Hi gang,
I was only there for a short time and maybe some of this is old news to you, but here are a few tidbits. Sorry for the incomplete nature of this report:
New TELE-ROLLEI from Franke & Heidecke (recently seperated from Rollei, which I heard on Saturday just had a major layoff (this info subject to verification). The Tele-Rollei has a 135mm f4.0 Tele-Xenar with a minimum close focus distance of 1.5 meters (seemed closer). Compare this to the 2.6m min. in the 1960s model. Parralax correction is done by a clever system of a moving focusing screen. Price: roughly same as the Rollei-Wide.
I finally met-up with ILFORD's jolly, good Simon Galley, between his endless meetings with a stream of guests. He showed me a world first: ILFORD's new FB black & white "crossover" paper (that is, especially created for use with digital printers such as the Durst Lambda), aptly named ILFORD FB DIGITAL. Unique stuff and great, archival benefits for those who choose the digital route. APUG-wise, ILFORD has a new SELENIUM TONER to help take-up the slack if and when Kodak discontinues their own version.
FOTOMAN, after recovering from being a victim of their own popularity and suffering a setback caused by a factory fire, was back in-force with several new products and improvements. Their new viewfinder is a zillion-times better their first, "door peephole" model. It's still not Linhof-quality, but super-clear optics nonetheless. Also, they showed-off their new, economical helical focus mount, which looks to be well-made. This mount is used as well as on their other cameras with their new cone-bodies for handheld 8x10 (can take lenses from Super Symmar 110XL to Nikon 300M, depending upon the cone. List Price without lens: $1300. USD) and handheld 4x5 (can take lenses from Super Angulon 47XL to Nikon 270M, depending upon the cone. List Price without lens: $700. USD). They also showed their new multi-format (6x4.5 to 6x12) 612 D-MAX which allows a 25mm shift to either side, and another version which shifts right/left/up/down. www.fotomancamera.com
GOSSEN showed me a battery adapter for the old Luna 3 (in the US, the Luna Pro, I believe). Lets you use a silver-oxide batteries to replace the discontinued mercury PX76. Part no. V206A. See your local dealer or distributor, or, as a last resort, go to www.gossen-photo.de
SCOOP! (I think) KENTMERE ART CLASSIC is coming back, after a few technical problems caused by a minor change in paper.
CAMERA BELLOWS has perfected their cute little 4x5 pressboard DIY field-camera kit, the BULLDOG. Looks like excellent craftsmanship, as you'd expect from them. Cheap, too. www.camerabellows.com
This is mainly digital-oriented, I think, but if you want to print a real, high quality bound book instead of a portfolio I mean even a one only copy, go to www.asukabook.com
Bergger has new ISO 15 and ISO 100 PANCHROMATIC FILMS in 120 size
and a new, PH NEUTRAL FIXER which, according to Bergger chief, Guy Gerard,
is easier to wash out and safer for conservation. Ironically, it's designed with PMK in mind .. but of course works with paper. Prices: Film, normal. Fixer: a little expensive.
A cool, new PLEXIGLASS PRINT WASHER WITH BUBBLE OPTION is out from Kienzle, makers of arguably the "Rolls-Royce" of enlargers including a nice range of 8x10s (and current heads and parts for old Focomats and Agfa Varioskops!!) They also do custom work. www.kienzle-plastics.com
Fresh from re-organization and looking quite healthy, FORTE showed me a new FORTEPAN 200 which I'll be playing with this week. Lots of papers, but I had no time to get details. Sorry folks. Check out
LEICA, in the wake of it's new digital fat-boy, the M8, still has film-cameras, of course, but my interest was drawn by a couple of new VOIGHTLANDER imitations of the old Leica M3, The Bessa R2M and R3M. The difference between the two: viewfinder magnification. Both, nice. www.voightlander.de
LINHOF had ... um, a ton of people! However, I did have a chance to see their new modified Master Technika 3000 (a wheel-knob built into the bed lets you focus super-short wide angle lenses when they are nested deep in the housing; the bed drops extra low, to accommodate the increased viewing angle; the accessory shoe can be removed so the camera can be mounted on a tripod upside down therefore leaving NO bed at the bottom to cause vignetting). The Technorama 617s III has a new shift adapter available for use with a 72, 90 or a 110 and gives you a shift range of 28mm (14 each side). There's also a neat, new metal lighthood for groundglass back of the T617. It incorporates a sort of 'track' in which a loupe can be held in place, and slid the along the width of the gg. I didn't have time to see much else, But I did get a nice cup of coffee and a souvenir coffee cup.
Last but not least, let me climb upon a tall soapbox and scream the merits of FOTOIMPEX, owner of the Adox name. Whether or not you guys and gals realize it, this tiny company IMHO has done (is is still doing!) a lot to help traditional photo products stay in the mainstream. Never let it be forgotten that Mirko Böddecker owner of the company, and a real innovator brought many speciality b&w products to market long before digital was ever imagined to be the threat to traditional photography as we now experience it. It's not well known that many of the products he had the insight to have made by factories in central and eastern Europe were literally snatched out of his mouth by a competitor who habitually went to those same factories to offer bigger deals on the products, once Mirko did all the footwork to bring them to the market . . . Mirko is now forced to buy those same products from his competitor in order to sell them, himself. OK. That's the inside story. Maybe you care, maybe you don't. Does FotoImpex deserve your support? You decide for yourself. Speaking for myself: Hell, yeah!
fotoimpex.de / fotoimpex.com
Hope this info keeps you awake for awhile!
Cheers,
Chris
.
