Perceptol lives! [And more news from Ilford representative!]

[TimVermont]

Top on my wish list (right before 220 films) is a replacement product for Agfa Sistan. I don't believe Fuji AgGuard is available in the US, so Ilford/Harman would have the market to themselves.

 

[DKT]

Simon--

I would be interested in Ilford's position on parts and support for their Ilfolab 2150 processing machines. Here in the US, the parts are in very short supply, and the US vendor (GEI) has a very limited amount, and many of the parts are simply unavailable. I have been in contact with many labs similar to the one I work in, and we're all in the same boat--trying to salvage parts off old machines, or trying to work around Ilford US, who can't seem to offer much support in regards to the processors. I have not been able to get an answer from Ilford US as to whether the parts are available, or still being made. Any help or clarification on this would be much appreciated.

I would also like to add to the wish list---Ortho Plus 4x5 sold in 100 sheet boxes with no interleaving paper. Buying it in 25 sheet boxes by the case generates a lot of waste....and *postcard paper*.

Thanks in advance,

Kent Thompson

 

[roteague]

I hope you guys don't overwhelm Simon. Give him an opportunity to think about the requests before he responds.

 

[Aggie]

I have followed this thread with great interest. Simon welcome and thank you very much for answering our members.

!!!!!!!!!!!POSTCARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm down to my last 18 boxes of my postcard stash. Manyhere know of my love of postcards. Some were even unlucky enough when I got excited about a project to receive over 24 postcards in a bundle at one time asking for their feedback of the project.

I hope you will be in LA in March. I would really like to meet you in person. Of course that meeting would have to include Les McLean and a round for you two of single malt scotch.

 

[Simon R Galley]

News From ILFORD Photo / HARMAN Technology

Dear All,

If this is the 3rd thread that appears from me, in the last hour, repeating myself, just ignore the previous ones, I do not know which key I hit but everything just go's... where I know not, but go it does, so for the third time of asking :

This is probably my last contribution this week, but I just want to say how much I have enjoyed my first week and a bit, a big thank you for the feedback I have had, and I have some news:

Two requested products have moved to feasibility stage : MULTIGRADE Portfolio postcards ( Gloss and Pearl ) and ULF sheet film, It does not mean they are about to be re-introduced, it means the preparatory work, profitability, market research, stock turns, raw materials etc, etc, is being done for presentation to the management for a go / no go : which for Postcards should be pretty quick, a week or so, much longer for ULF as much information will need to be garnered.

A few comments this week, 220 film : Believe you me IT IS DIFFICULT, very difficult, if it was easy we would do it, as well as a required auto process ( you cannot do this by hand in the dark, and get the quality required ) think a little further, how many tops and tails do we have to order from the manufacturer, it is a very specialised product and a minimum order that would last years, yes years, so as I have previously said, we have not given up and we are looking for a solution, but it is not going to be next week.

Some interesting comments received about our new products and business, very trenchant comments, we intend to be around a very long time, so we are running a business and we have to make money, every product we make must be viable and if it is not it will not be made. We can influence this by pre-selling ( to ensure we reach a viable level ) and it will depend on capacity, return and stock levels as well as investment levels, a key area is something like ULF film, we already make sheet film, it just means finishing it in a different way, we need to do all the business assessment around it, but we do not need to develop a new sensitised product ( like 25 asa DELTA for instance ) that is the real big R&D resource and we have to be very sure.

So the key is we have easy ( relatively ) to do : VARIATION and hard
( usually very ) to do : NEW BUILD , each has to viable, but the timescales, decision making process and investment are totally different, that may help you all put into context my replies to your requests.

Spares, we took an early decision to buy all the remaining spares for ILFORD equipment, 2150 processors and 1250 dryers, this we have done, we do not have every part ( not by a long way ) but we can normally direct an independent engineer, ILFORD distributor or customer to where he or she could locate this product from, all distributors can purchase parts from us.

As to the actual request ( from Rod ) he has actually been in contact with me today and progress has been made. We also have a lmited number of new machines available both 2150 and 1250 for sale.

