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Paddy Quinn
15-Jun-2005, 07:28
Well, I can't quite believe this one, but it's from the venerable and usually well informed Richard Knoppow on the F32 list:

"My contact at Kodak has informed me that Kodak has discontinued all B&W paper. The official announcement will be made later today. Kodak will continue to manufacture B&W film and chemicals."

I'd like to hope it's yet another misunderstandign of one of Kodak's announcements about some kind of downsizing

John Cook
15-Jun-2005, 07:44
The version I heard was that they were going to discontinue manufacturing the paper base (from wood pulp). Instead, they are now planning to purchase the paper base and continue to coat it with their emulsion.

Phong
15-Jun-2005, 07:57
> Makes no sense for them to do film and chemicals and NOT paper.

Perhaps in the ever shrinking market of chemical photography, many of the remaining practitioners have switched to digital printing ? In any case, this rumor does not bode well.

David A. Goldfarb
15-Jun-2005, 08:01
I also heard John Cook's version.

There's still a market for the stuff apart from the tiny fine art world. A lot of performers' headshots are done usually on B&W RC and sold in batches of 100 prints or more, even if some of that work is moving to digital color.

Paddy Quinn
15-Jun-2005, 08:40
"The version I heard was that they were going to discontinue manufacturing the paper base (from wood pulp). Instead, they are now planning to purchase the paper base and continue to coat it with their emulsion."

It's been a long time since Kodak made it's own paper base hasn't it? I thought they had sold all of that off.

Mark Sampson
15-Jun-2005, 08:56
Kodak's paper mill in Rochester was closed only last year. In recent years EK had moved its b/w paper making from Rochester to Canada, then to Brazil, now to nowhere. All part of their go-out-of business strategy....even with a new CEO from Hewlett-Packard they'll never win in the computer industry. Too many fast-moving competitors there and too many consumers who couldn't care less about Kodak's "brand heritage", which is really all they have left.

Armin Seeholzer
15-Jun-2005, 09:16
Hi

And in Switzerland I got the anoucement from Foto Intern thad Kodak no longer produce Digital DSLR only the cheaper consumer products. But it is also stated they will continue with the CCD and SMOS Sensor development!
They are more and more in troubles I think they are changing to often the strategy!
And as always the CEOs get to much money for doing almost everthing wrong!
And one more time the little man is the asshole! Because he is loosing hes job!
And if the CEO get fired he gets millions in hes pocket!
Time must change, very soon!

Tom Westbrook
15-Jun-2005, 09:20
I also called and was told that it was true. The gentleman I spoke to said the announcement was made this morning and that they figured they had about 6 months of stock remaining. I aksed to have my objection to this recorded in the call log (not that that will have any impact on the decision, though hope springs eternal...).

If others want to call and voice their opinion about this in the US, call 1-800-242-2424 ext. 19. Other folks can find numbers here: www.kodak.com/global/en/service/contactKodak/kodakPhoneNumbers.jhtml (http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/contactKodak/kodakPhoneNumbers.jhtml).

Dang. Now I need to fine replacement paper for Polymax, which was my primary paper.

Louie Powell
15-Jun-2005, 09:25
My first reaction to this news is similar to most of the rest of the readers of this list - emotional panic. But then reason prevails.

I just checked the stock of paper in my darkroom. There's not a single box of Kodak paper there. Oh, I have a few Kodak boxes that are being used to store Brand X papers (perhaps cut to odd sizes), but I haven't bought a box of Kodak paper in at least 10 years.

B/W paper is a niche market. Large companies like Kodak can't survive if all they do is supply niche markets. Its a matter of scale - big companies have to engage in big markets. Sure, in theory they could set up and operate a niche-market division to supply the ends and odds, but that would then become a hobby to them - and in the world of big business, you can't afford the distraction of hobby activities. Frankly, the b/w paper market has been a hobby for Kodak for too long - and that may have contributed to some of their problems. Furthermore, the fact that the b/w paper segment has been a hobby has meant that it hasn't gotten any serious attention from upper manager, nor has it gotten any significant reinvestment money. As a result of this, the Kodak product line has shrunk both in scope and quality.

