Deardorff38
Mentor
40mm filters are scarce as hen's teeth, unavailable at the usual local or in fact... N. American sources. Kudos to Fotoimpex & Heliopan just a few weeks order time....delivery via DHL. Medium yellow 40mm for my Canon 28mm f2.8!
Kai-san
Filmwaster
Heliopan filters are very good quality, they are made with Schott glass just like Zeiss lenses. And they have a good range of sizes, I purchased a 30.5mm filter last year that I couldn't find anywhere else.
571514m3
Established
I like Fotoimpex a lot!
Deardorff38
Mentor
they just got my vote.... beats buying old Canon filters for more off Ebay
Deardorff38
Mentor
It's not that Heliopan is an unknown.... (I have a drawer full of them)..... but the fact that Fotoimpex will get them for you in a size you need.....but neither B&H, Freestyle or The Camera Store even lists! The Heliopan quality is definitely a + though!
milescl
Well-known
Wait... they'll make filters in "custom" sizes? I don't see 40mm listed on Heliopan's website.
telenous
Well-known
I received a UV Heliopan 40mm for a Canon 50/1.8 LTM the other day. I was very surprised to find one in Fotoimpex, I buy film now and then from them but had no idea they were selling stuff like that. They also have a good range of oddly sized Heliopan lens caps.
Deardorff38
Mentor
Exactly.... i found it on the Fotoimpex website... Fotoimpex Berlin - Alles für die analoge Fotografie
Erik van Straten
Mentor
I always bought my photopaper from them, until the Adox disaster.
Btw; I've heard rumors that soon a new Adox paper will appear.
Erik.
Btw; I've heard rumors that soon a new Adox paper will appear.
Erik.
Deardorff38
Mentor
Erik, we've been waiting on that for years now...... I'm afraid i fall into the category of ..."I'll believe it when i see it"
Harry the K
Established
Excuse me, what was the Adox desaster?
Deardorff38
Mentor
.....the disappearance of their fine papers.... ?
Harry the K
Established
I´m buying at Fotoimpex since 1999.
Forte Polywarmtone was their top product, paperwise. Impex is working to remake the Forte paper, and it seems they are not far from the finish line. I´m waiting for that new Polywarmtone.
In the meantime (10 years+) I´m using the Bergger Variable CB, which is also a very fine paper.
The Adox papers never had the Forte look. Just my oppinion.
Forte Polywarmtone was their top product, paperwise. Impex is working to remake the Forte paper, and it seems they are not far from the finish line. I´m waiting for that new Polywarmtone.
In the meantime (10 years+) I´m using the Bergger Variable CB, which is also a very fine paper.
The Adox papers never had the Forte look. Just my oppinion.
Deardorff38
Mentor
Harry, we each have our preferences. I never used Adox...in order to have it look like Forte..... it had it's own character. As i said (as far as "close to the finish line")... I'll believe it when i see it. IMO I'm most interested in papers & films that are around for the long haul... not here and then gone. It is unfortunate that we have less choice these days
Erik van Straten
Mentor
For the production of the Adox paper (Fotoimpex themselves produced the Adox paper on old Agfa machinery) they used as a base Ilford paper (unprepared paper, that is, without the sensitive layer) that they bought from Ilford. When the Adox paper became a commercial success, Ilford enhanced the price of this unprepared paper, so Fotoimpex couldn't produce and sell the Adox photographic paper anymore for a price lower than the Ilford paper, much to the sorrow of many satisfied users of the Adox paper. So Photoimpex had to stop the production of the Adox paper, much to Ilford's satisfaction of course and Ilford became in this way the world-monopolist for quality photographic paper. The users had to pay this via a huge price increase. This all is called "the Adox disaster".
Erik.
Erik.
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Harry the K
Established
You are right, of course, with the personal preferences. I was just extremely fond of the Forte and still can´t imagine a better paper (for my taste). I also hope the new Polywarmtone will be around for long.
I once talked with Mirko, the Impex- boss, at Photokina. He told me that it takes so long because the development is so expensive. I don´t remember the figure, but alone what they have to spend for silver is tremendous.
Ilford Baryta I never tried, it´s north of what I want to spend for paper. But the Bergger is nice enough for me.
Harry the K
Established
Thank you, Erik, I missed that when it happened. I tried the MCC once and then forgot about it.
Deardorff38
Mentor
My standard papers now (because i can get them regularly from B&H in New York) are Ilford FB Warmtone or Classic. Bergger are more expensive and often out of stock. Years ago I used a lot of Bergger when it was still being produced by Guillemot & Boespflug. It was a beautiful paper.
Harry the K
Established
I looked up the prices at Impex and was shocked (all prices for 25 sheets of 12x16 inch): When I last bought Bergger, in autumn '22, it was at 82€. Now it is at 123€. The Ilford is at 228€!!!
What do you pay at B&H?
Edit: Sorry, mistake: The Ilford price is for 50 sheets. So the Ilford is cheaper as the Bergger with the new price.
What do you pay at B&H?
Edit: Sorry, mistake: The Ilford price is for 50 sheets. So the Ilford is cheaper as the Bergger with the new price.
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Erik van Straten
Mentor
Last week I bought a box of 100 Ilford MGFB (Multigrade FB glossy classic) 18cm x 24cm (7x9 1/2 in) in Brussels that cost me EUR 135 including delivery (I live in Amsterdam). In The Netherlands no MGFB was available. I've never paid that much for a box with photopaper. They are ruining the market.
Erik.