Fotokemika ...

[JPD]

Emaks and Varycon papers are great stuff. I haven't used them for years though, since they aren't available in Sweden anymore. It's sad to see them vanish from the market.

The Efke films are popular and it's a relief that FK will continue to make them. There has been talk over the years about moving the production back to Germany and Adox, so these emulsions will probably still be made even if FK decides to quit.

[K-G]

Yesterday I read at the Adox/Fotoimpex Forum site that Mirko Boeddecker ( the Boss ! ) has been aware of the problems. He doesn't want to phrase the problem in the same way that has been done so far. Right now the factory is closed due to summer vacation but in about two weeks time he will visit them to see what can be done. All this according to my own school-German translation. I enclose a link to the Forum post and in the mean time you can start looking for your old German gramar and dictionary.

Karl-Gustaf

http://forum.fotoimpex.de/index.php?showtopic=2589

[darkosaric]

Hi,

I just called Fotokemika (I am Croatian btw) and talk to them. It is true, paper production is over. For film production still nothing is certain - it is possible that all factory will go down .

[georg16nik]

Lets hope for the best!

[Rolleijoe]

I need that EFKE film!!!

[Photo Engineer]

Just FYI, but EFKE emulsions in many cases derive from EK and Agfa formulas, as there was a lot of Kodak and Agfa influence in the war years and before. These can be duplicated from the war time papers such as the BIOS reports.

There are pages of B&W and color formulas that are equivalent to those used by EFKE for some products and others are published in some detail by Baker, and refined versions are given in my book.

PE

[Ian Grant]

To clarify EFKE B&W formulae were the successors to "Dr C. Schleussner Fotowerke GmbHm" who's company was bought by Dupont and later the plant was bought by Fotokemia/EFKE who made the emulsions initially under lecence.

Forte however was the post WWII state owned company that evolved from the pre-War Kodak plant which was a subsidiary of Kodak Ltd in the UK.

After WWII the Eastern block manufacturers shared Agfa technology for colour films. The Adox B&W materials were streets ahead of Kodak's emulsions when they were released in the early 1950's

Ian

[Pioneer]

There are pages of B&W and color formulas that are equivalent to those used by EFKE for some products and others are published in some detail by Baker, and refined versions are given in my book.

PE

Sighhh. If Efke does go down I guess I will just have to learn how to coat my own film. I do enjoy working with their black and white films, particularly their ISO 25 films.

Even more important though, I do hate to see people who make such a nice product put out of work. Much as I hate to lose the film, those people, like the many at Kodak, really are the ones who will be hurt the most by all of this.

[darkroom_rookie]

Even more important though, I do hate to see people who make such a nice product put out of work. Much as I hate to lose the film, those people, like the many at Kodak, really are the ones who will be hurt the most by all of this.

Very well put. Last time I was in Samobor, they were kind enough to provide me with a small packet of high-grade photographic gelatin without any worries about import fees, taxes, etc etc.

[dyetransfer]

I also will miss Fotokemika. We traveled to Samobor to do testing of my matrix film emulsion, and stayed a week. They were very gracious hosts. During the day, they produced test film, and we ran some matrix tests. After work Leon would show us around Zagreb. We visited his brother at his art studio which was really interesting. We had some great multi-course meals and good comradeship with everyone working on the project. My best to Leon and everyone else at Fotokemika.

Regards - Jim Browning