The guys who can survive are the small players who operate at a smaller scale. And this will be good news for them because it means that their market share will increase.

There are two groups of people who will suffer here. One is the few remaining Kodak employees dedicated to making b/w paper. Hopefully, they can either be transitioned into other segments of the business, or given graceful retirements. The other group is that small collection of folks who use Azo - and my impression is that Michael Smith is a good enough salesman to convince one of the other players in the paper market to fill that gap.

Eric Biggerstaff
15-Jun-2005, 09:29
Ilford picked a good time to come back to life.

Kevin M Bourque
15-Jun-2005, 09:33
Too bad, if true. I really like Polymax Fine-Art.

Ted Harris
15-Jun-2005, 09:33
"I just checked the stock of paper in my darkroom. There's not a single box of Kodak paper there. Oh, I have a few Kodak boxes that are being used to store Brand X papers (perhaps cut to odd sizes), but I haven't bought a box of Kodak paper in at least 10 years."

My first thought was when I had last used Kodak paper. Best I can remember it was sometime in the late 1960's. I have not talked to a single person this am that has used Kodak paper in years. Azo being the exception.

David A. Goldfarb
15-Jun-2005, 09:36
Azo would be my main concern. There is no substitute in the market.

Christopher Perez
15-Jun-2005, 09:51
Ah, great! I'm right in the middle of a large project that's being printed on PolyMax FineArt. I love that stuff!

I guess I need to embrace change... :-(

Paul Cocklin
15-Jun-2005, 10:05
"..do not go gently into that good night...rage, rage against the dying of the light!"

brook
15-Jun-2005, 10:20
I agree with David, Azo is the biggest loss here, there are lots of other enlarging papers. But then Michael Smith has hinted at another silver chloride paper in the works, one can only hope.

Sidney Cammeresi
15-Jun-2005, 10:26
My hope is that if indeed the reign of Azo has come to a close, that Michael Smith will sell another manufacturer on the idea of producing a similar paper and that company will produce it in more than two sizes and grades. (The big reason I have not yet tried Azo is because I'd have to cut it down from 20x24 to 11x14.)

Michael Kadillak
15-Jun-2005, 10:51
John Cook has it right I work for a paper company in Upstate New York that recently did a deal with Kodak to provide them with paper stock from Germany in a long term contract with which they will coat for their paper operations. In the process, over 200 people lost their job at the paper company as it closed operations (and I lost a client) and who knows how many were affected at Kodak Rochester. Lets now read to much negativity into this business decisions. It will actually make Kodak stronger financially.

Cheers!

Richard Årlin
15-Jun-2005, 10:57
well at least I am happy I got about 50 pounds of b&w paper for free yesterday including 8x10 & 11x14 azo #2&3. What about the dectol and ektaflo recommendations on the boxes, I never used them

John Kasaian
15-Jun-2005, 11:47
The Owner of a local construction company---a huge company at that---keeps his rusty and dented old loaded tool box in one corner of his office. "If I ever go broke, I can always go back to work." he's fond of saying when clients ask about the tool box that really stands out with the slick "executive" decor. I believe he would, too.

A very wealthy Nisei farmer grows specialty crops on a like a gazzilion acres complete with packing sheds and a fleet of trucks, but still lives on a little ten acre truck garden farm. "If I loose the ranch because some a-- h-l- from Berkeley tells me there might be a 'roo rat or fairy shrimp on the place, I can still earn a living and feed my family." He tells me.

