 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| PhotoKB HomeDiscussion Groups Digital Photography Digital PhotoDSLR CamerasZLR CamerasPoint & Shoot CamerasFilm Photography 35 mmLarge FormatMedium formatDarkroomFilm and LabsOther EquipmentPhoto Technique Nature PhotographyPeople PhotographyTechnique GeneralGeneral Photo Topics General TopicsAustralian PhotographyUK PhotographyDirectoryPhoto Clubs |
Photo Forum / Film Photography / Darkroom / August 2004Agfa
All, There was a news article on the German news today how Agfa has sold off it's film division. I only caught a short portion of the rather quick story (why is it wives know exactly the worse time to ask you what you want to have for dinner?), but the story alluded to digital being the future and Agfa did not see a future in film. This pains me deeply as I am a strict analog picture taker. If I catch the whole story later on, I'll post more. No they didn't say who the buyer was... Jim > All, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Jim I found a bit more on this on a German News Website. www.n24.de Seems it was a management buyout with cooperation from Abrams Capital and Highland Capital (both US captial investment firms). The plan is to continue to produce photographic material and continue to play a roll in the photgraphic industry. Whew! Here's some of the original German text from the n24 web site: " Diese Gesellschaft ist gemeinsam mit dem bisherigen Management und den US-Investoren Abrams Capital und Highfields Capital neue Eigentümerin des Unternehmens. Eddie Rottie, der bisherige Leiter des Fotobereichs und künftige Chef des Unternehmens, erklärte: "AgfaPhoto wird weiter eine führende Rolle in der fotografischen Industrie spielen." Now, what's for dinner again??? > I found a bit more on this on a German News Website. www.n24.de [...] > Now, what's for dinner again??? Crow? Again? > > I found a bit more on this on a German News Website. www.n24.de [...] > > > Now, what's for dinner again??? > > Crow? Again? Huh? what do you mean? > > > I found a bit more on this on a German News Website. www.n24.de [...] > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > > Huh? what do you mean? Just mumbling to myself. > " Diese Gesellschaft ist gemeinsam mit dem bisherigen Management und den > US-Investoren Abrams Capital und Highfields Capital neue Eigentümerin des > Unternehmens." I love the bit about the *management* buy-out with two employees and some multi-billion-dollar US investment groups. Wonder how much those two guys have contributed to the deal after breaking their piggy banks. Reminds me of the joke about Bush, the six million Arabs and the dentist. Ralf  SignatureRalf R. Radermacher - DL9KCG - Köln/Cologne, Germany private homepage: http://www.fotoralf.de manual cameras and photo galleries - updated April 29, 2004 Contarex - Kiev 60 - Horizon 202 - P6 mount lenses > Reminds me of the joke about Bush, the six million Arabs and the > dentist. In the original, it was not a dentist, but a Busty Blond. "Bush and Powell announce they'll solve the Middle East crisis by killing a million Arabs and one busty blond. So someone asks: 'Why the blonde, and Bush tells Powell: 'See, I told you nobody would ask about the Arabs."' >> " Diese Gesellschaft ist gemeinsam mit dem bisherigen Management und den >> US-Investoren Abrams Capital und Highfields Capital neue Eigentümerin des [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >some multi-billion-dollar US investment groups. Wonder how much those >two guys have contributed to the deal after breaking their piggy banks. Well...... The way it is suppose to work is that the "two guys" put together a business plan where they convinced the VC firms that they can either (1) make the thing a going, profitable, concern because of their special expertise, or (2) they can liquidate the whole thing and get back enough from the liquidation to make it worth while. >>All, >> >> There was a news article on the German news today how Agfa has sold off >>it's film division. I only caught a short portion of the rather quick > > story <snip> > I found a bit more on this on a German News Website. www.n24.de Seems it > was a management buyout with cooperation from Abrams Capital and Highland > Capital (both US captial investment firms). The plan is to continue to > produce photographic material and continue to play a roll in the photgraphic > industry. Whew! Well, heck, that's *good* news! That means we can expect Agfa films to remain in the market for at least a few years to come, instead of wondering when the axe will fall and they'll just close down the plant(s)... SignatureI may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz! -- E. J. Fudd, 1954 Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth and don't expect them to be perfect. > Well, heck, that's *good* news! That means we can expect Agfa films to > remain in the market for at least a few years to come, instead of > wondering when the axe will fall and they'll just close down the plant(s)... I had a difficult time reading the article. When one reads these things he must realize that the writer is working from a press release. He rarely has firsthand knowledge or insight. My take was that Agfa is going to concentrate more on their industrial photography - XRay film. >> Well, heck, that's *good* news! That means we can expect Agfa films to >> remain in the market for at least a few years to come, instead of [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >firsthand knowledge or insight. My take was that Agfa is going to >concentrate more on their industrial photography - XRay film. I thought that X-Ray was going digital. Something about higher resolution, lower radiation, and better for the patient & environment. > >I had a difficult time reading the article. When one reads these things he > >must realize that the writer is working from a press release. He rarely has [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I thought that X-Ray was going digital. Something about higher > resolution, lower radiation, and better for the patient & environment. Me too, Ron. The release made no sense at all. >> I thought that X-Ray was going digital. Something about higher >> resolution, lower radiation, and better for the patient & environment. > >Me too, Ron. The release made no sense at all. Of course there are parts of the world that don't have computers. Regards, John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.darkroompro.com Please remove the "_" when replying via email >>> I thought that X-Ray was going digital. Something about higher >>> resolution, lower radiation, and better for the patient & environment. