Local Photo supply store told me Kodak has discontinued all development chemicals

[gnd2]

The whole DIY developer thing just isn't much of an obstacle, but some folks seem really hesitant to work with powders that have to be measured. You make your own and you know you can trust it

Sure, for B&W, but some of us like a little color now and then. I have no problem making my own D76 and dektol, but C-41, RA-4 and E-6 are another story.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I prefer Kodak, E100, Extar, Portra, tmax and 320. The prices are what they are, but inflation is driving that. If they are serious about staying true to film then when recession hits, then prices are gonna have to come down. On the other hand, this could just be a way to justify bailing on the film industry. I suspect if Kodak were to bail, pretty much all film companies will bail. I shoot 4x5 and 8x10, prices between D100 and Tmax are not radically different. Tmax is more expensive though. For color, Kodak is it that I am aware of, Fuji still has provia, but E100 eats its lunch.

Oh well,
Time to start stocking up on film and invest in a deep freezer.

[AuditorOne]

I buy the generic c-41 packs from Freestyle. I don't know who is making it for them but they are still selling it.

I shoot so little color film anymore that it is pretty much a luxury when I do. I shot a roll of Portra 400 last month and a roll of Portra 160 on the first. I usually shoot the most right now during the fall season. I picked up some Ektar 100 in 120 roll film with some Xmas money early this year. That is the most recent I have bought any but I have some Portra on ice. I probably have enough to make it through next year. But I will go looking for some more Ektar this Christmas again. Maybe I'll splurge and buy two 5 pack boxes this year.

[Drew Wiley]

Some of the Kodak label Sino Promise chemistry was being made in the US all along, probably by the old Champion plant. If there is enough demand, and the relevant patents now expired, the identical chemistry could reappear under another label, but not necessarily under the same readily recognized name, like HC-110 or whatever. But even recognizable tweaks of that are available under other labels, not to mention the availability of D76 clones. And in many cases, you can mix your own black and white developers from scratch. No big deal.

C41, E6, and RA4 are in no trouble whatsoever. It just appears like that to small volume home users who haven't linked up to the right sources yet.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Some of the Kodak label Sino Promise chemistry was being made in the US all along, probably by the old Champion plant. If there is enough demand, and the relevant patents now expired, the identical chemistry could reappear under another label, but not necessarily under the same readily recognized name, like HC-110 or whatever. But even recognizable tweaks of that are available under other labels, not to mention the availability of D76 clones. And in many cases, you can mix your own black and white developers from scratch. No big deal.

C41, E6, and RA4 are in no trouble whatsoever. It just appears like that to small volume home users who haven't linked up to the right sources yet.

It does appear like that to the home users. I have good sources, but there is always the worry the makers of these chemicals will go full woke and just cease production or change the formulae so much it is crap. We may find ourselves going full circle back to making our own glass plates wet/dry and mixing our own chemicals. Not because we like to, but because we have to. I'm down either way.;

I am one of the lucky few who can afford more than a box of E100 in 4x5 or 8x10 on occasion or Extar or Portra, Tmax, 320. D100 is good too. I have only shot that in my 8x10 until I am confident enough I won't make mistakes except few and far between before I move to the expensive stuff.

I have 5 boxes of Acros 4x5. As soon as I heard production was stopped, I bought everything I could find. I was about to purchase a literal ton from BH, as soon as pushed the buy button, it said no longer being sold. I was p*ssed. Anyway same reasoning I have not used is it is a rare commodity and I want to be sure my hit to miss ratio is as good as it can be.

I still cross my fingers it will come back into production for 4x5 and 8x10.

[j.e.simmons]

I moved to mixing my own chemicals and making my own paper when Kodak killed Azo and the last local photo store closed. Now there are few things to worry about changing except for paper stock.

[Michael R]

I moved to mixing my own chemicals and making my own paper when Kodak killed Azo and the last local photo store closed. Now there are few things to worry about changing except for paper stock.

Film?

[j.e.simmons]

I have a freezer full to the brim of 8x10, 4x5, 120, and a bit of 35. I think I'm set for a little while. Plus a few thousand sheets of old photo paper given to me. I'm hoping it will be good for paper negatives.

[Drew Wiley]

I very much doubt Acros will reappear in sheet version. It's now just a niche product even in 120 roll film, with the II version being dramatically higher priced than the original product. We'll have to see if even it survives. But I'm down to only a dozen sheets or so of 4X5, and ran out of 8X10 several years ago. Acros II is even better than the first version, but whether it gets coated again even in roll version is hard to say.

The prognosis for Kodak sheet films is far better. But in terms of current cost, I'm sure glad I stockpiled 8X10 Ektar as well as both speeds of TMax into my freezer back when the pricing was about a fourth as much as now. I also have a fair amount of 4x5.

[paulbarden]

I very much doubt Acros will reappear in sheet version. It's now just a niche product even in 120 roll film, with the II version being dramatically higher priced than the original product. We'll have to see if even it survives.

I doubt Acros will be around for long. Many retailers (some of which I have spoken with on the subject) often have to sell off their inventory of Acros as it reaches its expiration date, since many find it too expensive now (It used to be one of the least expensive, and now it's one of the MOST expensive) so it sits on their shelves as the months tick by. I stopped buying it after Acros 1 went extinct. I have no compelling reason to buy Acros II.