Both these guys have embraced(niether are simple 'country bumpkins' )technology and that (and a lot of hard work) is probably why they are so successful, and yet they've both got an 'ace in the hole'---insurance I guess you'd call it. Kodak's ace in the hole is film, paper and chemicals and the reputation for quality that spans 100 years or so. Keeping that identity is Kodak's 'ace in the hole.' When the yellow boxes and envelopes where more profitable, they could have bankrolled profitable diversified areas in which to expand, but management elected to invest in unprofitable fields. With the loss of photo paper, Kodak hasn't sold the tool box(just the hammer and screw driver) or the truck garden farm(just disc and the tractor)

Sad.

Bob Rosen
15-Jun-2005, 12:15
The irony is that if silver paper makes a comeback, Kodak has no Plan B.

Michael Kadillak
15-Jun-2005, 12:37
Kodak is in a much better position because they got rid of a supporting business (paper stock) that was costing them dearly and needed improvements. But in simple terms for those of you that only see clouds -

Plan B - get another stock paper supplier

Plan C - do a joint venture with another company that is in a position to continue to coat paper

Plan D - purchase coated paper than is manufactured to Kodak specifications with their proprietary formulas and in their packaging and re-sell.

If there is money to be made, we will have paper. It is not any more complicated than that.

Smile.

Conrad Hoffman
15-Jun-2005, 12:38
Unless Plan B is Plan Bankrupt...

Alan Babbitt
15-Jun-2005, 12:47
FYI:

Newsday article. (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--kodakpaper0615jun15,0,1235107.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork)

Paddy Quinn
15-Jun-2005, 13:03
AP - ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Eastman Kodak Co. said Wednesday it will discontinue production of black-and-white film paper for the professional market by the end of the year as its transition continues to digital photography.

Kodak spokesman David Lanzillo said the paper, used by studio and professional photographers to make prints, is produced at facilities in Rochester and Brazil. The company will continue to make black-and-white film and chemicals for processing. etc

" I work for a paper company in Upstate New York that recently did a deal with Kodak to provide them with paper stock from Germany in a long term contract with which they will coat for their paper operations. "

Looks like the deal fell through... (unless it was for inkjet paper?)

Michael Kadillak
15-Jun-2005, 13:21
Could be that the new CEO trumped the decision that was made by Carp earlier.

No big deal. There will be others that will fill the need and prosper accordingly.

Cheers!

ronald moravec
15-Jun-2005, 14:33
The way to stop this dying from a thousand small cuts is stop buying Kodak ANYTHING starting today. That means film too. Why continue to support sombody who is trying to cut you off. Throw all support to Ilford. THEY WANT TO BE IN THE BUSINESS AND NEED ALL THE SUPPORT THEY CAN GET.

Fiji makes nice color film and their color paper is better than Kodak.

The result will be a viable manufacturer and some smaller ones.

Remember HP5+ and FP4+ . They are everybit as good as Tri x and both are available in sheets. FP4- EI 100 in D76 undiluted for 8 min at 68. Agitate 10/60. You will love it.

Or you can support K while they continue to use the profits from film sales to finance the transition to digital, then they will cut us off and Ilford won`t be there either. Thank you for solving the dilema who to support. Know we know.

John Boeckeler
15-Jun-2005, 14:45
This is very sad news, but not surprising. I don't think that Kodak will be making film much longer either. So as Kodak transitions to digital, I guess I'll transition to HP5+; might as well start getting used to it now.

Richard Årlin
15-Jun-2005, 14:49
and remember Efke... all formats

QT Luong
15-Jun-2005, 14:54
Kodak Announces Discontinuance of KODAK PROFESSIONAL Black & White Papers

June 15, 2005 Due to the significant declines in market usage of papers designed for Black-and-White printing, Kodak is discontinuing the manufacture of all KODAK PROFESSIONAL Black & White Papers.

This announcement has no impact on the production or availability of Kodak's portfolio of Black & White Films and Chemicals for processing Black and White Papers or Films.

