Hi, Mirko.
Blimey, that’s a long thread...
Yeah, that happens to me every now and then... :rolleyes:
MACO UP25 = efke 25 and that’s still available
MACO UP 100 = efke 100 and that’s still available.
I’ve been thinking something like that for a long time. When I found out that the last batch of sheet film was produced in Croatia, it was clear to me which way the wind was blowing. But with colour negative films, I’d actually assumed it was Ilford material.
The old man has to step back because he only sees a chance for Maco on the market with his favourite child, the cube 400. Sure – with thick-layer films, you’re simply cheaper, and the T-films are firmly in the hands of the big names. Of course, I’ll give the cube a go too; after all, he’s gone to great lengths with the flatness (coating, extra-thick base, etc.). But in principle (i.e. in theory!), I’m not entirely comfortable with multilayer films. I’d rather trust a thick, slow emulsion with plenty of silver in it...
But...
if the Maco UP 25 contains the efke 25 – why does it only achieve the right shadow detail for my process at 12 ASA? I did a test development and only got the right separation between Zone 2 and 3 somewhere between 12 and 18 ASA. (Rodinal 1+100, enlarger with mixed-light colour head, Maco Expo RF Grade 3)
Expo RF: That would still be around if more people were enlarging onto fixed-grade paper.
These fixed gradients have gone the way of all things earthly because new, improved multigrade variants have come out at the same time.
Of course, I’m in a very comfortable position where I can adjust my light to the paper rather than having to do the reverse. But Ansel Adams also started out with fixed gradients and couldn’t control his light.
Here too, it’s more of a hunch that fixed-grade papers are still a hair’s breadth ahead in terms of quality. If I had the time and motivation to test all this out, I might change my mind. What can you tell me about this? Am I wrong and are the VCs the ones to go for, or do the fixed-grade papers (with optimal processing) still offer more?
The same applies to Agfa Record Rapid.
(...)
That reminds me of Glanzol. Since formaldehyde was banned, there’s no decent baryta gloss paper left either.
Our market, the art market, is large but not large enough for all manufacturers and products. There will inevitably be a certain degree of market concentration. Those manufacturers and marketers who have backed you from the start (just like us) will, of course, be more likely to emerge successfully from the restructuring than those who still cling to the industrial standards of the last millennium, focusing solely on profitability and production volume, and thus discarding everything that doesn’t meet the profitability criteria.
Because I realise this, I’m speaking to you, even though my job actually puts me right at the source. At the moment, however, I’m in the process of losing my trust in Maco.
To succeed with a discerning clientele, you sometimes need to make a mixed calculation, and a Polywarmton can occasionally help keep a museum afloat for a while, or a darkroom a roll of film. At least, that’s how we see it.
I’d much prefer that, as I have a lot of 13x18 cassettes and I’m not keen on swapping them for 5x7s at a huge loss, only to perhaps realise a year later that the market volume isn’t sufficient for those either, and all the madmen in the world are now only shooting on 4x5s. And however finely the film is chopped up now, it can’t account for the huge price difference. Everything else is just storage costs.
That’s why we’ve been committed for years to supporting smaller, more flexible manufacturers (such as efke, Forte, Foma and others) so that they can still produce a batch for us when the batch size for an Agfa has fallen below the break-even point.
Of course! The niche market calls for small specialists. Maco does the same, by producing just a single type of film in its own German casting plant (or so he says). But I’ll keep an eye on that for a while...
So, as far as future prospects go, you’re actually in pretty good shape with these materials.
Classic papers and efke films are your mainstays? Then I feel quite confident about that. I believe you have much better consistency and market presence than Monochrom or Calumet, because the former are overpricing their products and the latter are also cutting back their range. I think your targeted specialisation in artists is the right way forward.
In short: buy enough and your supplies will last.
I’ll just collect a few more requests from friends, then we can get started... :blink:
A recent example:
I’m occasionally confronted with questions like this in my day-to-day work and have to admit that the big manufacturers don’t give it a second thought. Shareholder value is simply a very short-term concern.
It will (hopefully – that is, if no mistakes are made) never be the case that the same packaging and name suddenly contain something different (unless it’s a successor model that has simply been technically modified – but that will be labelled as such).
Have you read Wollstein’s latest column yet? Very entertaining, as long as it doesn’t affect you personally...
Delivery problems with efke sheet films
Could you put 300 sheets of 13x18 aside for me? Thanks. :angry:
How does the Classic Pan actually compare to the efke?
PE/Baryta
That was more of a question out of technical interest. I don’t need the same emulsion, because I use PE for completely different tasks than I do baryta. The former is cheap and quick, the latter elegant and durable. As far as I’m concerned, they can look different. In fact, they must!!
Fixed gradients Baryta
Unfortunately, only warm tones. Cold tones actually suit my subject matter better. Should I perhaps switch to the two Polys after all? Could you give a subjective comparison between the varieties, please?
By the way, you can also order Expo from us (the original from efke is called Classic Arts here). It’s just a question of quantity. We’ll run a batch once we reach a certain quantity.
Great! Have I actually been using efke all this time? Is Expo RF the same as efke Warmton, or what? And is Expo G the same as efke Cold Tone? Can I really still get the G from you? Then I’ll have to ring a mate straight away who’s also been missing it.
What about Record Rapid? :P
(Just kidding...)
We try (see also my answer on why we don’t stock efke papers) to promote the materials we have in such a way that sufficient sales secure the supply. If we were to start spreading ourselves across multiple manufacturers, in the end none of them would be able to survive. Hence our manageable range, with the aim of doing exactly what you’re looking for: a constant supply over a long period.
See above: that’s why I’m having a chat with you.
As I can’t test the whole market myself and don’t know the background (which company is more likely to survive the cut-throat competition), as a processor I need a supplier who knows the range and specifically ‘picks out’ the best bits for their customers. If the customer can rely on this selection, you’ve won them over for the long term.
That’s exactly where the bloke from Hamburg lost my trust, because every six months he’d push a different ‘favourite’ into the spotlight. First it was the UP, then came the Genius, only to be replaced by the PO, which is now making way for the Cube. Great...
Pyro: It’s the best! (but also the most toxic and fiddly).
Thanks. I’ll give it a go. Then I won’t even bother with a two-bath process, but will develop my prints straight in Pyro.
You don’t have Pyro, do you? I suppose I’ll have to mix it myself. Any tips on where to find recipes? :ph34r:
While we’re on the subject: what name is LP-Brom 3 actually sold under these days...?
Have I got everything??
Yes! Thanks!
Regards from Mannheim,
Axel
