Let me introduce you to Svema

LeoniD · Mar 6, 2023

cmacd123 said:
which brings up the question, are they likly to be able to fabricate Magnetic tape? I know that I have also purchased several SVEMA tape reels form another Ukranian Seller, ad a couple of example rolls of SVEMA audio Tape.

They are able, actually. The last big (like, glory-days big) run was in 2014, and Astrum still sells tape from that run. I bought a 550m spool of Б3715(consumer level) and 1000m of A4620-6Р(for studios, with carbon antistatic layer on the back). They also sell И series (for computers) and B(for video, I assume). Б is pretty good, better than old stock, works very well. A was very, very good, but because of the antistatic layer it's thicker, so less will fit onto a spool. And I bought another roll fairly recently, it was with freezing+high humidity damage (the magnetic layer chips off every n cm). Astrum replaced it for free, no questions asked, and the replacement has no defects, but it seems like while their warehouse had no heating in feb-mar 2022 because of war, some stocks got damaged.

bernard_L · Mar 6, 2023

antonio_b said:
btw, something else cheap to buy from Ukraine was/is raw chemicals. I bought metol, phenidone, sodium sulfite and bromide, benzotriazole, potassium bromide, from a seller on Ebay who is I guess, as per the labels on the parcel, from or for a wholesale or factory in Dniepropetrovsk area if I recall well.

Is that seller reagent007 ? Or do you have another source?

Ivo Stunga · Mar 6, 2023

bernard_L said:
Is that seller reagent007

OOh, saving this for later!

removedacct2 · Mar 6, 2023

bernard_L said:
Is that seller reagent007 ?

yes.
convenient, several chemicals at the same place. But not some that are also common in photographic formulas, like hydroquinone.

so, a short off-topic:
Last time I bought from them was "funny" because it was mid-february 2022, and by the way Scholz, Macron and american government had been since december 2021 dismissing, just plain ignoring proposals for a treaty by Russia. I was sure there was going to be war. So I checked how much metol I still had on my shelf in order to keep mixing D-23 and such, in case the parcel would not arrive, and I would buy another amount but from Suvatlar in Hamburg, from where it takes couple days to my place. Few days after I ordered, war indeed started. I got the parcel mid-april.

their prices are twice cheaper than Suvatlar, only alternative in Europe in this price range is from Russia but then you need these days a MIR card. Otherwise in Poland: Wrocław, Keten used to sell some photochemicals at good price, they current website is inconsistent so I guess better direct contact to ask what they have, WarChem (Warszawa obviously) sell online and even on Allegro, but prices are more like Suvatlar: https://warchem.pl/pl/p/METOL-czysty-50g/1593 https://allegro.pl/oferta/metol-czysty-100g-8978999275
We can find chemicals by their scientific name, for instance for metol/genol/elon 4-(Methylamino)phenol sulfate, but then in the euro-germanic "empire" either regulations prohibit often sales to individual persons, or manufacturers selling divisions deal only with organisations.

removedacct2 · Mar 7, 2023

{moderator's edit of deleted politics - understandable, but still politics}

I was not doing comment of political nature, but mentioning the (dark) irony of the timeline and the logistical trouble last time I bought from Ukraine. But then I was in no hurry so two weeks or two months to get delivered was the same to me.

retina_restoration · Mar 7, 2023

Please tell me that Metol is in a dark bag, and that’s not it’s actual color??

removedacct2 · Mar 7, 2023

retina_restoration said:
Please tell me that Metol is in a dark bag, and that’s not it’s actual color??

yes of course metol is grayish:

LeoniD · Mar 9, 2023

Btw, you still can buy chemicals with very good prices (e.g. https://flagma.ua/metol-o10134102.html ), you just have to order from a website that is less convenient for English-speaking folk

antonio_b said:
{moderator's edit of deleted politics - understandable, but still politics}

I was not doing comment of political nature

{moderator's deletion of politics|

To moderator: sorry to add work for you, but my deleted post wasn't the first of political nature here.

Don_ih · Mar 9, 2023

antonio_b said:
metol is grayish

It's supposed to be almost white, though. It's probably fine.

LeoniD · Mar 9, 2023

Don Heisz said:
It's supposed to be almost white, though. It's probably fine.

It is just a bit less purified, but I use this metol, and it indeed works fine

MattKing · Mar 9, 2023

LeoniD said:
To moderator: sorry to add work for you, but my deleted post wasn't the first of political nature here.

No, but we are trying to stop people from adding more!

LeoniD · Mar 9, 2023

Just tested Svema NK-2Sh, I like it. Shot at 64, but it would probably look better overexposed 1/4 of a stop more. It's interesting that developer turns green after this film, but stop, wash and even fixer get a very weak pinkish/magenta color very similar to erythrosine

LeoniD · Mar 9, 2023

MattKing said:
No, but we are trying to stop people from adding more!

I understand, and I'll do my best to refrain from this in future, however, I could not remain silent in this case. It just sounded too similar to official kremlin's rhetoric

removedacct2 · Mar 9, 2023

Don Heisz said:
It's supposed to be almost white, though. It's probably fine.

yes level of purity I guess. It's often stated by sellers (99%, 98%, etc). I have bought metol that was more whitish. I have seen no difference in use.

