8x10 Kodak TMax-400 going to be discontinued??

[znwu]

Dear forum members:
I just received an note from local dealers here in Taiwan that they are inviting users of larger format cameras, particularly 8x10, to place orders for Kodak Tmax 400 as last orders, saying that the company, Kodak, is going to discontinue this film. I am writing this to ask if Koak is going to stop producing Tmax 400 of the size 8x10????
Or just Kodak is not going to accept orders from Asia??

Hopefully, it eventually turns out to be the later case or I along with most of my friends shooting 8x10 have to say good bye to Tmax and embrace Ilford products.

[Daniel Stone]

email Kodak and ask yourself.

lots of people here shoot TMY-2 in 8x10, but I'd go straight to the source for info like this.

kprotraditional@kodak.com

-Dan

[Andrew O'Neill]

local dealers here in Taiwan

I wouldn't trust what they have to say in a million years. Sly way of making money.

[Drew Wiley]

They just introduced this film. Why would they discontinue it? It is readily available
here.

[CG]

Dealers seem to have a way of saying something is discontinued when they themselves just can't be bothered or when the supply chain can't be bothered. Happens over and over. Rumors about discontinuations result in thread after thread here and elsewhere that usually end up being shown to have no substance. The truth to falsehood ratio is pretty skewed.

Just a note - to thank you - for having the wisdom to enquire about the real situation - rather than to exclaim, as many have done, that the sky is falling.

[znwu]

Dear forum members who have replied to this thread,
I have sent my question to Kodak as suggested. Let's wait for their replies.

Thanks

znwu

[Michael Kadillak]

Please be advised that Kodak Europe/Asia and Kodak USA are separate entities that can have different product handling decisions. Could be that in the Asian market 8x10 TMY for one reason or another may not be as profitable as it is in other markets. We do not have access to the numbers. Kodak USA may not have a clue as to this question.

These days serious photographers must hedge their bets relative to the future of sheet film manufacturing. In addition to maintaining a consistent emulsion to work with, you are promoting the market you are participating in. If you were concerned that your favorite film would be taken off the market and you would purchase three boxes instead of your regular one box then you have no room to bitch IMHO. The survival of sheet film is a numbers game and only the best numbers work.

Keep buying and shooting as much film as possible.

[Oren Grad]

What Michael said. FYI, as of mid-2009, neither TMX nor TMY2 was a stock item in Japan in 8x10 - only TXP:

http://wwwca.kodak.com/JP/ja/professional/products/films/film_list/blackWhitelist.shtml

Nor anything in 5x7, for that matter. And Japan's a much larger market than Taiwan.

This is most likely a national distributor's decision. For all the concerns about product discontinuations, relatively speaking we're still spoiled for choice in the US.

[IanG]

I'd echo others comments about local distribution etc.

As far as I'm concerned here in Turkey Kodak LF B&W film is non existent, all I can buy is Ilford and only 5x4 is stocked by one or two small suppliers in Istanbul.

A trade dealer in Izmir told me he knew of a bout a dozen LF users around the city and that they all bought from the US/EU via the internet.

Ian