Has Ektar been discontinued?

[John Brady]

Badger Graphics web site lists Kodak Ektar 100 color negative film as discontinued, DISCONTINUED BY KODAK. STOCK UP. They still have it available as does B&H etc.
I can't find any information anywhere else about it being discontinued. I would prefer not to buy any more than necessary but if it is truly discontinued I will need to load up.
Being a color large formatter gets more difficult each day!

Any information on this would be appreciated.

www.timeandlight.com

[Drew Wiley]

Kodak has dropped Ektar sheet film completely off their product listing, but have not put it
on their official discontinued list. In other words, they're not making it at the moment, but
might do so in the future. 8X10 as a given size has been dropped just like all their other
8x10 film, but is presumably available as a special cut, provided they coat sheet film base
with this emulsion at all in the future. In other words, stock up now! 35mm and 120 Ektar are still standard items - but with Kodak, you just never know. My own freezer is full and
my wallet is empty. ... or maybe I can squeeze in a few more boxes of 4x5. Hope the wife
doesn't pick up an extra Turkey at Thanksgiving and expect me to have room for it!

[SpeedGraphicMan]

I am guessing it is going to stick around after Kodak gets "restructured".

[John Brady]

Well, for now another $1000 worth of Ektar in the freezer just in case! The cost of film has really been bumming me out lately.

I just ordered the new Shen-Hao 5x8 non folder to stretch my 8x10 film twice as far.

[EdSawyer]

Badger doesnt list 4x5 ektar 100 as discontinued. Dont start panics about this sort of thing without some evidence and backup.... Or are you talking about 8x10 only?

[John Brady]

Badger doesnt list 4x5 ektar 100 as discontinued. Dont start panics about this sort of thing without some evidence and backup.... Or are you talking about 8x10 only?
8x10, sorry should have mentioned that. But I had not found any information on any size being discontinued, they list Ektar 8x10 as discontinued by Kodak so I felt it was worth asking if anyone had further information. If I was the authority on this subject I wouldn't be here asking the question.

For the record, I hardly think mention of any Kodak film going away or Kodak for that matter, is cause for panic these days, it's just another day in Large Format film land.

Please forgive any increase in anxiety or blood pressure:)

[John Brady]

Thanks Greg, I haven't been able to find that information. I wish Bager would have mentioned that instead of saying "discontinued by Kodak, stock up".

Well, they got another $1000 order out of me anyway.

[John Flavell]

From Amazon's site:
http://tinyurl.com/7mz3u59

[Kodachrome25]

B&H shows Ektar in stock in all formats up to 8x10. I just ordered 100 sheets of it in 4x5...

[WayneStevenson]

The word discontinued doesn't usually mean by the manufacturer unless explicitely stated. It simply means Badger has decided to no longer carry it. For whatever reason and usually not being able to sell it fresh is usually a good enough reason.

[Andre Noble]

I tried it once. The stuff looked awful for a supposed world class kodak film. Seriously.

[Drew Wiley]

Andre - I'm getting the most accurate landscape colors ever from a color neg film with Ektar. You have to understand how to use it. I've shot it in every format from 35mm to
8x10, and just put another stack of 4x5 boxes in the freezer last nite. I wouldn't invest in
the product if it didn't perform. All films have their idiosyncrasies and relevant applications.
This isn't a mushy portrait-style film, but isn't as contrasty as a chrome film either, so should be a piece of cake for anyone accustomed to correctly exposing chromes.

[John Brady]

The word discontinued doesn't usually mean by the manufacturer unless explicitely stated. It simply means Badger has decided to no longer carry it. For whatever reason and usually not being able to sell it fresh is usually a good enough reason.
Badger's site under 8x10 film lists Ektar as discontinued by Kodak. I'm still not completely clear about the future of 8x10 Ektar but one thing I do know, 8x10 color film choices are becoming very limited.

I tried it once. The stuff looked awful for a supposed world class kodak film. Seriously.
I have been very happy with the results I am getting from Ektar. I typically use Velvia 50 but find that the Ektar is much more forgiving in the difficult lighting conditions that I often work in. Very fine grain and rich colors. It's the best color negative film I have worked with.

www.timeandlight.com
http://www.facebook.com/EvergladesGallery

[Drew Wiley]

The most common complaint I hear about Ektar is that the shadows in sunlight come out
"too blue". Well, guess what, shadows under open sky ARE blue. Duuh. Everyone who shoots chromes know this, and that if you want to alter the laws of atmosphere and physics you have to apply an equal law, like a skylight or color temp correction filter. Ektar
just doesn't artificially warm the shadows like an amateur film or color neg film marketed
primarily for skintones. The other routine category of complaints come from half-assed scans that can't adequately differentiate nuances on the dye curves, esp with small format
samples.

[SpeedGraphicMan]

The most common complaint I hear about Ektar is that the shadows in sunlight come out
"too blue". Well, guess what, shadows under open sky ARE blue. Duuh. Everyone who shoots chromes know this, and that if you want to alter the laws of atmosphere and physics you have to apply an equal law, like a skylight or color temp correction filter. Ektar
just doesn't artificially warm the shadows like an amateur film or color neg film marketed
primarily for skintones. The other routine category of complaints come from half-assed scans that can't adequately differentiate nuances on the dye curves, esp with small format
samples.


Ha! Ha! Ha!

Finally, a wise comment!

Nice to see not everyone in CALIF. is an idiot!

[Kodachrome25]

OK, so I got word from Audrey Jonckheer at Kodak this morning, they have not discontinued it in any format, only that 8x10 is made to order, so I called Badger and the guy I need to talk to is on vacation until later this month. I am going to look into it as they could simply list it as special / minimum order instead of a rumor starting notice of discontinuation. Ektar is one of their best selling films, they are about to revamp the page for it on the Kodak site, so lets keep supporting them, nix the rumors by getting the facts and make some great images with it, regardless of format.

I use it in mostly 120 and now 4x5 for an ongoing body of work based on multiple exposures, it is stunning film.

[Drew Wiley]

ALL Kodak 8x10 films are now custom-cut. As long as any given film remains popular in this size, certain dealers or user co-ops can order up the minimum number of boxes. In the meantime, it might be wise to keep some reserve in the freezer for temporary outages.
Maybe Badger just doesn't want to keep than much reserve on hand, or got the wrong
impression themselves. Ektar is a remarkable film, but quite a different animal from the
current Portra lineup. I can hardly wait to see what it does in Kauai next winter - my Maui
landscapes certainly sing, the way it handles turquoise waters, lush greens, and the
subtleties of browns and blacks in lava without muddying them up the way traditional color
neg films would have done.