Most of the Black & White Paper products will remain available through the end of 2005 - although depending on demand, some specific formats or products may be exhausted sooner. The paper products affected are:

KODAK PROFESSIONAL

Digital Black & White Paper RC base -For Digital Exposure -Traditional

B & W Process,

KODAK PROFESSIONAL

POLYCONTRAST IV RC Paper RC base -For Optical Exposure - Traditional

B & W Process

KODAK PROFESSIONAL V-PRINT Paper RC base -For Optical Exposure - Traditional B & W Process

KODAK PROFESSIONAL

KODABROME II RC Paper RC base -For Optical Exposure - Traditional

B & W Process

KODAK PROFESSIONAL

PANALURE Select RC Paper RC base -For Optical Exposure - Traditional

B & W Process

KODAK PROFESSIONAL

POLYMAX Fine Art Paper Fiber base - For Optical Exposure - Traditional

B & W Process

KODAK PROFESSIONAL

AZO Paper Fiber base - For Optical Exposure - Traditional

B & W Process

KODAK PROFESSIONAL

PORTRA Black & White Paper RC base -For Optical and Digital Exposure

RA- 4 Process

KODAK PROFESSIONAL

PORTRA Sepia Paper RC base -For Optical and Digital Exposure

RA- 4 Process

Eduardo Aigner
15-Jun-2005, 15:51
I live in Brazil, and had never known about the b+w facilities here. Anyway, more then 10 years ago me and ALL the b+w printers an "aficcionados" have moved to Ilford papers. This was about the same time that Kodak stoped selling Ektalure and Kodabrome FB paper (at least in this part of the world), and Ilford came to us through importers. I only miss Ektalure, other than that the move has been very much a joy. This is: I have not been using Kodak b+w paper for 10 + years! You should try Ilford FB Warmtone. Beautiful.

Brian Ellis
15-Jun-2005, 18:06
Apart from a general sadness at seeing a company whose name has been virtually synonomous with "photography" for a century having so much trouble, the statement that Kodak's b&w paper sales have been declining at the rate of 25% per year is terrible news. There's no reason to think that Kodak has been doing all that much worse than any other b&w paper company and if its sales are declining at that rate it's hard to believe that others' aren't also. Not a good day for the future of traditional photography IMHO.

QT Luong
15-Jun-2005, 20:56
The news made it to Yahoo headlines: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050615/ap_on_bi_ge/kodak_paper

Oren Grad
15-Jun-2005, 21:24
the statement that Kodak's b&w paper sales have been declining at the rate of 25% per year is terrible news

Ilford cited comparable numbers for B&W overall in the recent past, so that's not a surprise. Their new management has, in effect, placed a bet that the decline will bottom out at a level that's viable for them with their now more-efficient production base. Time will tell, but especially with other vendors getting out of the market, I'm not sure that's completely crazy.

There's no reason to think that Kodak has been doing all that much worse than any other b&w paper company

On a purely anecdotal basis, I'm not sure that's correct. Although I think Kodak makes superb B&W films, I've never used much of their paper, because I've found that products from other vendors were, for my purposes, superior in either image character, handling, or both. I don't think Kodak has introduced anything new of any significance in this market for more than 15 years now - certainly nothing that's been a "must have" for me.

Beyond that, judging by visibility in what remains of the retail market for B&W paper in my area, there must be plenty of others who agree with me, because Kodak has been losing shelf space to Ilford for a long time, and in recent months had vanished from the stores almost entirely.

Andre Noble
15-Jun-2005, 22:20
Kodak is not a Black and White paper company.

I've never in my years of photography ever deisred for one second to pick up their paper, with the exception of Panalure.

Ilford remains the standard. Kentmere also appears good.

Andre Noble
15-Jun-2005, 22:26
I will allow that Kodak IS making a big mistake by not keeping at least ONE traditional paper going.

Kodak digital will soon be dumped in the same manner they are dumping their identity.

