Resurrection of MCC progressing

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

The sample coating went well and we will be ready to ship the fresh MCC samples for the test project probably by the end of next week.
We coated on a 24 cm machine (including coating edge).
In order to fit a German international letter envelope we might have to cut them down to just below 8x10 Inch whereas 8X10 fullsize would be our target.
The samples beeing sent out are still very fresh and not hardened fully.
Please dry them at room temperature. If you want to try the glazing characteristics of the paper you need to wait for 6 weeks

Currently we are organizing all applications sent and soon everyone will get a confirmation email and be asked to check on their address.

Further applications are still welcome. We could make more MCC paper than we initially thought and there are a few hundred sheets left.
If you are interested in comparing the new paper to the old version please apply to mccproject@adox.de
Unfortunately in return we could only make MCP samples for our own evaluation. But because MCP is still sheduled for real production in September on the large machine it should be available for purchase from November on, so I hope this isn´t too great a loss.

Best regards,

Mirko

Short project summary because the other thread is a bit long by now:

Remaking MCC is the first of four projects undertaken by ADOX in cooperation with former Agfa research scientists.
The original Agfa equipment was purchased from the liquidator and the products will be remade on 100% original emulsification machinery.
While we know how to make these "new" products to be identical in parameters with former Agfa products we did not purchase the Agfa name.
Rather we invested and will invest all money in the equipment and research to bring back as many products as possible.

In order to show what can be done we will send out coating samples of the final testing stage to interested customers.

The paper is identical in all parameters to the original product except for the paper base which is now white and not tinted anymore.
This actually gives the product whiter highlights and extended copy range.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Wow. Wow. Wow. And Wow.

This is what I call delivering the goods. I am expectantly waiting for the envelope to come to my Canadian door. Best of lucks on the subsequent steps to bring this product to market!

 

[jsouther]

Thank you Mirko. Its so exciting to see this all unfolding. Can't wait to try it out!

 

[Photo Engineer]

Mirko;

I wish you all the best.

Ron

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...The paper is identical in all parameters to the original product except for the paper base which is now white and not tinted anymore...

Outstanding Mirko! Its yellow base color was the only aspect of 111 I didn't like. Looking forward to this version and wishing you great success.

 

[Edimilson]

This sounds simply marvelous.

 

[Kino]

OUTSTANDING!

Can't wait to try some!

 

[JLP]

Mmmm. time to find those favorite negatives.
Thanks Mirko.


jan

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Mirko, you rock! You are my hero.

What are the other three projects?

Sanders

 

[Snapshot]

I'm very happy with this progress for I've been using Agfa paper for a while and I love it.

 

[Krockmitaine]

This is exciting news even if I don't have a dark room... yet.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

Other projects

What are the other three projects?

Two: films identical in parameters to films formerly sold as APX 400
Three: films identical in parameters to films formerly sold as APX 100
Four: films identical in parameters to films formerly sold as APX 25

All in 35mm, 120 and Sheets.

There´s more in consideration but we have to see to where our money lasts.
Ideally we finalize one project and use the return on investment to finance the next one. So much depends on the financial success of the first (MCC) project.


Mirko

 

[Mick Fagan]

Very, very interesting, I do wish you well and will be looking forward to hopefully being able to purchase some of the products you intend to manufacture.

Mick.

 

[Matt5791]

This sounds like an amazing project - it must be taking some serious investment!

Do you have any marketing plans?

Matt

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

This sounds like an amazing project - it must be taking some serious investment!

Do you have any marketing plans?

Well, ofcourse we do
After all we have been photo artist´s supply niche marketers for over 15 years now.

I´d like to give you a short idea of the whole project.
The basic thought was to save the Agfa products (keep the knowledge of how to make them allive) and in the same time to try to build a micro scale film and paper factory for securing their availability in the (long term) future.

If you look at this factory from the economical standpoint the idea is to get the fixed costs down to almost zero and work with variable costs only (at least idealy).
So whenever we actually emulsify, coat or confectionate products we have costs, but when we don´t we don´t.
The reason why so many photo factories went into receivership in the past was directly conected with the way they were operated coming from a HUGE worldwide market.
They had very high fixed costs (staff, building, size of machinery) and extremely large capacities. Once you reached a certain production volume your fixed costs were covered and extra output cost you next to nothing. In this case you were making money (serious bigtime money). In return if volumes decreased and you fell below this certain volume you were loosing (serious) money. To run such an operation sucesfully and long term with the markets continously decreasing is quite a challenge and I would be sceptical if a big company promises me today that they will definitely be there 10 years from now happily putting out a few thousand films or sqm of photopaper for analog photo artists every month.