I respond again to RODINAL requests, and SISTAN, this would not be contemplated before the situation at AGFA Photo is resolved, we remain hopefull that a solution can be found that enables AGFA Photo to continue to make its fine monochrome products and all wish them well, I can honestly say I actually do know how they must feel at the moment, we survived ( and prospered ) where there is life, there is hope. Lets wait and see.

Heavy paper, We have MULTIGRADE PORTFOLIO its an RC product and we would not envisage ever having to make a heavier one.

Thats about all for now:

Kind Regards

Simon

 

[Simon R Galley]

Me again, Feedback:

I missed a couple, sorry, DELTA 3200 in sheet, all sheet film uses a different
( and specific ) base, and emulsion mix, so the coating run would really be
too small and therefore not viable:

Easyloads : We would have liked to do this, but someone in the thread had the answer, the volume is such that we could never contemplate developing our own system or licensing ( or buying the equipment required ) and why would anyone else give us access by doing it for us, we did do lots of work on this when they first came out, also our sheet sales did not dip, so realistically its not going to happen. If you love a film, you love a film and even if its a bit more difficult you persist...

Regards Simon.

 

[Paul Sorensen]

Simon, thanks so much for the information and the comcern for our needs that you demonstrate. I for one am changing some purchasing decisions and will be getting all Ilford product for our beginning students. This does not add up to a huge amount of money, but it will possibly influence them to also purchase Ilford. I am very much interested in seeing your continuing success.

 

[Craig]

This does not add up to a huge amount of money, but it will possibly influence them to also purchase Ilford.

I think it really does. I started B&W doing highschool yearbook, and we used all Ilford. I still use Ilford because its what I'm familiar with and I know how the materials will react.

Many people here love Tri X, and I've never been able to get anything decent off of it, but Delta and HP5 have never let me down, probably because I know it intimately.

 

[DKT]

Spares, we took an early decision to buy all the remaining spares for ILFORD equipment, 2150 processors and 1250 dryers, this we have done, we do not have every part ( not by a long way ) but we can normally direct an independent engineer, ILFORD distributor or customer to where he or she could locate this product from, all distributors can purchase parts from us.

As to the actual request ( from Rod ) he has actually been in contact with me today and progress has been made. We also have a lmited number of new machines available both 2150 and 1250 for sale.

I

Simon--thanks for the prompt reply. I would be interested in knowing what parts you have available if possible. I tired to get a listing from GEI, but they could not provide me with an inventory of what they had. In the past year, where I work we have tried on several occasions to purchase parts through Ilford US and have been forwarded to GEI, who have told us they did not have the parts needed and there were no plans to have any more made available. They had little if any technical support and they offered no contact information as to where parts might be found. On one occasion, they forwarded us to an ex-employee on contract for phone support, and the information he provided us with was wrong, and we had to canabilize a part from a colex processor in another lab for a makeshift repair.

In this period of time, because of many years worth of service contracts with Ilford, we were contacted by one of our former service technicians who has since been laid off. This gentleman, has a source for these parts--I'm not sure if it's through you, or as he claims the original manufacturer of the processors, but he has sold us worm gears and other parts that we have been told were not available anymore by GEI. I have since passed his name along to two other labs who have gotten parts from him as well, after having no success with Ilford US or GEI. He has told us that he is the only source for parts for the 2150 in North America, yet if I were to call GEI, they have no knowledge, or at least no acknowledgement of this.

I would be very interested in knowing the contact information for service technicians and other parts sources if they exist. If the US rep wants to contact me, my work email is:

kent.thompson@ncmail.net

thanks again,

KT

 

[mark]

SImon, You did not answer about 5x7 delta 100.

 

[dalahorse]

If you love a film, you love a film and even if its a bit more difficult you persist...

