Replacement for Efke film

Hubigpielover · Jan 13, 2017

Finally shot my last Efke film and I don't know when my family will go back to Croatia to get some more. Really don't have that much to spend on trying a bunch of different film. I do have some Adox Silvermax that someone recommended but haven't used it yet. Also looking to get into darkroom so I would like to develop and print my own

1) What film can I use to get the same results?

2) Should I give a try to something else?

3) Say I pick two different types of film? Adox Silverman and Ilford Pan...do I have to get different darkroom chemicals.

4) If not, what chemicals do you recommend.

Harry Stevens · Jan 13, 2017

I use to buy Jessops KB100 film which at the time was Efke 100 and what a great film, I don't think the film is in production and the factory in Croatia is derelict.....I would recomend Fomapan 100 or Ilford FP4 which are my replacements for the Elfke film, I use Rodinal but most developers should do a good job.

Eric Rose · Jan 13, 2017

FP4 and PyroCat-HD has been my go-to. I still have some Efke PL100 in 4x5 that I am rationing.

Andrew O'Neill · Jan 13, 2017

I still have about 25 sheets of 8x10 Efke 25 ISO... That sure was a nice film.

chriscrawfordphoto · Jan 13, 2017

Adox had also sold Efke KB-100 as Adox CHS-art 100. After Efke closed up, Adox began producing a new film called CHS-art 100 II that they claimed was very close to the original Efke product. Has anyone tried it?

Peter Schrager · Jan 13, 2017

Yes I very used it..chs100 is nice film. Price wise I go with kodak or foma100....
Unfortunately foma 100 in 120 has ridiculous curl . The sheet film is spot on
Enjoy your choices!

Hubigpielover · Jan 14, 2017

Harry Stevens said:
I use to buy Jessops KB100 film which at the time was Efke 100 and what a great film, I don't think the film is in production and the factory in Croatia is derelict.....I would recomend Fomapan 100 or Ilford FP4 which are my replacements for the Elfke film, I use Rodinal but most developers should do a good job.

Yeah it is no mas.... Various cousins go back from time to time to Croatia. They would always come back with Efke for me but they aren't going this year and I think it is getting harder to come buy. Thanks eBay.

Edit: Thanks both of those films look good.

Hubigpielover · Jan 14, 2017

Eric Rose said:
FP4 and PyroCat-HD has been my go-to. I still have some Efke PL100 in 4x5 that I am rationing.

FP4 looks like great film. How easy is Pryocat to work with?

Hubigpielover · Jan 14, 2017

Andrew O'Neill said:
I still have about 25 sheets of 8x10 Efke 25 ISO... That sure was a nice film.

You lucky dog. What are you planning on doing with it? Anything special?

Hubigpielover · Jan 14, 2017

chriscrawfordphoto said:
Adox had also sold Efke KB-100 as Adox CHS-art 100. After Efke closed up, Adox began producing a new film called CHS-art 100 II that they claimed was very close to the original Efke product. Has anyone tried it?

That's good to know.

Peter Schrager said:
Yes I very used it..chs100 is nice film. Price wise I go with kodak or foma100....
Unfortunately foma 100 in 120 has ridiculous curl . The sheet film is spot on
Enjoy your choices!

Man it looks nice. I might try a roll out. What Kodak do you use?

Peter Schrager · Jan 14, 2017

Tmy400 almost exclusively. Great film with high resolution ...

Harry Stevens · Jan 14, 2017

My two favourite films ever where the orginal Tri-X and Efke 100 I still have 17 meters bulk roll of Efke 100 that I bought about twenty years ago in the freezer,my daughter turned up last year with a old camera bag of mine that went missing years ago that she found in a carboard box of bits in her attic and one of the things in it was my long lost still sealed 17 meters of Efke 100 film. It's been in my freezer ever since.
I use to use a Jessops developer that was made by Patterson with great results but that is also long gone into photographic history so Rodinal for my slow films which works great with Foma 100...

Ian Grant · Jan 14, 2017

Harry Stevens said:
I use to buy Jessops KB100 film which at the time was Efke 100 and what a great film, I don't think the film is in production and the factory in Croatia is derelict.....I would recomend Fomapan 100 or Ilford FP4 which are my replacements for the Elfke film, I use Rodinal but most developers should do a good job.

Jessops 100 was actually EFKE KB 50. Adox (the original company bought by Dupont) used the Tungsten DIN speed to name the films which was KB 17. When EFKE bought the machinery and were licensed to make the films in Croatia they still used the Tungsten speed later they changed to the ASA speed so it became KB 50, the Daylight speed is much higher 80-100EI which is why Jessops box speed was double EFke's.