Neither can we at this point because we are still too much dependant on the existance of larger players next to us in respect to raw material availability.
But we are working on supplying exactly this kind and size of a market for a long term.

Best regards,

Mirko

 

[Andrew Moxom]

Just outstanding news Mirko. I am curiously waiting for the MCC to return as I am just having to crack open my last 200 sheets of supply! I wish you tons of luck in making this viable, and you will certainly gain my business if this emulsion tests out to be identical tothe original. I look forward to comparing it side by side. I do have one question, with the 3 other former agfa products, has their been any consideration to resurrect any of the even older products like Brovira, or Record Rapid graded papers? I know it's early days, and I am jumping the gun, plus the real test will be in the success of the MCC roll out. However, if there is a demand for it, and you are trying to retain the old agfa recipes, it would seem to fit the same model... Just a thought???

 

[Ian Grant]

Mirko, not sure about the priorities, surely APX100 type film is more important than the 400 ISO film. APX100 is on a par with other prime film manufacturers emulsions, TMX, Delta 100 etc, but no-one ever thought much of APX400 or AP400.

APX25 type film in LF would be superb Luckily I still have a few rolls of 120 AP25 and APX25.

Great to hear things are progressing well.

Ian

Two: films identical in parameters to films formerly sold as APX 400
Three: films identical in parameters to films formerly sold as APX 100
Four: films identical in parameters to films formerly sold as APX 25

All in 35mm, 120 and Sheets.

There´s more in consideration but we have to see to where our money lasts.
Ideally we finalize one project and use the return on investment to finance the next one. So much depends on the financial success of the first (MCC) project.


Mirko

 

[Rolleiflexible]

... still praying for a return of MCC 118 with a smooth paper base ... any hope of this, Mirko?

 

[Gene_Laughter]

Agfa MCC 118 was my favorite paper to use for Bromoil printing. I recommended it to all my students. My fingers are tightly crossed that we'll have this wonderful bromoil-friendly emulsion again (or a reasonable facsimilie thereof). :>)
Cheers,
Gene

 

[rtuttle]

Hey that's great! But how about some Brovira FB?

 

[Rolleiflexible]

R, Mirko already explained in the other thread that older Agfa papers are problematic because the emulsions require heavy metals that are difficult to buy and use with today's environmental regulations.

But that wouldn't apply to MCC 118 ... would it, Mirko?

Sanders

 

[terri]

Agfa MCC 118 was my favorite paper to use for Bromoil printing. I recommended it to all my students. My fingers are tightly crossed that we'll have this wonderful bromoil-friendly emulsion again (or a reasonable facsimilie thereof). :>)
Cheers,
Gene

I'm with Gene. My hope is the new paper strongly resembles the Agfa MCC 118 emulsion! Not only is it tops for bromoil printing, but for hand coloring as well. The beautiful texture of this paper is what made it so perfect for these processes. I am not the least bit bothered to hear the paper base will now be white, either, as I considered the cream/ivory Agfa base the one (minor) flaw of an otherwise perfect paper.

In this day and age, it's hard not to get giddy over the prospect of a resurrected favorite product, especially one that will bring an actual improvement!

I'm looking forward to my samples, needless to say.

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

MCC Project address verfication

We sent an address verfication to all "testers".
If you have for some reason not received an email from us -even though you registered- please inquire again to: mccproject@adox.de.
We hope to be done cuting down the samples by the end of next week so we can start sorting them to mail them in the beginning of next week.

Best regards,

Mirko

 

[ADOX Fotoimpex]

MCC 118

Sanders, Terri,

making MCC118 again depends on the availability of the paper base from the base manufacturer. Making "a matt" surface definitely won´t be a problem because they stock it, making "a specific matt" surface very quickly gets you into the struggle of "minimum order quantities".

We will definitely look into this when we start coating on a large scale. Switching the base- even in a running campaign- is theoretically possible. So if we can get the base I am very positive we will be able to offer this product at least once a year.

Best regards,

Mirko

 

[sienarot]

Oh wow this is exciting!