(Rumor / Unconfirmed) Fomalux going away

unityofsaints · Sep 14, 2016

Hi,

Not posting this in industry news since it's far from confirmed. According to the shop I buy Fomalux from, Foma is discontinuing it as a regular product but is at least considering going with a yearly batch ordering type system like Ilford uses for less popular film and paper formats.

Let's say it goes away completly, would that leave Lodima as the last chloride paper? Availability seems patchy/nonexistent outside the U.S.

BarryWilkinson · Sep 14, 2016

This is a comparatively new paper from Adox...

https://www.fotoimpex.de/shopen/sys...008807657&cache=1473841978&nocache=1473841978

...may be of interest? I have not tried it yet.

Barry

unityofsaints · Sep 14, 2016

BarryWilkinson said:
This is a comparatively new paper from Adox...

https://www.fotoimpex.de/shopen/sys...008807657&cache=1473841978&nocache=1473841978

...may be of interest? I have not tried it yet.

Barry

Hi Barry, your link doesn't really work - are you talking about the LUPEX? If so, Fotoimpex is selling it at over twice the price of what I currently pay for Fomalux (and close to what Lodima costs), however it's of course always better to have two options rather than one.

removed account4 · Sep 14, 2016

i hate to suggest being a mad-scientist and all, and even though it isn't azo, lupex or fomalux
... making your own silver chloride emulsion doesn't take a whole lot of effort
and seems be made easily with a few ingredients.
denise ross's site and book, or a workshop from ron mowrey or mark osterman might be helpful
if your favorite papers go away.
this one is made with seawater, silver nitrate and gelatin : http://thelightfarm.com/Map/DryPlate/Patton/DryPlatePart.htm

john

sepiareverb · Sep 14, 2016

unityofsaints said:
Hi,

Not posting this in industry news since it's far from confirmed. According to the shop I buy Fomalux from, Foma is discontinuing it as a regular product but is at least considering going with a yearly batch ordering type system like Ilford uses for less popular film and paper formats.

I will email to nudge them about adopting the yearly order model. If they see there is interest in it they might do it.

Ricardo Miranda · Sep 14, 2016

sepiareverb said:
I will email to nudge them about adopting the yearly order model. If they see there is interest in it they might do it.

Before you do that, how about just asking about if it is still in production in the first place?

BarryWilkinson · Sep 14, 2016

unityofsaints said:
Hi Barry, your link doesn't really work - are you talking about the LUPEX? If so, Fotoimpex is selling it at over twice the price of what I currently pay for Fomalux (and close to what Lodima costs), however it's of course always better to have two options rather than one.

Hi,

Yes, I'm sorry the link worked when I first tried but not now? Yes it is expensive but if that is what is left? I guess it depends on where you live.

unityofsaints · Sep 14, 2016

jnanian said:
... making your own silver chloride emulsion doesn't take a whole lot of effort

Thanks for the suggestion! It may come down to that eventually. The other option I can think of is using regular FB paper and lots of ND filtration to allow for dodge&burn.

sepiareverb said:
I will email to nudge them about adopting the yearly order model. If they see there is interest in it they might do it.

Thanks, every little helps in this regard!

Ricardo Miranda said:
Before you do that, how about just asking about if it is still in production in the first place?

Fair point, let's not jump the gun. However, my quick "survey" of online stores is not encouraging.

8x10, 25 sheets (probably one of the relatively popular formats):

Freestyle (US): Listed as no longer available.
B&H (US): Listed as discontinued.
Maco (EU): Maybe they never sold it in the first place but the 18x24 cm equivalent is listed as currently not available.
Fotoimpex (EU): No idea if they ever carried it but they sell 196 other Foma items.
Foma (EU): Listed as temporarily out of stock.
Blanco Negro (AU): Oddly only a 10-sheet version is listed on the website but that's in stock.
AV Superstore (AU): Listed as a Dead Link Removed item. Not sure how serious to take them as the price is ludicrous.

BarryWilkinson said:
Yes it is expensive but if that is what is left?

Stock up? The stuff supposedly lasts virtually forever.

Michael Guzzi · Sep 14, 2016

On Foma's own webshop (which supplies only a handful of countries) there is only one size available, 5X7, 100 sheets.

https://fomaobchod.cz/aktiondesmona...alux312sp127x178cm100ks-akce[37820]?ItemIdx=0

I'm inclined to believe it is being discontinued. Got 3 boxes of it a few months ago, not disappointed.

Ricardo Miranda · Sep 14, 2016

unityofsaints said:
Thanks for the suggestion! It may come down to that eventually. The other option I can think of is using regular FB paper and lots of ND filtration to allow for dodge&burn.

Thanks, every little helps in this regard!

Fair point, let's not jump the gun. However, my quick "survey" of online stores is not encouraging.

