xwhatsit
Well-known
I made an order a week and a bit ago from Macodirect; it wasn't until after I'd already made the order that I found some threads on RFF and APUG about some possible dodgyness -- it was inferred that they do some underhanded advertising on forums pretending to be ordinary consumers. Seems anything to do with Rollei consumables sparks up the most trouble!
Anyhow, just got my order now, despite the bad press they did a good job with me at least. What attracted me was the low shipping costs to NZ; mail order places in the UK and US were often twice or three times more expensive to ship a similar-sized order. It seems shipping is getting more and more expensive over the years -- so much for a globalised economy -- and often it makes little sense to make an order where the shipping costs are 50% of the final order.
I got a few hundred sheets of Fomaspeed paper (the only paper I can get locally is Ilford Multigrade and it's eye-wateringly expensive) and several 100ft rolls of film -- interested to try out the Efke KB25 film, although it might prove difficult to shoot in a dark NZ winter! Some bulk rolling cartridges and another reel for my Paterson tank.
I was surprised to find a funny little toy camera in the bottom of the box (interestingly marked `NOT A TOY') with four lenses and a rotary shutter that gives you four time-spaced shots on a single frame. Going to load up some cheap colour film and give that hipster Lomo thing a go
So all and all pretty happy. Once I chew through this paper I think I'll give them a whirl again. I should have enough film for a while now -- between these bulk rolls and the Tri-X from Keith's group order I should have enough 35mm to fill up the fridge! Maybe with some practice I'll get the hang of this `taking pictures' lark.
Anyhow, just got my order now, despite the bad press they did a good job with me at least. What attracted me was the low shipping costs to NZ; mail order places in the UK and US were often twice or three times more expensive to ship a similar-sized order. It seems shipping is getting more and more expensive over the years -- so much for a globalised economy -- and often it makes little sense to make an order where the shipping costs are 50% of the final order.
I got a few hundred sheets of Fomaspeed paper (the only paper I can get locally is Ilford Multigrade and it's eye-wateringly expensive) and several 100ft rolls of film -- interested to try out the Efke KB25 film, although it might prove difficult to shoot in a dark NZ winter! Some bulk rolling cartridges and another reel for my Paterson tank.
I was surprised to find a funny little toy camera in the bottom of the box (interestingly marked `NOT A TOY') with four lenses and a rotary shutter that gives you four time-spaced shots on a single frame. Going to load up some cheap colour film and give that hipster Lomo thing a go
So all and all pretty happy. Once I chew through this paper I think I'll give them a whirl again. I should have enough film for a while now -- between these bulk rolls and the Tri-X from Keith's group order I should have enough 35mm to fill up the fridge! Maybe with some practice I'll get the hang of this `taking pictures' lark.
Leigh Youdale
Well-known
I'm about to try the KB25 in 120 size. Already tested KB50 and 100.
Conclusion? Probably the best of the East European manufactured films. Emulsion is soft - easily scratched. Recommend a very dilute photoflow solution as last rinse and then hang up to dry. Resist temptation to squeegee and adopt Roger Hicks' method of pinning the film diagonally across a doorway or similar so the water drains to the lower edge and dries from there - not by running down the film when hung up vertically. Use water as your stop bath, not acidic. "Conventional" stop solutions seem to have a tendency to blow little holes in the emulsion and Efke don't recommend stop baths.
Using a hardener in the fixer (if you can locate some) seems to overcome the soft emulsion problem but it adds extra time to the film washing.
Use at box speed until you get to grips with it. Efke are emphatic about NOT pushing their films, so don'y rate it at 50 or 100 and try longer development times to compensate. Chances are you'll be disappointed, blame the film and it will simply be through ignoring the manufacturers warnings.
Conclusion? Probably the best of the East European manufactured films. Emulsion is soft - easily scratched. Recommend a very dilute photoflow solution as last rinse and then hang up to dry. Resist temptation to squeegee and adopt Roger Hicks' method of pinning the film diagonally across a doorway or similar so the water drains to the lower edge and dries from there - not by running down the film when hung up vertically. Use water as your stop bath, not acidic. "Conventional" stop solutions seem to have a tendency to blow little holes in the emulsion and Efke don't recommend stop baths.
