Ilfochrome discontinued

[roberto_manderioli]

Today I went to my lab and had a chat with the owner about ilfochrome

printing.

He said he was officaly told by Ilford that Ilfochrome will soon be

discontinued. He foresee a period of 1 year before running out of

material. What a sad news.

This is what the situation look like in Italy. Hope is different

elsewhere.

[janko_belaj]

<p>I agree that this is a bad news (if will be officially announced), but I have to say that I'm not surprised. Here (in Croatia - your neighborhood) getting Ilfochrome prints is like getting jack-pot on lottery. <br>

We have only one lab doing that job and last month, when I wanted to do some prints, I have been told that will have to wait for some more photographers to order same think... They have just a few orders in month... <br>

On the other hand, friend of mine who have print service with Durst Epsilon have every day more and more jobs. I went few days ago to his store to create new icc profile and I had to wait (with beer:)) until some prints have been done (year ago when we have made 1st icc profile we had a plenty of free testing time)... <br>

What I want to say is that Ilfocrome printing is obviously painful job and is getting too expensive (unfortunately)...</p><p>(digitalized;-) Janko</P>

[dan n.]

here in the USA it was discontinued about 3 months ago... I think it's a shame and I was heart-broken, because the Ilfochrome has a unique look and feel.... amen

[scott_eaton]

Usually I can defend most discontinued silver halide materials, but not this one. Cibachrome was the first color material I learned to print with and mastered it early on. It was also the first I learned to find better substitutes for and found the general hype and myth of Ilfochrome to be disturbing and formed one of the biggest lies in the photographic industry. That lie being you had to shoot slides and get Ilfo/Cibas made to have strong color saturation. For a couple years I had to custom print this material for customers and learned to dread the request slips. I don't know of a single custom printer who liked working with it if they had access to C-type Duraflex or Fujiflex.

 

The loss of R-type printing materials is a bad thing for home dark-room printers. If you don't have a slide scanner you're pretty much screwed. Still, from a commercial point of view, my LightJet prints on Fujiflex from the same slides that I made glossy Cibas with are superior. In virtually every scenario I found that fine grained color neg film printed on Fujiflex and even Kodak's milder Duraflex produced superior images than slides on Cibas. The only advantage Ciba/Ilfo has is marginally stronger magenta's/reds and more neutral yellows. From a structural point of view the C-type Duraflex and Fujiflex cannot be distinguished from a glossy Ilfo by many of those who claimed to be experts on the material. Trust me, I've made fools of many.

 

I'd be more open to feeling the same way you do about Ilfo if it weren't for the fact this material was severly over-rated and created a big dead end in terms of technology when from the start it was nothing more than a medium meant to fill the utilitarian task of making direct prints from slides. I've printed many great Cibas and seen many in museums. The problem is I've seen many more that were of dismal quality, yet the photographer seemed to be strutting around as if living in some form of drug induced denial because 'his prints were Ilfochromes'. Photography does not need big stickers next to images promoting their medium as if to make the type of paper more important than the idea of the image conveyed. In this respect Ilfo/Ciba is guilty as charged and I give it a big 'good riddence'.

[ellis_vener_photography]

I agree with Scott: good riddance to bad rubbish. i only knew one lab in the

USA that printed it well, , Newman's in New York City, They printed for the

best; Gregory Heisler, Hiro, Sandy Skogland & Robert Mapplethorpe among

others, but they have been closed fora very long time. Their printing technique

was elaborate: contrast control masks, masks to control red saturation. <P>

Mark newman moved on to pioneer another process which has since been

made obsolete by newer processes.<P>Cibachrome/Ilfochrome just flat out

sucked unless it was in the hands of a master printer and there were very few

of those.

[andrew_ito]

Although I'm much happier with LightJet prints vs. the

Cibachromes that I used to get, I do feel for masters like

Christopher Burkett. His Ilfochromes are amazing.

[Troll]

I started printing color in high school with Ansco Printon and Kodak Dye Transfer. Cibachrome (Ilfochrome) was by comparison a gift from the Gods. In skilled hands, it is by far the best color print material on the market; loosing it is a great disaster for color photography.

[pphaneuf]

We have Lambda printing on Kodak Duraflex here, and there's no Ciba/Ilfochrome envy.

[gary_meader]

I agree with Andrew. Although a pain in the butt to work with,

when done correctly, there really was something about Cibas

that set them apart. I had a show of Burkett's in my small gallery

a few years back, and could hardly get any work done ,what with

standing and staring at these beautiful things all day. Plus, I

would hate to lose B&W materials that, for some, are hard to

deal with, just because "an ink jet print looks just as good and is

easier"

[david_seelig]

I recently sold my color enlarger my one regret was no more

ilfochrome printing . It had an elegance that nothing else has. It

was perfect for concert photography. I am saddened at its loss.

People that say it sucked well all I can say is every process has

it's uses, the this sucks this is great attitude is not worth of a true

artist. David

[nigel_turner]

PERIOD!

[eric_mortensen3]

thanks Nigel, why don't you leave us alone and go sell some cameras or workshops or somethin...

[nigel_turner]

Dear Eric..

 

What is your problem?? Does my success breed contempt with you??

 

Ellis doesn't like Ilfochrome.. nor do I.. (anymore) since the onset of the highly control-able LightJet prints. I was making a pun with Ellis that has obviously gone way past your head!

 

They say success leads to contempt Eric.. and you suffer from this badly. You jump on every thread I post with such negativity. Have you ever heard of a sence of humour??? Lighten up man and enjoy!

 

Nigel.

[eric_mortensen3]

For the record Nigel, I have made exactly two comments on two other posts you have posted on. I am sorry for not getting your joke. It did go right over my head. Considering the other obnoxious and belligerent posts you have contributed to this board, you might understand how easy it would be for one to miss your humour. I wish you nothing but continued success in your photography. I have been to your website and I think your work is very nice. I just wish you would be a little less a confrontational thats all.

[rainer_nagel]

True as of Sep 2006 (and lfochrome paper on rolls is still in production!)

 

This pro lab in Switzerland does it in any size at CHF 320 (USD 250) per square meter

 

http://www.foto-lautenschlager.ch/fachlabor.shtml

 

Foto Lautenschlager AG, Bionstrasse 5, CH-9015 St.Gallen, Switzerland

 

I fear this is the only lab which remains for Cibachrome prints in Switzerland as of Sep 2006