To All 5x7 Photographers: 5x7 Portra 160 NC: Official Notice of Purchase

[ljsegil]

Jeff at Badger Graphic will be accepting orders for Portra 160NC in 5x7 format in 50 sheet boxes, as previously sold by B&H and at a similar price. We need to accumulate an order totaling 60 boxes in order to for Badger to make the bulk purchase from Kodak. Kodak is cutting the sheet film from fresh emulsion when it is ordered so it will not be short dated. This will be the only way to obtain any C-41 film in 5x7 format. To order call Jeff at Badger Graphic (800) 558-5350. We need orders from anybody potentially interested in order to get the bulk purchase from Kodak, and as this may well be the only time we can get enough interest, think about what your future needs for this film might be and order accordingly.
Larry Segil

[prado333]

how can european shooters make orders?
best regards

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

European shooters google Badger Graphic and find out their Email Address. Then they send an Email to Jeff and tell him how many boxes they want to buy ( B&H´'s last price was Ca. 210$ for a box of 50 sheets) Then when Jeff has enough subscribers for those 60 boxes he will ask for your credit card information as a manifest of you buying those boxes. I will call him on the telephone and personally whisper my card number to him. He will then charge you for the film+shipment and if your local customs authorities want to charge you customs and MWS or VAT on this American film you have to pay this too.

[r.e.]

Does anyone know for a fact that retailers do not intend to make this film available in the absence of a pre-ordered, guaranteed sale of 60 boxes?

I'm not suggesting that this order isn't a good idea, and I may even participate; I'm just trying to figure out whether the fact that B+H currently has this on special/minimum order status has broad implications, or whether people are pushing the panic button on the basis of a single act by a single retailer and little if anything more in terms of factual information.

If people do know what Kodak's position is on this emulsion, presumably they know or can find out what Kodak's position is on other emulsions. If so, I'm sure that we would all like to know, and for Fuji too if Fuji is talking.

If there really is some kind of panic situation arising over 5x7 emulsions - black and white, colour, or both - maybe there should be discussion of a longer term solution, such as a buying group outside the retail chain.

[ScottM]

I'm interested in this, although I have never shot any large format C-41. Are there still a good selection of labs for processing and what are they charging per sheet.

Thanks!

[benrains]

Does anyone know for a fact that retailers do not intend to make this film available in the absence of a pre-ordered, guaranteed sale of 60 boxes?

I don't know that it's a fact they won't stock it, but when looking across all the major US photographic retailers, B&H were the last place offering any sort of 5x7 color film that I could find. They now are requiring a substantial minimum order. The broad absence of 5x7 color film strongly suggests the big retailers don't view it as a profitable offering. (Which really isn't all that surprising. How many photographers do you know who shoot 5x7 let alone 5x7 color?) For the moment I've not seen any signs of trouble with 5x7 b&w emulsion availability for the films I shoot.

My initial thought on the Portra 160NC 5x7 film was to organize a group buy, or come up with some sort of photographers collective to deal with this, but I don't think that's a practical (or necessary) approach as long as there are small retailers like Badger Graphics willing to organize them for us. They already have the infrastructure, the connections with manufacturers, and are known and trusted entities.

[ljsegil]

The decision was made by Kodak to create the minimum order size, not B&H. I have no idea if it portends anything for any other Kodak emulsions. I don't see, based on what Jeff from Badger was able to learn from Kodak, that any retailer will be able to offer small lot purchases unless they are willing to take on the risk of purchasing sixty boxes without prior sale commitments and hope that they can sell them before they outdate. Among the advantages of purchasing through Badger is that Kodak will custom cut the film from fresh emulsion when we have stockpiled a sufficient quantity of orders to meet their minimum requirement and your film will therefore be fresh when purchased. Without the bulk order, they will cut no film at all, and there is no retailer anywhere, B&H included, that has any stock on hand and thus without the bulk purchase there is and will be no film available. Period.

I have used Praus Productions, Rochester, NY (www.4photolab.com) for my 5x7 C-41 processing. He charges $4.50 a sheet, and specializes in mail order service). My experience with them has been excellent (including E-6 and B&W, nice contacts also).

I don't know how others who enjoy large format color photogaphy feel, but I have become convinced that I can get better scans, certainly better exposure latitude and dynamic range, and ultimately better prints from color negative film than from positives and have been switching most of my work accordingly, thus this change in Kodak's sale policy came as a very rude shock. 5x7 Provia is also available from Badger, but that's it for color 5x7 in this country. Buying from Japan Exposures is prohibitively expensive and they do not offer any color negative film at all in 5x7. So, if you do want to shoot 5x7 color negative film, I believe this is the only game in town and the communities best chance at obtaining any Portra 5x7 film at all.

Jeff from Badger is being exceedingly generous of his time and effort to assist us in trying to put this together. B&H was of no help at all. I for one am guessing that this may be the last gasp for this film, and am planning to stockpile as I am able in order to have film for the future.

Please forgive the diatribe, I'm really hoping that we can pull this off as a community.

Larry

[Don Hutton]

Larry

Is Portra NC the only option? I'd really like to get hold of 160VC in 5x7 and currently cut it from 8x10. Anyone else here have some thoughts on VC as opposed to NC?

[ljsegil]

NC is the only one of the Portras I've ever seen offered. Perhaps you could seek out Kodak customer service (sic) and see if they might offer a mixed order. I've personally been happier with the NC, though I could live happily with either, especially over nothing.
Larry

[Lee Crump]

One simple question.

How much?