Using a hardener in the fixer (if you can locate some) seems to overcome the soft emulsion problem but it adds extra time to the film washing.
Use at box speed until you get to grips with it. Efke are emphatic about NOT pushing their films, so don'y rate it at 50 or 100 and try longer development times to compensate. Chances are you'll be disappointed, blame the film and it will simply be through ignoring the manufacturers warnings.
kossi008
Photon Counter
I order regularly through Macodirect, partly because I'm in Germany and can take advantage of their really competitive shipping costs (1€ once you'r above 45 or so € worth of stuff), but also because they have a good palette and have recebtly started carrying the SPUR stuff as well.
Efke 25 gives beautiful tones in Xtol, but it's competing for freezer space with Rollei Pan 25 right now... and both are threatened by pulled Pan F...
Efke 25 gives beautiful tones in Xtol, but it's competing for freezer space with Rollei Pan 25 right now... and both are threatened by pulled Pan F...
Phantomas
Well-known
What bad press do they get? Maco are awesome, I can't say enough nice things about them. I don't buy any film/chemicals anywhere else anymore and have convinced everyone i know into film to start shopping with them. First of all they got virtually every type of film/chemical still in production. They're cheap. Their sercvice is great, shipping fast. And they always throw in some extra rolls of film, or indeed toy cameras for free. I love Macodirect!
Ronald_H
Don't call me Ron
Are they dodgy?
Ordered chemicals and lots of film from them twice so far. They carry basically anything related to analogue photography.
Fast & cheap and they throw in wacky presents as well. What's the problem?
Ordered chemicals and lots of film from them twice so far. They carry basically anything related to analogue photography.
Fast & cheap and they throw in wacky presents as well. What's the problem?
martin s
Well-known
xwhatsit
Well-known
Given that I do all of the above anyway (bar the hardener in the fixer -- does the emulsion still remain soft after drying? Just have to be very careful when enlarging or scanning I suppose), I'm hoping for reasonable results. If not, I have a couple of 30.5 metre rolls, so even if I'm a slow learner I might figure out this film in the end!
Seems silly to push a 25 ISO film; I can understand pushing 400 speed films to 1600 or 3200 ISO as it's harder to find film that fast and it lets you shoot where you otherwise couldn't. But even a three stop push on 25 ISO would leave you at 200 ISO -- seems a little silly!No problem at all with them myself, I was very pleased. What I was referring to was a number of threads (especially over on APUG) where there were all sorts of arguments about certain members who were making wild claims about Rollei films (which are Maco, or at least distributed by them) and then providing links to Macodirect -- it was claimed these people were Maco distributors. Everybody got very hot under the collar and some made all sorts of nasty comments about Macodirect and how they'd never ever buy from them and it had me worried for a tickAre they dodgy?
Personally I'll definitely be giving them my business again. I can't understand how it can cost more than $NZ180 to ship a few boxes of Ilford Multigrade (a well-known UK supplier). The max size was 8x10! I don't know who's skimming the cream off the top but somebody must be. Macodirect shipped through DHL and it cost next to nothing by comparison, and I got a nice tracking number to boot.
ath
Well-known
What I like about Maco(-direct):
- they carry some things which are available nowhere else. Thats why I buy from them once in a while.
- they have very low shipping cost (in Germany).
(edit) - and yes, I like the fact that they make new things available to photographers
What I do not like about them:
- their agressive markting
- they seem to live in a different world when it comes to characteristics and usability of their own brand stuff
- they tend to provide nearly no hard data about their products and let the consumer do the work
- I had problems with transactions with them - not serious, but annoying. The last transaction went well though.
- I dislike that they wind the 100ft rolls the wrong way - forces my to rewind the 100ft before loading the bulk loader
- their agressive markting
- and did I mention the marketing? When I asked not to receive "information emails" (i.e. spam im my eyes) my account was deleted. Almost a year later I had to open a new one for my last purchase - and found a tick mark for "no emails" which was not there one year ago. At least they seem to learn...