I was only there for a short time and maybe some of this is old news to you, but here are a few tidbits. Sorry for the incomplete nature of this report:
New TELE-ROLLEI from Franke & Heidecke (recently seperated from Rollei, which I heard on Saturday just had a major layoff (this info subject to verification). The Tele-Rollei has a 135mm f4.0 Tele-Xenar with a minimum close focus distance of 1.5 meters (seemed closer). Compare this to the 2.6m min. in the 1960s model. Parralax correction is done by a clever system of a moving focusing screen. Price: roughly same as the Rollei-Wide.
I finally met-up with ILFORD's jolly, good Simon Galley, between his endless meetings with a stream of guests. He showed me a world first: ILFORD's new FB black & white "crossover" paper (that is, especially created for use with digital printers such as the Durst Lambda), aptly named ILFORD FB DIGITAL. Unique stuff and great, archival benefits for those who choose the digital route. APUG-wise, ILFORD has a new SELENIUM TONER to help take-up the slack if and when Kodak discontinues their own version.
FOTOMAN, after recovering from being a victim of their own popularity and suffering a setback caused by a factory fire, was back in-force with several new products and improvements. Their new viewfinder is a zillion-times better their first, "door peephole" model. It's still not Linhof-quality, but super-clear optics nonetheless. Also, they showed-off their new, economical helical focus mount, which looks to be well-made. This mount is used as well as on their other cameras with their new cone-bodies for handheld 8x10 (can take lenses from Super Symmar 110XL to Nikon 300M, depending upon the cone. List Price without lens: $1300. USD) and handheld 4x5 (can take lenses from Super Angulon 47XL to Nikon 270M, depending upon the cone. List Price without lens: $700. USD). They also showed their new multi-format (6x4.5 to 6x12) 612 D-MAX which allows a 25mm shift to either side, and another version which shifts right/left/up/down. www.fotomancamera.com
GOSSEN showed me a battery adapter for the old Luna 3 (in the US, the Luna Pro, I believe). Lets you use a silver-oxide batteries to replace the discontinued mercury PX76. Part no. V206A. See your local dealer or distributor, or, as a last resort, go to www.gossen-photo.de
SCOOP! (I think) KENTMERE ART CLASSIC is coming back, after a few technical problems caused by a minor change in paper.
CAMERA BELLOWS has perfected their cute little 4x5 pressboard DIY field-camera kit, the BULLDOG. Looks like excellent craftsmanship, as you'd expect from them. Cheap, too. www.camerabellows.com
This is mainly digital-oriented, I think, but if you want to print a real, high quality bound book instead of a portfolio I mean even a one only copy, go to www.asukabook.com
Bergger has new ISO 15 and ISO 100 PANCHROMATIC FILMS in 120 size
and a new, PH NEUTRAL FIXER which, according to Bergger chief, Guy Gerard,
is easier to wash out and safer for conservation. Ironically, it's designed with PMK in mind .. but of course works with paper. Prices: Film, normal. Fixer: a little expensive.
A cool, new PLEXIGLASS PRINT WASHER WITH BUBBLE OPTION is out from Kienzle, makers of arguably the "Rolls-Royce" of enlargers including a nice range of 8x10s (and current heads and parts for old Focomats and Agfa Varioskops!!) They also do custom work. www.kienzle-plastics.com
Fresh from re-organization and looking quite healthy, FORTE showed me a new FORTEPAN 200 which I'll be playing with this week. Lots of papers, but I had no time to get details. Sorry folks. Check out
LEICA, in the wake of it's new digital fat-boy, the M8, still has film-cameras, of course, but my interest was drawn by a couple of new VOIGHTLANDER imitations of the old Leica M3, The Bessa R2M and R3M. The difference between the two: viewfinder magnification. Both, nice. www.voightlander.de
LINHOF had ... um, a ton of people! However, I did have a chance to see their new modified Master Technika 3000 (a wheel-knob built into the bed lets you focus super-short wide angle lenses when they are nested deep in the housing; the bed drops extra low, to accommodate the increased viewing angle; the accessory shoe can be removed so the camera can be mounted on a tripod upside down therefore leaving NO bed at the bottom to cause vignetting). The Technorama 617s III has a new shift adapter available for use with a 72, 90 or a 110 and gives you a shift range of 28mm (14 each side). There's also a neat, new metal lighthood for groundglass back of the T617. It incorporates a sort of 'track' in which a loupe can be held in place, and slid the along the width of the gg. I didn't have time to see much else, But I did get a nice cup of coffee and a souvenir coffee cup.
Last but not least, let me climb upon a tall soapbox and scream the merits of FOTOIMPEX, owner of the Adox name. Whether or not you guys and gals realize it, this tiny company IMHO has done (is is still doing!) a lot to help traditional photo products stay in the mainstream. Never let it be forgotten that Mirko Böddecker owner of the company, and a real innovator brought many speciality b&w products to market long before digital was ever imagined to be the threat to traditional photography as we now experience it. It's not well known that many of the products he had the insight to have made by factories in central and eastern Europe were literally snatched out of his mouth by a competitor who habitually went to those same factories to offer bigger deals on the products, once Mirko did all the footwork to bring them to the market . . . Mirko is now forced to buy those same products from his competitor in order to sell them, himself. OK. That's the inside story. Maybe you care, maybe you don't. Does FotoImpex deserve your support? You decide for yourself. Speaking for myself: Hell, yeah!
fotoimpex.de / fotoimpex.com
Hope this info keeps you awake for awhile!
Cheers,
Chris
.