Fomapan 100 is an excellent film and much cheaper than alternatives but needs a bit of taming to control its contrast.

Ian

Peter Schrager · Jan 14, 2017

Foma pan 100 is a sleeper film...Ian is correct
You must tame it to work properly
Has a great old time feel to it

Ian Grant · Jan 14, 2017

Peter Schrager said:
Foma pan 100 is a sleeper film...Ian is correct
You must tame it to work properly
Has a great old time feel to it

I'll clarify the "You must tame it to work properly" for the OP.

Foma films build up contrast very much faster than other B&W films, it's best to do some tests but essentially you need to shoot at half the box speed and develop for about 75% of the time of other films. When you get this right it behaves just like other films in terms of contrast & tonality.

Ian

bsdunek · Jan 14, 2017

I've had trouble with Fomapan lately. It seems it's not at box speed. I have to be generous with exposures and developing to get decent negatives. It does have nice tonal values though. My favorite is FP4, but I've only got about 20 rolls left. FP4+ is great so I'll be going to that. I use Microphen generally, and Ilfosol 3 sometimes. I haven't seen EFKE for years, but I had a friend that did really nice work with it.

Alan Johnson · Jan 14, 2017

I have 16 rolls of Efke 25 left in the fridge. In 2014 there was a guy Leo Madunic still selling it via the Flickr Efke/ADOX group, you could try him.Otherwise PanF plus is probably the nearest.

Hubigpielover · Jan 15, 2017

Thanks everyone for their answers. Seems Foma is good for sunny days (looks like it cannot be pushed all that far) and Delta 3200 for when I go out at night and need a B&W. Great price also. Ilford Pan F looks good also but I am not a fan of ISO under 50 for my shooting style. Still going to buy a roll and give it a go. My goal is to stick to three films. One slow and one fast B&W and one color and one color. I feel like I can't be good if I just jump around trying all the film. Another reason why I take notes when shooting. Man those Foma prices are nice.

All those who still have Efke enjoy it.

Thanks.

mehguy · Jan 15, 2017

If you still wish to use some Efke film, there is a seller on eBay based out of Croatia which sells some NOS of efke film and he seems to have lots of rolls left.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/leomadunic/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Hubigpielover · Jan 15, 2017

mehguy said:
If you still wish to use some Efke film, there is a seller on eBay based out of Croatia which sells some NOS of efke film and he seems to have lots of rolls left.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/leomadunic/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Holy cow he only had 50 the last time I looked. Thanks!

Agulliver · Jan 16, 2017

I have just one 135 36 exposure cassette of Efke KB25 left, and three 120 rolls of KB100.

As I undertand it, the Adox CHS 100 II is supposed to be as near as they can get to the old KB100 formula. The original Croation factory is now abandoned and the machinery not salvagable. Adox were not able to use the exact formula due to availability of chemicals and environmental considerations but their aim was to reproduce KB100.

I am a fan of Fomapan 100 for sure. It is well known that you're probably on a hiding to nothing if you attempt to push it, most people expose at 50-80ISO and shave a minute of the suggested development times in order to tame the contrast. Whatever your technique (I shoot at box speed), once you find a regieme that workse for you, it is glorious stuff. I only started using it in 2015, though I had been using Phototec and Acupan in the early 2000's which I believe was repackaged Foma 100 and 200. It's never let me down - with the caveat that I am not a pro.

Anyone tried Rollei RPX25? Does it bear any sort of comparison to Efke KB25?

onre · Jan 16, 2017

Peter Schrager said:
Unfortunately foma 100 in 120 has ridiculous curl .

Really? I haven't had this happen on any of mine, but then again all of my Foma 100 has been quite recent. Possibly there's a problematic batch?

R.Gould · Jan 16, 2017

Peter Schrager said:
Yes I very used it..chs100 is nice film. Price wise I go with kodak or foma100....
Unfortunately foma 100 in 120 has ridiculous curl . The sheet film is spot on
Enjoy your choices!

All Foma used to curl really badly, but a few years ago they worked on it and for at least 5 years now the curl has gone, no worse now than Ilford or Kodak

Harry Stevens · Jan 16, 2017

Just looked at my way old still sealed Jessops KB100 mini bulk roll and it states K14 and "made in Yugoslavia" probaly older than I credited it for, I still remember buying it.

Peter Schrager · Jan 16, 2017

onre said:
Really? I haven't had this happen on any of mine, but then again all of my Foma 100 has been quite recent. Possibly there's a problematic batch?

Recent batch..shot one roll and I can hardly put it in a proofer....

Replacement for Efke film

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