8x10, 25 sheets (probably one of the relatively popular formats):

Freestyle (US): Listed as no longer available.

B&H (US): Listed as discontinued.

Maco (EU): Maybe they never sold it in the first place but the 18x24 cm equivalent is listed as currently not available.

Fotoimpex (EU): No idea if they ever carried it but they sell 196 other Foma items.

Foma (EU): Listed as temporarily out of stock.

Blanco Negro (AU): Oddly only a 10-sheet version is listed on the website but that's in stock.

AV Superstore (AU): Listed as a Dead Link Removed item. Not sure how serious to take them as the price is ludicrous.

Stock up? The stuff supposedly lasts virtually forever.

Michael Guzzi said:
On Foma's own webshop (which supplies only a handful of countries) there is only one size available, 5X7, 100 sheets.

https://fomaobchod.cz/aktiondesmonats/schwarzweißfotopapiere/fomalux/fomalux312sp127x178cm100ks-akce[37820]?ItemIdx=0

I'm inclined to believe it is being discontinued. Got 3 boxes of it a few months ago, not disappointed.

Very good to go to the Foma webshop. Did you also checked Foma's website?

I'm sure all of you above must be very experienced with Foma's papers and so you all know the datasheets from memory and even backwards.
A question for those above: on the datasheet there is an entry about "Packaging". Do you know what it actually means?

You might find your answers there. BTW, the datasheet is dated from 01/16.

pentaxuser · Sep 14, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
Before you do that, how about just asking about if it is still in production in the first place?

Good thinking, Batman Has any of the interested parties done this and if so what is the answer? Has to be better than continual debate, doesn't it. Well, maybe not as entertaining but more accurate surely?

pentaxuser

Ricardo Miranda · Sep 14, 2016

Fomalux:

Packaging
FOMALUX 111 is available in are subject of an agreement with the manufacturer.

Fomaspeed

Packaging
FOMASPEED is available in all usual sizes and in rolls up to the width of 108 cm.

Spot the difference.

unityofsaints · Sep 16, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
Spot the difference.

Thanks for pointing that out. While I don't doubt that Fomalux is/was an "on request" product, it could still have been discontinued - one doesn't exclude the possibility of the other.

mshchem · Sep 27, 2016

I stocked up on Fomalux while it was available from Freestyle in the US. Nice stuff, I still find myself contact printing 8x10 negs using Ilford Multigrade using an enlarger for light source for contrast control. I dropped an email to Foma several years back telling them how much I appreciated the paper. The response was that the continued availability would depend on market demand.
Just not enough of a market.
They should license the Azo name and formula from Kodak that would get people excited.
Mike

Ricardo Miranda · Sep 27, 2016

mshchem said:
They should license the Azo name and formula from Kodak that would get people excited.

If you want Azo to come back, then write to Kodak for them to make it again.
Don't ask a competitor to license it while they have their own stuff.
If you don't like Fomalux, then don't use it and soon it will be consigned to history.
If you like it, them use it now. Don't stock up for the eventuality that it will go away one day, because it will go away if you don't use it.
Simple as that.

unityofsaints · Oct 21, 2016

For what it's worth, my usual go-to place for Fomalux is now out of stock. I also just noticed the note from the Adox representative in the (there was a url link here which no longer exists) noting that Fomalux is no longer available, although of course they would have a vested interest in representing their competitor as no longer having a chloride paper.

msage · Oct 21, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
If you like it, them use it now. Don't stock up for the eventuality that it will go away one day, because it will go away if you don't use it.
Simple as that.

I agree, instead of trying to use old and out of date film and old chemicals (so many posts are "how do I use 20-30 year old film or is Dektol packaged in a can still good, ect") go out and buy new supplies!
If we don't we will no have anything left to buy. With a busy schedule I want to maximize the little time I have to shoot and print analog photography. In date film & chemicals takes a variable out of the equation. Although I enjoy APUG, I love photography and darkroom work much more! MHO

mshchem · Oct 27, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
If you want Azo to come back, then write to Kodak for them to make it again.
Don't ask a competitor to license it while they have their own stuff.
If you don't like Fomalux, then don't use it and soon it will be consigned to history.
If you like it, them use it now. Don't stock up for the eventuality that it will go away one day, because it will go away if you don't use it.
Simple as that.

Kodak Alaris no longer makes any photo paper . The color paper plant I Harrow is being shut down and Carestream in Rochester will toll manufacture Kodak branded color paper . Kodak got out of black and white paper around 15 years back. I bought several orders of Fomalux over several years even though I don't really need much of it . I agree it's a constant pull on the supply chain that keeps this stuff around. I buy stuff and throw it in the freezer .

(Rumor / Unconfirmed) Fomalux going away

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