I think this applies to 220 film, too. My world doesn't stop because I have to load 4 rolls of 120 instead of 2 rolls of 220. I understand that many pro photographers burn through film fast. Those photographers usually have assistants and multiple film backs, anyway. It's not worth driving the company back into financial trouble to invest in 220 manufacturing machinery. If it didn't sell in the past (220 was discontinued a few years ago), why go down that road immediately after emergining from receivership? I'd like to see Ilford 220 film again in the future. Until then, I'll shoot twice as much 120!

 

[Jennifer]

Every day gloom and doom film related news. I was getting used to it, now all this good news from Ilford. I don't think I can deal with it

Simon...May we see mat surface in galerie again. How about 4or 5 ltr mix of perceptol. The 1 ltr is too small for me, and the price between 1 vs 4/5 is another factor.

It's really great that Simon is seeing what we are interested in, and Ilford who "want's" to be there with things we need.

Ilford is interested in my needs, and I'm going to see to theirs, by buying Ilford

They said they want to be the last one standing....ya gotta love these people !.

Jennifer

 

[gnashings]

...Ilford is interested in my needs, and I'm going to see to theirs, by buying Ilford...

From the get-go, my senitments E X A C T L Y !!!
Well said!

 

[mmmichel]

I'd been slowly weaning myself off of the "great yellow father's" products (I do, after all, live in Rochester). I've been using Delta 3200 for awhile (in 120) and recently started using HP5+ in 35mm, but was still using TMX almost exclusively for 4x5 along with tri-x and Kodak chemistry (Xtol for 35mm and 120, and TMax RS for 4x5). Simon's responses in this thread, however, have sealed it for me; my use of Kodak products will end with the depletion of my current stock so that I can support Simon's company, which is clearly much more committed to our needs.

PS: I noticed and appreciated the Kodak-to-Ilford conversion chart. Does there also exist a rough Ilford equivalent to Xtol?

 

[Quinten]

photopaperbox sizes

This may seem marginal but there is a simple solution as well:

Some of the medium sized photopaperboxes bent the papers because they are a bit narrow. I usually place the papers in a bigger box once I bought them to keep them flat, getting them in and out of the orriginal boxes slightly bents the papers. Making the boxes just a few mm wider would be great so the black cover will have a place to go.

cheers!
Quinten

 

[djklmnop]

It seems no one has mentioned yet. I would love to have Pan F+ 50 in 4x5. It's never been tried by Ilford!

 

[Philippe-Georges]

Simon,
Yes an hydrichinon free developper would be great, BTW, why not a whole special invironement friendly product line?
This would prove the commitmentnt of ILFORD.
About the DELTA 100, this is a terrificic alternative for the 'late' SCALA 200.
When Agfa was strugeling, I started to look for a replacement.
So, after a lot of try-outs in my Colenta, I manageded to control the process and now I am using the Delta 100 at 200 ASA as a B&W slide film, and it is verry great to be scanned for quadri off-set printing!
The prosess I am using is Hydrochinone, Sodiumhydroxide and sulfiric acid free ; 70% less sodiumsulfite and 50 % less amoniumthiosulfate. Some of the chemicals were hard to find and this is why I am brewing them my self.
But the DELTA 100 is the hart of the whole setup.

Three cheers for ILFORD!

Good luck,

Philippe

 

[Simon R Galley]

A Short Update From Simon @ ILFORD Photo, HARMAN technology

Dear All,

I have a question....I have been looking at LF and ULF and got some market information, to cover 80% of the sizes requested we would need 10 sizes, this means if I am to progress this to a product range, realistically I can only request one film speed, the question is simple which product...DELTA 100 asa, DELTA 400 asa, FP4 + or HP5+ What do you think ? ....

Requests : PAN f Sheet film DELTA 3200 sheet film, its a base issue answer again, we use a different base for sheet film, and different emulsion mixes as well, its just not viable to coat at these low volumes, the waste would drive the product to an unrealistic level, very sorry.

X-Tol - I am afraid we do not make a direct competitor product, the nearest is ILFORD DD-X, check the technical information sheet, and pleasde let me know if it works for you...