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Of course there are parts of the world that don't have >computers. Yes, but do they have medical and dental offices? >My take was that Agfa is going to >concentrate more on their industrial photography - XRay film. Can't imagine why given the inroads made by digital in that area. I was totally amazed when I went to a specialist for a little back trouble and the X-rays were done digital and in about 3 minutes. Regards, John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.darkroompro.com Please remove the "_" when replying via email John <use_net@darkroompro.com> schrieb: >>My take was that Agfa is going to >>concentrate more on their industrial photography - XRay film. > > Can't imagine why given the inroads made by digital in that >area. As others have pointed out - it´s the opposite, Agfa Photo will concentrate on film, papers and services while Agfa-Gevaert will focus on medical imaging. They´ll have a good start - the photofinishers are waiting in vain for their d-Lab machines. They are brand new, offering the highest output from all available processors and probably the highest quality... what I have seen on the net is impressive. And the development has just been paid by Agfa Gevaert. The only thing I don´t see is a future for 2600 employees - thats seems to a bit too many. We´ll probably see some layoffs over there in Leverkusen, Muenchen, Vaihingen etc. in a not so distant future. > I was totally amazed when I went to a specialist for a little >back trouble and the X-rays were done digital and in about 3 minutes. My dentist uses a digital x-ray-system for 10 years now. "Less radiation, higher contrast" he advertised it at that time. But not every smaller clinic or single physician in the world can afford a digital xray machine. Most even choke on financing a classical "wet" setup. Thats why companies like Calbe and Foma do exist - they live from the chemicals sold abroad. It is a market the bigger ones like Agfa already left for good, moving on to building the machines instead of the consumption items like chemicals and papers. Well, whatever - good luck to Agfa Photo and to the struggling Ilford... >Regards, > > John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.darkroompro.com > Please remove the "_" when replying via email Gruss, Roman Signature"A man should always keep two things in mind: one is that he is a fool; the other is that he is going to die." (Gurdijew) > I had a difficult time reading the article. When one reads these things he > must realize that the writer is working from a press release. He rarely has > firsthand knowledge or insight. My take was that Agfa is going to > concentrate more on their industrial photography - XRay film. I read the press release the other way round (though I am not sure I understand it right): Agfa will split up in two completely seperate companies, the first one taking the "customer" products (minilabs, films, the stuff relevant for this NG here), the other one taking X-Ray and industrial stuff, with migrating that part of the business to digital. /ralph -- are there special courses for obfuscating press releases? SignatureThe truth can't hurt you it's just like the dark It scares you witless But in time you see things clear and stark Elvis Costello > All, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Jim There is a press release on the Agfa web site at http://www.agfa.com It is likely that the new company will slowly move into digital imaging. They will continue photographic products that make enough money to justify continuing them but it is a shrinking market so I expect these products to disappear from the market after a few years. IMO, there will continue to be a significant market for some non-digital products for a very long time but it will not be enough to keep the very large companies who have traditionally provided these materials to continue being in that business. One side effect will be the discontinuance of much research into "conventional" photographic products. Most of improvements in these products have come from the research labs of Kodak and Agfa at a time when the cost of this research could be justified by the development of new products or significantly improved ones. While new or improved products are probably still possible they would not likely result in enough increase in market size to justify the investment. I happen work with both conventional and digital imaging but enjoy "chemical" photography in a way that I do not enjoy digital. I am very sorry to see this stuff go. Its possible that a small, but stable market could result in smaller companies continuing to supply these materials. I sure hope so, but I am not very confident that the "new" Agfa Photo will be one of them. Signature--- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles, CA, USA dickburk@ix.netcom.com |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2009 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.