Bottom line is that most things I'm interested in are available at similar prices somewhere else at companies that behave more to my taste.
- they carry some things which are available nowhere else. Thats why I buy from them once in a while.
- they have very low shipping cost (in Germany).
(edit) - and yes, I like the fact that they make new things available to photographers
What I do not like about them:
- their agressive markting
- they seem to live in a different world when it comes to characteristics and usability of their own brand stuff
- they tend to provide nearly no hard data about their products and let the consumer do the work
- I had problems with transactions with them - not serious, but annoying. The last transaction went well though.
- I dislike that they wind the 100ft rolls the wrong way - forces my to rewind the 100ft before loading the bulk loader
- their agressive markting
- and did I mention the marketing? When I asked not to receive "information emails" (i.e. spam im my eyes) my account was deleted. Almost a year later I had to open a new one for my last purchase - and found a tick mark for "no emails" which was not there one year ago. At least they seem to learn...
Bottom line is that most things I'm interested in are available at similar prices somewhere else at companies that behave more to my taste.
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Leigh Youdale
Well-known
Any emulsion needs care but these emulsions if not hardened remain susceptible to scratches, kink marks and spots. They require gentle handling at all times - unless you use a hardening fixer.
Freakscene
Obscure member
Hardening fixer does not appreciably harden wet emulsion. With Efke films you need to use hardener AND be very careful with the wet emulsion.
Marty
Marty
martin s
Well-known
Issues with Efke film are blown way out of proportion. I have processed about 50 rolls of that film and almost never had issues with the emulsion. It's a little more difficult to scan, and with the 25 and 50 you have to meter carefully. I had a few rolls where the emulsion flaked off, but returned them. With the current batch I had no issues whatsoever. Just be careful, but you don't have to be overly paranoid.
martin
martin
marduk
Well-known
I am happy with Macodirect too. I used to order through B&H and Freestyle but as international shipping became more expensive now I order regularly through Macodirect. I wish they did carry Adox and Arista films, whole range of Adox papers and other stuff. For wider range try Fotoimpex. But you can't beat Macodirect when it comes to shipping costs - I can order enough film for me and still pay only €9 for shipping to Ukraine!
MartinP
Veteran
I have ordered a couple of times from Maco and the service seems pretty decent. There are alternate large(-ish) online suppliers in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands, and so far none of them have been a disaster. By this stage of the game in analog photo products the better known suppliers will probably be either efficient or dead.
Leigh Youdale
Well-known
Sorry, but if there's a fault in the film that causes me to "return them" I do get paranoid. They can replace the film but what about my images? Like, they didn't really matter?
martin s
Well-known
That is a known issue, and not what I meant. There's something wrong with their quality control for sure, what I'm talking about is handling and basically your influence on the films outcome. I would not use it for anything serious, I should've mentioned that.
martin
FrankHarries
Well-known
Well, have been ordering a lot of times from Macodirect, never with a problem. There have been quality problems with other companies in Germany, but I think, that occurs once in a while. Well, they advertise and they use also forums to talk about new stuff and they use the experiences of their customers - but "agressive"??? - I don't think so. And its like other topics in forums: I can always decide if I read them or not. And I get mail informaions from them, but spams are something else, at least for me.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
Their advertising obviously is biased towards their own (Maco and Rollei) brands, but they are hardly rougher in manners and business ethics than their competition - all of the formerly "alternative" German dealers (which now that the mainstream has failed make up the new mainstream) are or at least have been rogue in their promotional claims. Each and every one of them has had the finest grain film in the Universe, defying the laws of nature...
Beyond their house brands they are a reliable and fast dealer carrying pretty much everything available non-exclusively in Germany at excellent prices.
Sevo
Beyond their house brands they are a reliable and fast dealer carrying pretty much everything available non-exclusively in Germany at excellent prices.
Sevo
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PMCC
Late adopter.
I'm happy with them. Ordered 100 rolls of Rollei Retro 100 (APX 100), took 3 weeks from Germany to U.S., shipping was pretty reasonable. They threw in a couple of free single-use Rollei cameras, great fun.