers) too. What effect would banning hydroquinone have on the photo industry in the EU. Thanks.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

Hydroquinone is on the Corap List to be evaluated for elimination. This does not mean it is actually going away but it also means that this might be possible. Most emulsions use Hydroquinone as a stabilizer and if your final product shall have a decent contrast (paper printing for example) hydroquinone is involved in either one or the other way.
It would have severe impact if the EU was taking it away. I started asking around a bit a few months ago but all people in the industry were pretty relaxed and said:"this won´t happen- they can´t finish off an entire industry".
Well spoken and I sure hope it is correct but after all I have heard about the EU I am a bit less optimstic and so I thought it might not be the worse thing to make this a bit more known and have a few more people inquire with the EU. What if they are not aware of what they are doing?

Mirko

 

[NJH]

Mirko sorry if this has been asked before but could you see Adox making a high speed film?

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

could you see Adox making a high speed film?

In theory yes. We have high speed emulsions on file and actually made some out of curiosity already (to see where we can get to).
800 to 1600 ASA are possible, not more with current Know How. High speed emulsions are grainy, use a lot of silver and produce an overall inferior image quality. DSLR´s really outrun analog in this category. Because I need to be up to date I also often play with my girlfriend´s Nikon D800 and I must say: Not bad at all in low light conditions. However in bright sunlight film is superior. Thus I see our nexts projects rather in the low ISO range where film can really rock.
Apart from this we still have Delta 3200.

Mirko

 

[PKM-25]

Mirko, one of the potential problems I see in the start to finish film equation is darkroom equipment either being very expensive new or going to the landfill.

So It strikes me as an opportunity for someone to seek out the free or cheap equipment, refurbish it and sell it in great working condition. For example, as one could do with old cameras, they can not only be repaired but made to look really beautiful, like works of art in of them selves, old beaten blue Beseler 23C's restored and painted bronze or fire engine red. Old cars are often restored to look better than new as a form of artistic expression, it seems rather odd that the same is not being done to a greater degree with film cameras and not at all with darkroom equipment.

Do you see a future issue with a lack of available darkroom equipment in order for the true analog experience to be realized in the final print and if so, what should happen to help prevent a shortage of this hardware?

 

[Trond]

Perhaps you can tell us the status of CHS II in 120? It's very useful when a film is available in all the formats one use.

I'm btw. regularly using several of your products, especially Silvermax and MCC 110. Great film and great paper.

 

[NJH]

Thanks Mirko, it was an alternative to D3200 I was thinking of just because well there isn't any alternative is there any more? I don't shoot indoors often but when I do I am up around 800 to 1600. I prefer to try and use film only from now on rather than mix systems. The point about supporting equipment in the process is a good one. I intend to buy your FX-39 by the way to give me something a bit different I can use at home to the ID-11 my lab uses.

 

[darkosaric]

Hi Mirko,

what was the status with Fotokemika on the end? Did you succeed to get any equipment from Samobor? They are still producing X-ray films? If yes - maybe to include it in fotoimpex store?

Thanks,

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

What are the technical hurdles involved in producing a true IR film? We are often told that it is nearly impossible to manufacture such a film. Yet it has obviously been done before. Are there new restrictions today constraining the use of older existing ingredients from the past? Or possibly have some required older ingredients simply become impossible to source?

Is such a product even technically possible to manufacture today? Would it be sufficiently marketable today if it was possible to manufacture?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Ken

 

[Brian C. Miller]

Mirko, in regards to niche products, the direct-positive paper that Harman produced is no longer available. What sort of effort would it take to produce something similar to that?

 

[Trask]

Mirko, would you consider selling 35mm in bulk? Perhaps that would save your costs in buying and loading cartridges and putting them in little boxes, and those savings could be passed along somewhat in your film bulk film price to the consumer. Thanks for your consideration.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

putting them in little boxes

They come now in tubes, no longer boxed. Be it 135 or 120.

Mirko,
Talking of tubes, and sorry for the off-topic, does the CHS II 100 35mm film have any expiry date? I bought some rolls a few months ago and couldn't see any expiry date.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

does the CHS II 100 35mm film have any expiry date? I bought some rolls a few months ago and couldn't see any expiry date.

