jandc said:
Efke just delivered new PL100 to us this week, so I guess that answers the question about Efke.
.
Thanks,
Could you pls clarify the post below in it.arti.fotografia?
"
From: Carburo (razzmatazzo@.....)
Subject: EFKE, la verità (lungo)
View: Complete Thread (8 articles)
Date: 2004-01-19 07:21:03 PST
Credo di fare cosa utile per qualcuno interessato.
Visto che si era parlato della Fotokemika e delle pellicole Efke, vi
mando la risposta alla mia domanda fatta a PHOTOIMPEX, visto che
hanno risposto solo loro (Photokemika al momento latita, credo per
validi motivi)
-----la domanda-----
Dear Sir,
Thanks for the catalogue.
Years ago I used to buy EFKE films and papers from the italian
importer NEMEZ import-export. Recently I have contacted NEMEZ in
order to have information about new prices but they told me that the
Fotokemika's production is over and the firm is on liquidation. They
also told me that the merchandise I can find on european internet
sites (like Photoimpex) comes from stocks and it is on sale as long
as stocks last.
Is it true?
I am writing to you to obtain information about the production of
EFKE photographic stuff and their availability in Europe nowadays
and
in the years to come.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours faithfully,
[firma]
-----la risposta-----
Dear Mr [nome],
thank you for your interest in our products.
Parts of your information are right and parts are wrong.
It is true that due to croatian legislation Fotokemika was not able
to lay off excess staff in the past years which eventually led to the
bankcupcy of the old Fotokemika d.d. The b/w market is decreasing
worldwide and if you as a faktory are not able to reduce staff when
you produce less material you will eventually go bankrupt.
But this does not necessarily affect the availability of the efke
film in a way that you imagine it.
Fotokemika has already founded Fotokeimka Nova and until July the
production is secured at the current location.
In the same time we are building up a stock sufficent enough to
supply for the time of restructuring.
efke films are not very difficult to make. They are simply technology
material. The production has been moved twice in the past 10 years
without the customer even noticing it. Possibly, if the production
cannot be kept in Samobor we will license it to another factory in
another country.
But in any means no maker of film and photopaper will guarantee you a
constant suplly of the same materials for the next 10 years. The
average lifecycle of a b/w film is about 5-9 years. After this there
will be some changes done to the emulsion.
Kodak has just changed all their films.
efke films were changed constantly as well. Older chemical compounds
are replaced by newer chemicals, the gelatine is changing all the
time, the base materials were replaced, the stabilizers were
improoved.
Constantly a photo factory has to do something to their films because
the world is turning and technology goes on and ingredients and base
materials change.
The second factor is the demand. As long as we have a demand for efke
films we will do something to supply efke or efke-like slow speed
single layer films.
Right now it looks very good. Sales tripple every year and keep on
increasing.
Only the 50 ASA film underperforms and will vanish- we are selling of
the last stocks.
The 25 ASA we have already an alternative, improoved emulsion in the
test state.
The 100 ASA we have enough stocks for one year and meanwhile we will
see how efke decides to restructure their production in order to
decide if we license this emulsion to another company as well or if
we can keep buying raw material from efke.
In any ways the whole process of making these films is reorganized.
Factories like efke or Foma will only make the raw materials for us
in the future, meeting improoved quality standards set and controled
by us. The coated material will then be moved to the most modern
confectioning line in europe to be confectionated scratch and error
free in western quality cartridges.
All films will be rebranded ADOX (the original name efke technology
film was sold under in the 50/60ies) and distributed by fotoimpex.
The advantage for the customer is that all films will have the same
quality controle set by us and the same cartidges/boxes.
This increased quality and work will lead to an only minor increase
in price because we can also lower production costs this way on some
ends.
I hope to have answered your questions in a satisfying way and wish
you great pictures on our fine photomaterials.
Regards from Berlin,
Mirko Böddecker
Fotoimpex