5lt Perceptol ( ? and Microphen ) lets see...we have just brought back the 1lt's , I know its wastefull from a packaging perspective if you are a volume user, I will look at this again when I can see some 1lt sales history, chase me up in a few months.

More space in boxes: I can understand why you want it, the reason its tight is for a purpose, we do not want paper moving sheet against sheet, whilst rare with modern emulsions it can cause paper stress.

I am asked if I am going to LA, I presume you mean the Silver Conference ( do'nt forget if you are going to go , say you are an APUG member you get $ 50 off ) I will not be, but two Directors of ILFORD Photo\ HARMAN technology are, Steven Brierley and Howard Hopwood, I am sure they will look after any enquiries you may have. As an FYI I will probably come to the APUG show in Toronto in March.

ILFORD Photo and the environment : I few questions, we really do care about the environment, we have a stringent, published policy and in our manufacturing and products, attempt where possible to minimise the effects of our business on the environment. eg We will relaunch ILFORD WASHAID in December 2005 and have used the opportunity to re-formulate and remove EDTA. You also may not realise that all our paper boxes are made from recycled paper and board ( but covered in nice shiny paper ) and many are never thrown away, but used for years as neg or print storage. But to be honest most photochemicals do have some environmental effects, our strict advice is to follow the disposal information very carefully, do not pour it down the sink, it may cost a few dollars to dispose of it... but its the right thing to do. I can assure you we recycle all sensitised waste, for good reasons, we get some of the silver back.

Packaging is the big issue, hence quite often people ask for bigger makes ( as above ) 5lt instead of 1lt, or 500 sheet boxes, the spin of that is people who use a lot less and ask for 250ml and 10 sheet packs, the answer is you just cannot win, same when we put sometimes put our liquid chemistry in boxes, its for reason, UV protection and the like. I hope you accept that when we launch any product we do 'ask the environment' question and will continue to do so.

POSTCARD's... I was delighted ( and amazed ) to receive a POSTCARD today from Australia, in effect probably the most travelled POSTCARD ever produced by this factory ( ie it came back ) A super image of Taradale Anglican Church by an APUG member, from his last box, its on my pin board
and there it will remain, many thanks: The pre-production manufacturing test of MG PORTFOLIO takes place tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

Finally, I have been asked if we do factory tours...the answer is usually no, as in all honestly, and not unsurprisingly, rather a lot of things have to be done in the dark, but I would be willing to arrange a tour for APUG members, and their photo freinds, if they wanted to see the factory and meet some of us...again let me know if you would like me to do it.

As with most photo factories we are in the country ( for the nice clean air, this one moved here from Liverpool in 1903 ) we are just south of Manchester near the town of Knutsford.

Kind Regards

Simon.

 

[smieglitz]

Simon,

Regarding the question of a single speed film for all LF and ULF formats, my vote would go to FP4+ as the best all around choice. It would be great to have a choice between several emulsions, but if one is all we will have in all formats, FP4+ seems the most versatile to both standard silver printers and the requirements of ULF photographers engaged in alternative printing processes like Platinum.

Joe

 

[Ole]

I'll second that - FP4+ is my vote too. I use it in four different sizes already, and would really like to have it in the two remaining (6.5x9cm and 30x40cm).

PanF+ would be nice in the "standard sizes" 4x5", 5x7" and 8x10" too, but FP4+ is the most important to me.

And I'll take you up on the factory tour next time I'm in Britain

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Regarding ULF sizes, I'd probably also agree with FP4+ or Delta 400.

 

[photomc]

Congratulations to Ilford for taking the time and expending the effort to ask. They have shown and ARE SHOWING us they are in this for the long run.

Good Job..oh, yeah! FP4+ would be my choice in ULF.

 

[BradS]

Yes...if I had to choose just one sheet film, it would certainly be FP4.

 

[BarryWilkinson]

FP4+ would be fine by me.

Barry

 

[David]

My ULF vote would go for a faster film for purposes such as 11x14 portraiture. HP5, thank you.