35mm Color Film Availability Problems

[xtol121]

It's been months since 35mm color film has been readily available. I have a commercial fashion shoot next month that requires about 100 rolls of Kodak Portra 400 and I am nervous I won't be able to find the film for my client. I know I can shoot 120 but I honestly prefer 35mm... My understanding is Kodak is having a bit of a 35mm canister shortage problem. This begs the question, why doesn't Kodak at least release Portra 400 in 100' rolls so we can at least bulk roll ourselves?

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Have you checked with B&H and other major suppliers? I'm sure you have sources you used before that would try to help you out from your previous large purchases of film. Call Kodak directly or Alaris.

 

[Agulliver]

Colour film availability has been an issue for three years........

However, Portra is the most likely to be available as Kodak know the pro's need to rely on it. Buy the film you need now, if necessary from several suppliers. Kodak have said that bulk rolls are very difficult for them to produce, hence their B&W bulk rolls actually costing more than buying individual cassettes in many cases.

 

[pentaxuser]

Kodak have said that bulk rolls are very difficult for them to produce, hence their B&W bulk rolls actually costing more than buying individual cassettes in many cases.

Maybe but why, if that is the case with b&w, does the same not apply to colour i.e. Kodak can supply colour in bulk but has to charge more. If it's producing enough colour but is having problems with cassette production and that is the bottleneck. then I'd have thought that customers would rather pay more than go without

pentaxuser

 

[Sirius Glass]

My freezer is still full, so I am not having problems with 35mm film availability.

 

[pentaxuser]

Could this be Kodak's answer to its cassette problems, quoting from another thread?

"Foma or ilford assuming its also boxed would seem the most likely suspects for conversion into metal casettes for the scale of run."

Given the need for Kodak to charge more for the likes of Tri-X and Tmax when offering bulk film for sale compared to cassettes but the above 2 companies to charge less for bulk it might even be worthwhile for Kodak to outsource the whole of its bulk rolls?

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

Call Kodak directly or Alaris.

Eastman Kodak wouldn't be able to help you, but Kodak Alaris might.
They profilm@kodakalaris.com

 

[koraks]

it might even be worthwhile for Kodak to outsource the whole of its bulk rolls?

With the added hassle (= cost) of having to ship master rolls, negotiate a contract, put QA and audit procedures in place, etc. You'd have to sell a lot of cans for all those costs to be offset.

99% of the "couldn't they just..." comments boil down to a lack of awareness of what it entails to run a somewhat large corporation. It's a little easier for SME's because they are generally more likely to dive into a new adventure not entirely aware of the risks and overhead.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

If Kodak is having trouble getting cassettes for their standard 35mm film in 36 shots, why assume that getting reels to hold 100-foot lengths will be easier?

 

[NB23]

With the added hassle (= cost) of having to ship master rolls, negotiate a contract, put QA and audit procedures in place, etc. You'd have to sell a lot of cans for all those costs to be offset.

99% of the "couldn't they just..." comments boil down to a lack of awareness of what it entails to run a somewhat large corporation. It's a little easier for SME's because they are generally more likely to dive into a new adventure not entirely aware of the risks and overhead.

Asking for more bulk rolls would only add to the economies of scale and it’s far from being a stupid Question.

Because they already 100/200/4001000-foot roll a lot of films, this would likely add to economy of scale... and they already have all the machinery and tooling.

Besides, not so long ago Kodak did offer Portra 160 NC, 160VC, 400NC and 400VC in 100’ rolls.

No, actually kodak’s reason for not bulk rolling might actually be total BS. They surely can do it, they’ve done it, and it surely could be made economically.

Let’s not forget who REALLY is Kodak: a Very Badly managed company. Like the worst.

 

[koraks]

If course, they could make money by offering bulk rolls but they outright refuse it because they're crazy. That's how organizations work, after all.

Adding SKU's ain't free.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Maybe Kodak doesn't run 100' rolls because they have to run off more than they could sell before the film expires and they'd have to discard the rest.

 

[NB23]

Maybe Kodak doesn't run 100' rolls because they have to run off more than they could sell before the film expires and they'd have to discard the rest.

I Would guess not. Just look at me: I’d buy a few bulk rolls but I will not buy 15$ 36exp rolls.

Let’s not discard kodak’s legendary mismanagement.

 

[NB23]

If course, they could make money by offering bulk rolls but they outright refuse it because they're crazy. That's how organizations work, after all.

Adding SKU's ain't free.

We’ve seen it all with Kodak.
ALL!
Think of the worst management decision and you can bet that Kodak double-topped it easily.
Went from being bigger than the NASA to what we have now... legendary.

 

[pentaxuser]

Oh dear, it sounds like we are doomed on all fronts. Shall we put the thread into abeyance until there is genuine light at the end of this very long tunnel

Presumably Kodak is able to meet its cassette requirement for b&w film but presumably only just other wise it could use that machinery to load its colour film, assuming of course that there aren't several good reasons why this cannot be done either?

You will no doubt collectively tell me.

pentaxuser

 

[Sirius Glass]

We’ve seen it all with Kodak.
ALL!
Think of the worst management decision and you can bet that Kodak double-topped it easily.
Went from being bigger than the NASA to what we have now... legendary.