Check out your cartridge. If it has the new design as shown on our new website it will feature an expiration date on the plastic container and an emulsion batch number on the film itself. Older Films without were produced 2013 and are Batch 1. Expiration is 2017 in this case.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

Mirko, would you consider selling 35mm in bulk?

We currently have no bulk film loading machine in working condition. Sales volumes of bulk rolls are so low that repairing one seems impossible.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

Mirko, in regards to niche products, the direct-positive paper that Harman produced is no longer available. What sort of effort would it take to produce something similar to that?

There is another company involved in this venture so I cannot comment. I know that nothing is decided and final. Let´s wait a little and see what happens.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

What are the technical hurdles involved in producing a true IR film?

Well in the end it is always an economical and not a technical problem.
In this case it is a good example for the difficulties one faces today if he wants to manufacture a film product.
The starting problem is that the manufacturers of sensitizing dyes ceased business except for a few. The result is that we cannot ask them for samples anymore. Synthesis is expensive. To make a sample costs the same as to make a Kilo (which will last a lifetime).
Now you start and order the first Kilo (roughly 8.000 EUR). Then you use 1/10th of a gramm and find out it does not work with your emulsion. Then the next 8.000 EUR are due and so on. You might be lucky and spend 16.000 EUR only but you can easily end up with 80.000 EUR or more.
At current market prices not even the first 8.000 EUR are possible to recover from sales. Unless you can be certain that people will buy your IR film at double or triple the price without impact on sales volumes (else you don´t win aynthing). I am not so optimistic about this though.

 

[removed account4]

hi mirko

ii'm a little off the mark, and this doesn't really have to do
with your interview but ...
are you folks still planning on making a 110 film
and a re-usable 110 cartridge? i've been out of the loop
for a while and cant' remember if it was made
(even for a short time ) since the threads popped up
here on apug ... also do you see adox ever selling
a emulsion in a bottle, pan, blue sensitive .. whatever ..
for the dry plate or coat your own paper crowd ?
(it might be a nice niche to fill )

thanks for such a great candid interview ( and thread ),
and for being a pillar here on apug supporting us all the way you do !

- john

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

Do you see a future issue with a lack of available darkroom equipment in order for the true analog experience to be realized in the final print and if so, what should happen to help prevent a shortage of this hardware?

I agree 100%. Our aproach was to release a budget enlarger in a first step. It can be found here: http://www.adox.de/Photo/?page_id=1644

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

what was the status with Fotokemika on the end? Did you succeed to get any equipment from Samobor?

The status was that of any other film factory. Sales only covered the bare running costs but no investments or repairs. When a repair was due they decided it was not worth doing so. All equipment went to the landfill as far as I know. For sure they do not manufacture any X-Ray film. This part of the business is trade only. Sad story but this is how market economics work. This is how you can buy a Kentmere or Fomapan film for 1,99.
The films could be reproduced if someone wants to cover the implementing costs.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

Perhaps you can tell us the status of CHS II in 120? It's very useful when a film is available in all the formats one use.

That is true. We are working on this as well as on 1.000 other things. There were three obstacles in the beginning and we got it boiled down to just one today.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

are you folks still planning on making a 110 film
and a re-usable 110 cartridge?

I as not aware of a market for cartridges. We have cartridges in stock when we stopped the project due to Lomography entering the market with a 110 film. Do you think anyone would buy them?

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

also do you see adox ever selling
a emulsion in a bottle, pan, blue sensitive

Selling blue sensitive emulsion is possible but there are many choices out already. Selling a panchromatically senitized emulsions is nearly impossible because the sensitizers will start "mixing" (not technically correct but it describes the problem).

 

[removed account4]

maybe ... there is an underground of people who slit larger sizes
and put them in 110 cartridges. the current problem is the 110 cartridges are usually
taped together &c so they can be reused ...it is a real PAIN IN THE NECK ..
if you do sell them, im in trouble because i sold my slitter a couple of years ago

thanks ( about the emulsions )

- john

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Check out your cartridge. If it has the new design as shown on our new website it will feature an expiration date on the plastic container and an emulsion batch number on the film itself. Older Films without were produced 2013 and are Batch 1. Expiration is 2017 in this case.

Thanks Mirko! They are Batch 1. They are being used now!