Who makes AgfaPhoto APX new emulsion

[pentaxuser]

Got it, with all these names involved I got lost...

That makes two of us

pentaxuser

 

[AgX]

Well, actually Harman, and their brand name Kentmere..
Which may appear to be too technical, but Harman did actually buy the brand name of Ilford from the former Ilford's receiver.

No, they only got a licence to use it. For certain products. Back then that was easy as Ilford Imaging, the brand owner was only involved with colour materials, by taking over late Ilford's colour department, and Harman wanted to take further late Ilford's b&w department.

 

[Team ADOX]

On Silvermax it appears it is in production as per Adox and Fotoimpex site, with additional statement it will only be made in 35mm format, which makes me wonder, if it is actually now made by ORWO since it is claimed to be made in Germany. Germany & 35mm only? ORWO?

To be precise, there is no "ORWO" film factory in the original sense/status anymore. The company you are referring to is FilmoTec:
http://www.filmotec.de/
They are one of several spin-offs of the former ORWO film factory in Wolfen. They have the right to use the ORWO brand name for their films.
Their is another spin-off which is using the ORWO name - ORWONet - which is a big mass volume photo lab and photo finishing company:
http://www.orwonet.de/de/

FilmoTec has never been involved in the production of the ADOX Silvermax film.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

@Team ADOX Thanks for clearing it up.

 

[Team ADOX]

Of these 2 only Inoviscoat actually coat film in germany - using ex Agfa Leverkusen kit owning both test and production coaters.
Adox- own an Agfa production coater but havent finished installing it, plus a small test coater. They also have use of the former Ilford imaging marly plant in switz - medium scale line, which has been used for testing.

Well, our coating line in Marly is not used for test coatings only. We are using it for quite some time now also for coating final products. By the way, the new ADOX SNAP-ON filters were the first product we coated on an industrial scale as final product in our coating facility in Marly.

ADOX - Innovation in Analog Photography.

 

[Team ADOX]

Whoever wins the toll contact ..Potentially Harman, Foma or Inoviscoat could in theory coat it. I have seen suggestions of both Harman and Foma.

FilmoTec used Forte for their coatings when the company was established in 1998. After Forte's market exit they switched to Harman technology. That hasn't been a secret as it was published by FilmoTec themselves in Germany many years ago.
Foma cannot do it. Because of some technological restrictions. Foma's coating technology is different and not as advanced as that of Harman, Kodak, Fujifilm, Agfa (Belgium), InovisCoat or our's. That is one of the reasons why Foma (can) offer their films at lower prices.

ADOX - Innovation in Analog Photography.

 

[Team ADOX]

I think people are severely underestimating the scale of the Polywarmtone re-formulation (because that's what it essentially seems to have been) - in the pre-digital world it could have taken 3-5 years as a full time job for a dedicated research team - it seems they've had to innovate quite a lot & build up a complex multigrade paper emulsion set/ layer structure in order to both preserve the tonality of Polywarmtone, but also make it a properly competitive first-rate paper on the market today.

That is correct, Lachlan.
Designing such a product is a very huge and extremely difficult project. In this special case we were confronted with the challenges that after Forte's market exit we had first to
- allocate all the needed know-how from Forte
- get the machinery from Forte (e.g. special emulsion kettles).
When that was done, next hurdle occurs by the fact that some raw materials were not available anymore. New R&D was necessary. It happened later two times again, that we had almost finished the work and were short before market introduction, and then again important raw materials vanished. Again a new R&D start. There are more than 120 different ingrediants in this paper.
Also the whole production infrastructure was reconsidered along the acquisition of the Marly facility and our new factory at our headquarter in Germany. Adaption to the new and more modern equipment was done.
Films and photo papers are extremely sophisticated and complex high-tech products. Due to a statement by Ilford Photo / Harman technology they also worked about a decade long on their new Multigrade V paper.

ADOX - Innovation in Analog Photography.

 

[Team ADOX]

@Witold
ORWO is coated by Inoviscoat in Germany, on German-made triacetate base.