John Cook
16-Jun-2005, 04:05
Now you can tell your grandchildren the preposterous fairytale that Kodak used to make print paper. Better save a yellow box to show them, or they won't believe you and joke that you are living in the past. I still have a metal yellow Kodak 35mm film can with an orange screw cap for this very purpose. ;0)

darter
16-Jun-2005, 07:55
I think Kodak sealed its fate a few years ago when it radically shrunk the variety of papers it produced. This sent the message to consumers and retailers that it had little interest in serving their market. Marketing is a two-way street. So I believe they accelerated their decline through lack of interest and lack of market insight. Kodak is a deeply troubled company not because they are in the wrong business lines, after all imaging is still a great business, but because they are disconnected with their consumers.

David Luttmann
16-Jun-2005, 09:34
Good news for Ilford.

Let's see.....

Kodak discontinues Tech Pan, B&W Paper, Professional DSLR's. Looks like the inmates are running the asylum.

Christopher Perez
16-Jun-2005, 09:44
Upon further reflection, I have to wonder what Kodak is "thinking". They discontinue their papers. But continue their B&W film and chemistry. While they made wonderful paper, film, chemicals, what incentive will there be to use and process Kodak film? We'll have negatives, but nothing to print to?

Film, in general, is not yet a problem. Kodak, Ilford, Fuji, Efke, and others still make stuff we can use. Paper? Seems like there are fewer alternatives. After Ilford's heavy silver content papers became hard to get around here, I moved to Kodak.

Are there any B&W papers worth looking at from the old Soviet block nations?

Jim Chinn
16-Jun-2005, 09:56
Announcements such as this are usually timed to help stock prices going into earning season or focus attention away from poor performance. When the moment requires it, Kodak will release the statements about discontinuing film and chemistry. Don't want to give the institutional investors to much good news all at one time.

Bob Rosen
16-Jun-2005, 10:35
Christopher said something like, Kodak still makes film and chemicals, but not papers to print to. Here's the new wrinkle. We're now printing everything to CD-Rs. Then we send these CD-Rs to clients, friends and family. It doesn't make any difference whether we're using film or digital cameras. Even the digital images go to CDs. When CD-Rs became cheaper than papers, it's common sense that very few folks are going to use papers. I'll admit this: Before digitals became a consumer's product I regularly scanned my film prints and made files out of them. It happened so naturally I didn't notice the revolution that was taking place in my own mind. Kodak has recognized that revolution. So Kodak went "Easyshare" as well.

In addition, who prints a card en masse, as we used to print out a full roll of color film? When we do make a print, we're highly selective. So, comparatively speaking, very few prints are being made. Magazines no longer use paste-ups. Every component of a page is electronic in Pagemaker, Quark or MS Publisher. They certainly don't require paper prints anymore. Even the family album is disappearing in book form. The electronic slide show has taken over.

Those involved in traditional photography must get on their ladders and yell so the public will hear them. And come to their senses to preserve one of the most remarkable options for history and art permanence humanity ever invented. Give us back our silver!

Best,
Bob Rosen

Nick_3536
16-Jun-2005, 10:41
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products/bw/index.jhtml?id=0.1.4.4.8&lc=en

If the link works. One reason they still make film and not paper.

Peter_5618
16-Jun-2005, 12:23
I am now planning to find the replacement to Kodak B&W paper as I use AZO paper for a long time.

What are your suggestions, especially those who shoot B&W films but seldomly use Kodak paper?

Michael Kadillak
16-Jun-2005, 13:55
With the new guy at the helm, quick decisions based upon the balance sheet are the norm even if they are wrong. Why film stays? It is commonly know that Kodak put big bucks into a new film coating machine in the last few years and probably did not want to take the financial hit on it since it has been in the process of being depreciated. Kodak has been broke on the inside for some time and now they are scrambling for their life. I hope that they have something else of value when this is all over.

Makes you want to sell this stock short in a major way.

Cheers!

