Efke no more

<p>Due to the irreperable failure of their coating equipment, Efke is ending B&W film and paper production.<br>

<a href="http://www.digitaltruth.com/blog/">http://www.digitaltruth.com/blog/</a></p>

<p>Wow this really sucks. This means some Adox films will also be going bye bye. Efke 25 is one of my favorite films. First Kodak- now Efke.</p>

<p>There's a realllly long post on this at APUG, with posts by someone who works at Adox and has seen the machinery. Adox is going to try to manufacture any films they can (potentially including IR films), however for now they are going to work on coating on a small scale, and yes all Efke manufactured films are gone. Officially: "All CHS films, Nuance and Vario Classic are now discontinued". The equipment itself is not necessarily irreparable, it is just that it is 60+ years old and cannot be fixed profitably, Efke feels that they would not be able to recoup the investment, plus with machinery that old, another expensive repair is likely just down the line. </p>

<p>I just finished reading a good portion of the thread on APUG. Wow. That said I'm planning on putting a small order through which will be my last of the stuff. I just hope Freestyle hasn't run out completely on the 25 speed film in 35mm. The site doesn't say of out stock, but who knows what they have left.</p>

<p>The only Kodak discontinuance since entering bankruptcy reorganization is Ektachrome. Everything else is still in production.</p>

<p>Apart from Efke 25-50-100, IR820/aura also the same Adox CHS 25-50-100 and IR. Also all ortho films Rollei Ortho 25, Adox Ortho 25, Rollei retro 100 TONAL, ATO 2,1 special products made by Efke / Fotokemika. Their photo papers Emaks and Varycon too.</p>

<p>Apart from a few IR820 135-36 films and some Efke 100 in 135-36 and 120 roll film our Efke stock is already finished. I do not think there is much in the pipeline too.</p>

<p>The demise of KODAK will be pretty much the the end of an era with just one major original manufacturer (Fuji) still in business, but I have an emotional attachment to Efke, so it is sad to see it go: ORWO, Foma, Forte, FOTON, Russian stuff simply called "Film", and Efke (then Yougoslavian) are the emulsions I grew up with long, long time ago ina totally different world. Most were "worse" than "western" products (Kodak, Agfa, Ilford) but still usable although frustrating because of the uneven QC, frequent pinholes in the emulsion, glue that didn't hold the end of the film etc., not to mention the "base fog" :-) </p>

<p>Well Efke / Fotokemika was a transfer in the 70's from Adox / Dupont to former Yougoslavia. Dupont bought the whole crap from Dr. Schleussner who started with these single layer type emulsions and they were at that time (1949) better then the actual Kodak and Agfa films in that era.<br>

It's a pitty for the special films who could be produced in a small amount.<br>

In a decreasing market there is also no place for two big multinationals so the next logical step is Kodak out of business or selling their film division to somebody who is able to make profit in a smaller market with a smaller line of products.</p>

<p>I recently started experimenting with Rollei 400 Infrared film; it's no clear to me who make this film (on the pakage is written "exclusively made for Rollei-Film by Agfa-Gevaert in Belgium"). It is made by Efke (I supposede Agfa was gone a while ago). In this case I should stock it up if I find.</p>

<p>Rollei IR-400(s): "exclusively made for Rollei-Film by Agfa-Gevaert in Belgium" and the 120 roll film version has an Ilford/Harman assembly.<br>

Agfa Photo went belly up (2005/2006), not Agfa Gevaert. Like most films from Rollei - Maco they are coming from Agfa Gevaert. Only Ortho 25, Retro 100 TONAL and ATO 2,1 are special Efke production for Rollei and they will be obselete too very soon when the stock has running out.<br>

In IR films, only the Efke IR820/Aura and the simmilar Adox IR820 will disappear which is of course a pity.</p>

<p>I placed some orders for Efke 25 in both 120 and 35mm. What is out there is the last of it. I have enough B&W film to last me a long time, probably well after they stop processing it in professional photolabs.</p>

<p>Apparently Freestyle has some Efke 25 left in 120 for anyone who is interested. And they said they may be getting another order of 800 120 rolls in November. So this should tie people over for a bit. Not sure on 35mm stocks, but I'd guess they'd be getting some of that too.</p>

<p>I'm done stocking up, 200 rolls of 120/R25, 100 rolls of 120/IR820 and 500 sheets of 4x5/IR820....freaking expensive month. </p>