Kodak to Drop More Film Lines

[Bill Smith]

I received a call from a close friend who works for Kodak. It seems that more cuts in film are coming. Basically, he has told me that in B&W only Tri-X and possibly TMX will be Kodaks last two standing. Tri-X accounts for 50% of the B&W film sales and TMax films account for a large percentage of the balance with TMX right up there.

Today Kodak announced it is cutting more jobs and again closing factory and production facilities.

Bill

[Brian C. Miller]

Dang it, I only have just so much room in my freezer!

[Ed Richards]

What is the experience with freezing B&W film? The stuff seems pretty stable generally, does it pretty much last forever in the freezer?

[David Luttmann]

Ed,

I've bought MF Tri-X and HP5 from friends that have had them frozen since the mid 80's. They have been just fine developed in DD-X and PMK. No apparent increase in base fog.

We should be fine picking out our favorite emulsions from Kodak and Ilford and freezing them for at least a decade. Lower speeds like FP4, ((PanF (for MF users)) , Acros, and APX 100 should be good for a few decades.

I don't see the last Tri-X coming off the lines for at least 5-7 years.....so buying up then should keep us going for 20 to 25 years after that. Cheap LF CCD or CMOS sensors should hopefully be plentiful well before then.....unless Kodak screws that up too.

[mark_5816]

If you have been watching TV lately, Kodak has had a huge marketing campaign pushing digital. The handwriting seems to be on the tube.

[Christopher Perez]

Any indications on what is to become of Kodak's Readyload availability?

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Why bother stocking on film? I love Tmx 400 and will keep on using it till they stop making, but I certainly dont plan to reward Kodak for stopping making it. I rather support those companies that will continue to make film like Ilford. I dont know who makes the JandC 400 film, but I am testing it and using it next month for both 8x10 and 12x20, if it works for me I might just stop using Tmx 400 altogether, I have had enough of this death by 1000 cuts!

[j.e.simmons]

I agree with you, Jorge - enough of the bloodletting. I used Tri-X and HC-110 for 20+ years, but when Kodak made changes for the umpteenth time to the combination a couple of years ago, I moved to Efke PL100. I'm also looking at the JandC 400 in my small formats (4x5 and 2x3). Pyrocat HD for them all.

[Brian C. Miller]

Jorge, one of the films I really like is Kodak HIE. I have nine boxes of 4x5 in the freezer, and now it looks like I will have to buy a load of 35mm HIE before its gone too. Maco's offering is not as good as Kodak, so switching will be a pain.

[David Luttmann]

J&C 200 & 400 is made by Forte in Hungary. At least, that is what J&C says. Their 100 film is made specially for them and no one else has use of that emulsion. The J&C 200 should be the same as Berger 200 as this is supposed to be off the Forte line as well.

[Donald Hutton]

J&C200 and Bergger 200 are VERY different films. If you want some real information on the J&C films as well as other B&W options have a look on the AZO forum and on APUG.

[Michael Kadillak]

I read the formal announcement and conclude that this is nothing more than an extension of the staff reductions and the painfull process of cutting the excess. Kodak was excessively over staffed and even today into far to many ancillary businesses to compete in the new game. I feel better that they are facing the music and doing what they need to do so they have a better chance of remaining in the conventional game as a minority position within their global strategy of being a digital player. Right now they desparately need to stop the financial bloodletting and the new guy is making the hard decisions. What could possible be bad about that? Unless you are a long term Kodak employee not ready for the handshake out the door, this is nothing but the best of news. Surely, the investment community sees it that way as it made their stock rise.

Complaining about a loss of a particular film is rather trivial in the bigger scheme of things. There is no question that if you want to continue using sheet film you will find a replacement emulsion that will sequester your needs and be deserving of your consumer dollars.

Cheers!

[Frank Petronio]

I beleive that Kodak will make just about any emulsion you want, provided you order an entire run at $20K or so. After all, they do it for the ULF guys. At least until they run out of coating machine operators.

I suspect they will continue to make film base and paper bases for a long time, because they have non-photo applications.

[John_4185]

Frank Petronio: I suspect they will continue to make film base and paper bases for a long time, because they have non-photo applications.

Curious - what are those non-photo products?

[John Kasaian]

Gosh darn it!

[Mike Lopez]

I agree with Jorge. I don't want to reward Kodak by spending piles of money stocking up on film to increase their profits before they finally pull the rug out from under the entire thing. I have about 3 boxes of TMAX Readyloads in the fridge, and after that's gone, so is my dependence on Kodak films.

[John Kasaian]

I'll still shoot tri-X and of course Tmax400(when the reciprocity gremlins demand it) as well as the aerecon and aerographic (kind of limited to choice when it comes to LF roll film) but none of the Kodak stuff has been my "standard" for a couple of years now---only bit players who come on and off my photographic stage as I deem neccesary. Sad state of affairs. I feel sorry for the people who work/worked for Kodak.

I think what we're about to see, with large retail chains dropping the sales of film cameras(wait and see if Costco and WalMart follow the Piper with the digital flute!) is roll film becoming an esoteric sector of the art world.

Does it bother me? No, shooting sheet film (and LF in general)we're already entrenched as an esoteric sector.

I can still get double run 8mm film for my Dad's movie camera (I'd have a hard time finding a place to process it however) but the stuff is still around 40 years after it was "killed" by super 8 which was in truned "killed" by camcorders---well, you get the idea. Since processing is the big problem, I'm all the more for home darkrooms and passing on the technique. The corner drugstore won't be doing it in the future.

FWIW I still have a stash of ektapan next to the eskimo pies in the freezer out in the garage.

[Mark_3632]

Let em go. I feel for the workers but I refuse to buy any kodak products anymore. Let them go into the cell phone biz. I'll support the others.

[Bob._3483]

Stocking up has a double-whammy effect: not only does it reward a company that is leaving the market, it deprives the remaining players of income and hence reduces their incentive to stay in the market...

[J. P. Mose]

I agree with Jorge. I would rather support the smaller companies that are likely to continue manufacuting black and white film for years to come.