Bruce E. Rathbun
16-Jun-2005, 16:03
As an avid Azo user I felt the pain of the plant closing last month. Maybe Michael A. Smith can bring on a new replacement for Azo. What I fail to understand is how Kodak will agree to produce a replacement for Azo when all Kodak paper is being discontinued. This does not sound like the bottom line thinking that Kodak has been known for over the past few years. Sad would be the departure of Azo for the fine art world. Are the contact printers destined for more the old school hand coated processes? To Peter I would suggest learning to work with more traditional alternative processes. No worries. Making images is still fun for me. With or without Kodak. It's not like I can order a box or Tri-X 8x20 anyway....or 11x14. As long as film is around there will always be a way to print the images. This weekend I will be starting to learn the craft of platinum palladium printing.

-Bruce

Daniel Blakeslee
16-Jun-2005, 18:05
Bruce

What makes you think that Kodak will be making a replacement for Azo? If I were Michael Smith the last company on my list to make that replacement would be Kodak. It's my guess that he met with Kodak to try to convince them to continue producing Azo. No luck this time, probably. I sure hope I'm wrong.

Bruce E. Rathbun
16-Jun-2005, 18:16
Daniel,
Agreed. I do not believe for one minute that Kodak will replace Azo. Call me silly. After two decades of dealing with Kodak my faith has dwindled down to almost none. Michael does have a certain amount of influence. This time he may get the short end of the stick. Maybe he can find another to produce the paper. All I can say is that no other silver paper comes even close to Azo. So hard to be positive and believe that Azo will still be around in two or three years. For me this is an opportunity to explore another direction. Digital capture is no option for me.

Frank Bagbey
16-Jun-2005, 21:03
Mark, I have not read the rest of this thread yet, but could wait not a second to say AMEN to your comment about Kodak's GOING OUT OF BUSINESS strategy. I have believed for a long time this is their ultimate goal. I would certainly not want to be a Kodak stockholder.
And yes, no HP ex is going to save them. The Kodak Easyshare success will be shortlived and wiped out by Kodak themselves from all the defective and repairless units they are putting on the market. I see them by the dozens per week. Thank God I have enough sense to not sell nor recommend them. The dealers who do are eating them, sooner or later.

I wish I did not have to feel this way about Kodak, but Kodak's history of bad decisions was recently documented in a photo dealer publication, and all I could do as bad decision after bad decision was recounted was sadly remember each one. How much this cost stockholders would be an interesting research project, if not conjecture. What would Kodak do if all the photo dealers in the country sold only Fuji, Ilford., Agfa, etc. and quit stocking and selling Kodak film? Think how fast they would decide film was not worth manufacturing. They would blame it on digitial, not their own failings! Well, their own failings are the reason slides, black and white, photo competitions, darkroom work, etc. etc. etc. are in decline. When did you last see Kodak promote any of these products or endeavors?

Michael A.Smith
17-Jun-2005, 19:00
No, Bruce, Kodak will not make Azo or any other paper. But we are working with others in the industry. A silver chloride paper will be made.

Tom Diekwisch
19-Jun-2005, 17:28
For me there's probably some nostalgia to it. I have never bought much Kodak on my own, mostly Ilford and Fuji, but for the decade I worked for a newspaper, Kodak was it. TriX and Polymax. I believe mostly for cost reasons, as far as I remember. Nevertheless, there was a certain look to it. Rough and bleached out highlights, at least the way we worked the material. And grain. You could kind of smell the photochemical process in your mind, when the paper was in press the next morning. Has nothing to do with large format. Sorry to see Kodak go, even it's just a memory of the past.

Emmanuel BIGLER
20-Jun-2005, 09:39
From Christopher Perez :

Are there any B&W papers worth looking at from the old Soviet block nations?