Correct.
As explained above, they at first used Forte, then Harman, and have now switched to InovisCoat for coating, which is meanwhile also official and made public:
https://www.northchannelbank.de/en/...m-material-producers-inoviscoat-and-filmotec/

ADOX - Innovation in Analog Photography.

 

[Team ADOX]

On that basis, it would seem reasonable to suggest that Orwo UN54 = 'real' Agfapan 100 or close derivative; Orwo N75 = the modified Agfapan 400 that was worked up to be more like Kodak 400TX (similar to/ same as Bergger Pancro 400?); Orwo N74, the old Agfapan 400?

No, there are similarities in the spectral sensivity, but in general they are visibly different. E.g. the original Agfa APX 100 is finer grained than UN 54.

The TAC base is almost certainly made at the old Wolfen TAC plant who supply most (all?) of the European film coaters & Kodak.

That factory has been one of the numerous spin-offs of the former ORWO plant, but it is not "old" at all, it is a very modern factory.

ADOX - Innovation in Analog Photography.

 

[Team ADOX]

Is it the building with the half-circle front? I remember reading years ago that it was being renovated. Nice that a beautiful building like that has been preserved and in good use.

No, it is not. The Filmmuseum in Wolfen is located in former ORWO production buildings. This museum is really worth a visit, excellent presentation there, including the coater on which Agfa's first color film was made.

ADOX - Innovation in Analog Photography.

 

[BradS]

@Team ADOX Thank you!!!

 

[Arcadia4]

@Team ADOX - Thanks, great to see the progress you've made over the years and that you're now able to use Marly to coat final products, I did know about the filters, but wasnt sure about film?

 

[flavio81]

Correct.
As explained above, they at first used Forte, then Harman, and have now switched to InovisCoat for coating, which is meanwhile also official and made public:
https://www.northchannelbank.de/en/...m-material-producers-inoviscoat-and-filmotec/

ADOX - Innovation in Analog Photography.

Amazing,

So Agfa got renamed to ORiginal WOlfen and now the films are coated in the former original Agfa (Agfa-Leverkusen) coaters... This is a true German reunification!

 

[JPD]

No, it is not. The Filmmuseum in Wolfen is located in former ORWO production buildings. This museum is really worth a visit, excellent presentation there, including the coater on which Agfa's first color film was made.

Yes, but I meant the Rathaus. The museum would be interesting to visit, but we need to convince the politicians in the Rathaus to fund the renewed production of NP15. Let's wear SED lapel pins and one of us must do a convincing Erich Honecker impression.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Yes, but I meant the Rathaus. The museum would be interesting to visit, but we need to convince the politicians in the Rathaus to fund the renewed production of NP15. Let's wear SED lapel pins and one of us must do a convincing Erich Honecker impression.

When I see Honecker mentioned, I think of this, possibly shot on NP15 or NP20 or NP27

 

[miha]

When I see Honecker mentioned, I think of this, possibly shot on NP15 or NP20 or NP27

Nope. Tri-X, by Regis Bossu, a French photographer http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/3895

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Nope. Tri-X, by Regis Bossu, a French photographer http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/3895

Then close enough to NP27

 

[miha]

Then close enough to NP27

No idea. I have no first hand experience of the two fim stocks from 1979 to share.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

No idea. I have no first hand experience of the two fim stocks from 1979 to share.

Tri-X in 35mm wasn't my favorite, neither was NP27, close enough for me

 

[JPD]

That kiss may not be necessary.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

That kiss may not be necessary.

It was however probably the most iconic image of the GDR / USSR "cooperation".

 

[BradS]

When I see Honecker mentioned, I think of this, possibly shot on NP15 or NP20 or NP27

WTF ?!?!?!?

 

[miha]

WTF ?!?!?!?

An iconic photo. You haven't seen it before?

 

[BradS]

An iconic photo. You haven't seen it before?

no never...and I haven’t exactly led a sheltered life. Great photo for the shock and disgust factor but not sure what the actual fuck it has to do with the topic. Seems like this thread has gone way off into the weeds.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

WTF ?!?!?!?

That was communism at its best, but don't make mistake about it, there was no love involved. Neither anything like it happened between Kremlin occupant and any other member of sucked-in countries.

Today same picture would have drawn completely different sentiments.