Re: More Kodak discontinuations
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John NYC
How are you viewing their stock numbers?
Place a large quantity in your shopping cart. If it's more than they have, a message is displayed indicating that. Decrement until you don't get the message. If you don't get the message when first placing what you believe is a large quantity in your cart, increment until you do. :)
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
I bet it will taper off soon and then X boxes will sit there for a half a year.
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
i just wish this idiot company would just fold so they stop taking monies (orders) away from the other film companies.
maybe we only need one company to sell film. clearly kodak can not run a business!
bye bye kodak!
or should i say buy buy kodak ..... while you still can?
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
If other companies made films like Ektar 100, the Portras and E100G I might even agree, though I'd miss 35mm and, to a lesser extent, 120 Tri-X.
Fuji DID make a film like E100G, Astia, but the #%$^s canceled it too. They don't have anything like Ektar and nothing as good as the new Portras.
But in black and white we do have other excellent and very viable choices.
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Roger Cole
Do you have those problems with Ilford? These problems sound like what folks are saying about Foma, but I've never had any problems with Ilford film. I just checked the Freestyle web site and Ilford 8x10 B&W is almost the same price as Foma, at least "Foma brand Foma." TXP is $5.99 a sheet. HP5+ is $4.40. Fomapan 400 is $3.99 a sheet and Arista rebranded Foma is $2.79 a sheet.
I understand and agree with what you're saying, just wondering what film you're talking about. If Kodak prices are too much and Foma/Adox etc. are too unreliable and problematic, I'd go to Ilford, unless you're saying you have these problems with Ilford?
I have no problems with Ilford and would consider them a good option to Kodak. I've only shot about a half dozen sheets of Ilford FP4+, so I don't have a good understanding of it yet to adequately review it. I use their paper a great deal and respect them a lot.
I've shot Tmax400 since 1990ish and am quite comfortable with it and feel like I know it. Exploring other developer choices with Tmax400 in the past couple of year has made that relationship even better.
Efke I must have had a bad batch or something, but I tried to make a box of 50 4x5's work and had many quality issues on their pl50 film. Haven't been compelled to try it again in another size or speed. Foma is the cheap stuff I compared prices too. It's hard to resist with their Arista packaged prices. I buy the Foma paper too and like the paper. Their 100 film is capable of nice stuff in certain circumstances and I want to continue to wring that out. People like Nana and Gandolfi show what it can do and inspire persistence. I have some pinhole/emulsion issues I'm working out and next time I shoot it I will try another fixer to see if that's it; one change a time. I've already found Foma 100 likes PyrocatHD better than PMK, where Kodak works well in either. A stronger PMK mix might work, but that's not really the idea.
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
Well I just ordered some...while I still can.
"When I'm all done cultivating I'll be rocking on the porch
"Trying to picture you and where you are."
Neil Young - Fields of Opportunity
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
Meanwhile Kodak introduced two new photographic papers today. One color and one "metallic".
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ralph Barker
I knew there was a reason for me switching to Ilford for B&W films several decades ago. ;)
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Originally Posted by
Greg Blank
Same here.
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Originally Posted by
Kirk Gittings
I get the impression that they don't care.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Helcio J Tagliolatto
I can't believe! How could such iconic film have so low demand in the US?
Well, Helcio, there you go! Why is the demand for Kodak so low? Either the photographers are using Ilford, or else they've stocked up to the gills with a special order. Or maybe they're using x-ray film for 50 cents a sheet. Kodak is in business to make money, and requiring a special order is cheaper for Kodak than distributing through normal channels.
Money talks, and Kodak follows the money. When their film is 50% higher than the other brands, what will the majority of photographers purchase? The cheaper brand that's good enough, of course.
There aren't any high-volume users of 8x10 anymore, anywhere. How do I know? A special order is $15,000. At nearly $8 per sheet, that's 1,875 sheets. There are 52 weeks in the year, five working days per week, so 260 days. 1,875 sheets divided by 260 days comes to a tad over seven sheets per day.
Seven sheets per day. Nobody is using that much film. Not. One. Single. Person.
There isn't even a large enough group to do that, beyond the initial special order that went into a bunch of freezers. That's the level of film consumption for 8x10. My usage is a box or two a year, and I buy what's on the shelf locally because I can't store anything.
So there you go. It's all about volume.
Re: More Kodak discontinuations
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Brian C. Miller
Seven sheets per day. Nobody is using that much film. Not. One. Single. Person.
While the gist of what you are saying is true, this specific claim is overstated. There are auction houses and high end retailers in New York City that still shoot a lot of E6 8x10 at least on a daily basis.