Christopher. Let me translate your question into a more politicaly correct sentence ;-)
You probably mention Central European Photographic film, paper & equipment manufacturers now within the 25 countries in the EU.
The answer is : long before the horrors of WWII and the Cold War, Central Europe did produce many quality goods including film & paper like almost any European coutry. Including Western Russia which geographically belongs to Europe ;-);-)
From this heritage we are proud to get Foma (the Czech Republic) and Forte (Hungary) products without any irrelevant reference to their Big Eastern Neighbour ;-);-)
And yes, we are dissapointed to see Big Yellow getting out of the B&W paper business and this does not mean 'milk and honey in the fountains' for its competitors. I remember sadly the demise of the mechanical watch industry here in the mid seventies, when one of the big local watch companies collapsed, the smaller rejoiced for a while... before collapsing... and eventually re-starting on new grounds and new markets.

C.S.
20-Jun-2005, 21:43
In addition to artists, educational institutions will be affected. As always the bottom line has been the progenitor of evolution in any field. Moving from vinyl to cd,cd to dvd and dvd to mini dvd; and on it goes. However, I don't recall any technology in the visual arts being obviated because of the bottom line. Imagine oil or acrylic paint being removed because of the bottom line. Somewhere Kodak thought paper was too costly to manufacture and while no one actually believes that this move will offset the R+D mistakes Kodak made over the last ten years, why let artists and educational institutions suffer the indignity that Kodak's suffered. After all, Polaroid was able to restructure without that kind of loss. Kodak's progeny has been prolific. What happens when they also stop? Black and White photography is taught in 80%-85% of all schools in the United States today. I am one of those educators who has taught for over twenty five years. I teach both analog B+W as well as digital SLR along with Photoshop CS2, color management and profiling for printers. I teach B+W because I love the medium. I also teach digital because I love it as well. However if you wish to hear about a bottom line, then let me tell you. Photography is taught with an SLR so that students may understand the concept of exposure. Take away the traditional darkroom and the students must invest in a digital SLR. The cost of an entry level digital SLR begins at $800.00 dollars vs. $190.00 for a film camera. There is of course no point in teaching students on a point and shoot, digital or otherwise. Although the high cost for a private educational institutions purchase of digital SLRs will be amortized over several years, (forget any purchases from the public school sector), this will take a lot of convincing since parents cannot and should not afford such a luxury for their kids. It will take well over a decade before we see the price point of a digital SLR be that of todays entry level film camera. Schools all over the country, including mine will have to consider dropping photography all together. It's interesting that B+W paper will cease production however B+W film will not. Hope springs eternal?

ruth breil
15-Dec-2005, 14:22
i am glad the spirit is still alive and well and the photokarma on the high and high,
but hey, just tried to remember what i did with penalure paper when i wanted to try
and print from color negatives last century...and had to laugh when i got to the part about
kodak, like giving up on us all...so the dude in brazil that mentioned ilford paper because
thats all h e could get outsmarts us all, me thinks...and hey, scanning the negs and then
printing on WHATEVER will yield a fine foto, so dont any of you despair, you might just
discover you were lucky yu couldnt come up with the familiar stuff...but are doing better
with new methods...thats what creativity is all about, no??? ok, i know i know, its the pits
going to a photostore, asking for a certain kind of paper and you have some 3 year old that
thinks he is wise beyond our years telling you glossy is the same as mat, and when you say
no: i NEED portriga rapid, thinks you are in the wrong store and should be going boating
or something...keep digging, you will get there, though i want to thank you all for reminding
be about how to get the best results from printing b/w from color negs...i am looking at my
widelux color neg, trying to think what to do next, and probably scanning will do it...byyouall,R

John Kasaian
3-Apr-2006, 18:22
RC AZO???? Mike, surely you jest!

Oren Grad
3-Apr-2006, 18:49
John, there was an RC Azo paper sold in Mexico until recently. For a while last year there were boxes of it turning up on eBay. Maybe more recently too, I just haven't been watching the darkroom section lately. There were threads on APUG that mentioned this.