MattKing · Mar 10, 2023

More posts deleted. We acknowledge that there are huge disruptions in the region affecting the availability of photographic materials, and leave it to other, much better suited forums to discuss the important and tragic circumstances of those disruptions.

KitosLAB · Mar 13, 2023

antonio_b said:
{moderator's edit of deleted politics - understandable, but still politics}

I was not doing comment of political nature, but mentioning the (dark) irony of the timeline and the logistical trouble last time I bought from Ukraine. But then I was in no hurry so two weeks or two months to get delivered was the same to me.

I'm sorry, but this offends me personally. If you had problems with an individual seller, then you can’t project it to the whole country. I sent a parcel on February 27 to California from Kyiv. It was delivered March 11th. This is very cool for a country that is under fire and has no civil aviation. At a time when most sellers from the USA to Ukraine are simply afraid to sell!
P/S Oh no! That's not all! For the buyer, it was "Free Shipping". Any of the US sellers are capable of this? Sell goods to Ukraine on the same terms with the same speed? I will buy a lens key
P/P/S Oh no! And that's not all, either! On January 28, I sent a parcel from Kyiv to Germany, on February 8 it was delivered. The buyer paid $8 for shipping. Maybe one of the German sellers will sell me the key on the same terms and with the same delivery speed?

KitosLAB · Mar 13, 2023

Ivo Stunga said:
OOh, saving this for later!

I'll appreciate the details. I recently started following this seller on Etsy. I'm here now as a photographer, not a salesperson, at least at the moment. But if there are claims to specific sellers from Ukraine, I want to know about it. I will talk about it in Ukraine

LeoniD · Mar 13, 2023

KitosLAB said:
I'm sorry, but this offends me personally. If you had problems with an individual seller, then you can’t project it to the whole country. I sent a parcel on February 27 to California from Kyiv. It was delivered March 11th. This is very cool for a country that is under fire and has no civil aviation. At a time when most sellers from the USA to Ukraine are simply afraid to sell!
P/S Oh no! That's not all! For the buyer, it was "Free Shipping". Any of the US sellers are capable of this? Sell goods to Ukraine on the same terms with the same speed? I will buy a lens key
P/P/S Oh no! And that's not all, either! On January 28, I sent a parcel from Kyiv to Germany, on February 8 it was delivered. The buyer paid $8 for shipping. Maybe one of the German sellers will sell me the key on the same terms and with the same delivery speed?

He didn't say anything bad about shipping. Where's the offensive part?

koraks · Mar 13, 2023

KitosLAB said:
I'm sorry, but this offends me personally.

I think it's not really necessary, nor very wise, to take personal offense in someone else's experience

Overall, I agree with you that it's remarkable that Ukraine manages to continue to function the way it does given the circumstances.

KitosLAB · Mar 13, 2023

LeoniD said:
He didn't say anything bad about shipping. Where's the offensive part?

Perhaps I misunderstood given that several messages were deleted, but literally I read the following: "I was not doing comment of political nature, but mentioning the (dark) irony of the timeline and the logistical trouble last time I bought from Ukraine." Today in Ukraine there are no problems with logistics. Actual delivery times from Kyiv today: to the USA - 12-14 days, to Europe - 8-10 days, to Hong Kong - 7-8 days, to Australia - 12-14 days. This is not problematic logistics, this is excellent logistics!

KitosLAB · Mar 13, 2023

koraks said:
I think it's not really necessary, nor very wise, to take personal offense in someone else's experience

Overall, I agree with you that it's remarkable that Ukraine manages to continue to function the way it does given the circumstances.

This sweet girl's name is Katerina. She deals with the processing of parcels and logistics. Suppose a shipment from Kyiv is delivered to Finland in 6 days. I know these people well and how hard they work. It just hurts me a lot if a single single bad experience can add up to a general negative impression about Ukrainian sellers. (Premier camera, Fomapan200 film)))

Don_ih · Mar 13, 2023

It may be important to realize that what is seen as "politics" from a distance is actual life for those immersed in the situation. You can't tell people in a war to not take things personally.

Kodachromeguy · Mar 13, 2023

Ultrafine Online in California has 2009 Svema Foto 100 in 35mm x 36 for sale. Have any of you tried it? Would it be similar to Plus-X, or other traditional grain 100 speed films?

aparat · Mar 13, 2023

Back in the 1980s, I used some Svema 65, and it was a terrible film. Much worse than any of the Eastern Bloc films, even Foton 65, which was probably the "export" version of the Svema. But, back then, we were thrilled to be able to buy any film at all. I still have some prints shot on Svema on the 80s. I hope the current version is better.

KitosLAB · Mar 13, 2023

Now I have Svema125 1992. Bought at a local flea market for $1. One film has been developed but not scanned yet. What can I say? It is no different from the one it was in 1992. It is completely suitable for me for testing cameras

Let me introduce you to Svema

LeoniD

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Ivo Stunga

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retina_restoration

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