Making bulk rolls is not in the normal range of film package, so rather than blame bad management, it has to much more to do with being less profitable and a nuisance.

 

[NB23]

Making bulk rolls is not in the normal range of film package, so rather than blame bad management, it has to much more to do with being less profitable and a nuisance.

How do you know? I mean, how really? A nuisance?

Here are a few screenshots, for the weekend couch managers.

 

[Sirius Glass]

How do you know? I mean, how really? A nuisance?

Here are a few screenshots, for the weekend couch managers.

Changing from the mainstream of loading 35mm cassettes to bulk load rolls requires changing an established well running assembly line to halting production and switching over for a short run of 100 foot bulk load rolls and then back to the high speed 35mm cassette loading. We should be comfortable in the fact that Kodak's management decisions are based on profit and not personally pissing you off. At one time I would buy 100 foot rolls of Ektachrome to make 18 rolls of 36 exposure rolls every summer for trips to Europe. I was not happy that every time price advantage for the bulk loading would improve, the cost of the bulk roll or the cassettes or both would rise just enough to make it cheaper to buy roll film just before the summer would start. I never took it personally.

 

[NB23]

Changing from the mainstream of loading 35mm cassettes to bulk load rolls requires changing an established well running assembly line to halting production and switching over for a short run of 100 foot bulk load rolls and then back to the high speed 35mm cassette loading. We should be comfortable in the fact that Kodak's management decisions are based on profit and not personally pissing you off. At one time I would buy 100 foot rolls of Ektachrome to make 18 rolls of 36 exposure rolls every summer for trips to Europe. I was not happy that every time price advantage for the bulk loading would improve, the cost of the bulk roll or the cassettes or both would rise just enough to make it cheaper to buy roll film just before the summer would start. I never took it personally.

What? No explanation for the massive bulk rolling going on at Kodak? You are changing your narrative?

I see you are also Couch psychologist.

 

[MattKing]

How many here would buy 400' rolls of still film without frame numbers?
If there is enough, Kodak Alaris may be willing to get a few thousand made.

 

[xtol121]

My freezer is still full, so I am not having problems with 35mm film availability.

can I buy your stock?

Colour film availability has been an issue for three years........

However, Portra is the most likely to be available as Kodak know the pro's need to rely on it. Buy the film you need now, if necessary from several suppliers. Kodak have said that bulk rolls are very difficult for them to produce, hence their B&W bulk rolls actually costing more than buying individual cassettes in many cases.

I wish Portra 400 35mm was the most available, but it actually seems to be harder to get than Gold at the moment. E-mailing Kodak Alaris today to see if they have any remedies.

How many here would buy 400' rolls of still film without frame numbers?
If there is enough, Kodak Alaris may be willing to get a few thousand made.

I know very little about what it takes to put film in 35mm vs 100'+ rolls, but I do know I would gladly buy a few hundred feet just so I don't have to play the availability game. I'm very lucky that my clients are willing to pay the extra cost associated with film and processing, but I went from having little problems sourcing color 35mm in fall of 2021 to having almost no luck in spring of 2022. I tend to shoot between 50 and 100 rolls per month, and retailers are starting to put limits on rolls purchased which essentially blocks me from purchasing film in a scale my clients need. It's tough to depend on anything in a professional sense with the supply chain problems we're dealing with.

 

[lantau]

How many here would buy 400' rolls of still film without frame numbers?
If there is enough, Kodak Alaris may be willing to get a few thousand made.

I might. At least it wouldn't be the frame number, which would stop me. I should try if the time code can be scanned with any bar code app on the phone. I use frame numbers only for my darkroom printing notes.

But for me personally Fujicolor 400 (and 100) would make more sense for bulk loading. And Kodak consumer films, for those who like them.

I doubt the OP would like to load 100 rolls for a pro job. And I say that as someone who likes bulk film for the sake of it being bulk.

I do have 3x400ft of different Vision3 films in the freezer, already. But that project stalled a little. Hope to change that this year.

 

[lantau]

I tend to shoot between 50 and 100 rolls per month, and retailers are starting to put limits on rolls purchased which essentially blocks me from purchasing film in a scale my clients need. It's tough to depend on anything in a professional sense with the supply chain problems we're dealing with.

With that usage, perhaps you could open an account with a distributor and source film like a shop?

 

[Lee Rust]

I don’t suppose it’s that easy for a company to downshift from an operation that was bigger than NASA to something more the size of Ilford. All the machinery, infrastructure and mindsets have to adjust, and Kodak was never that good at adjusting anyway. Add the worldwide supply disruptions and we’re lucky they’re doing as well as they have been.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Hmmm ... A worldwide pandemic with its terrible supply, distribution and pricing issues with all kinds of things, now a serious war going on with energy supply implications ..... But what the heck ... Ain't it just a lot easier just to blame it all on Kodak? Yeah, the Mgt there made a lot of really big mistakes in the past. But crying over spilled milk won't help a bit now. Gotta be glad they're still trying, and making darn good film at the same time.