35mm Color Film Availability Problems

[Agulliver]

EK and K-A representatives have stated, on numerous occasions, that producing 100 foot bulk rolls isn't an easy job at EK....it is NOT a routine thing like it is for Harman/Ilford. The process is not automated and involves a lot of hands-on work. Hence they don't offer many films in bulk rolls and those they do offer are much more expensive than the Ilford/Kentmere equivalents.

But go ahead and assume they've got it personally in for you if that makes you feel better

 

[foc]

EK and K-A representatives have stated, on numerous occasions, that producing 100 foot bulk rolls isn't an easy job at EK....it is NOT a routine thing like it is for Harman/Ilford. The process is not automated and involves a lot of hands-on work. Hence they don't offer many films in bulk rolls and those they do offer are much more expensive than the Ilford/Kentmere equivalents.

But go ahead and assume they've got it personally in for you if that makes you feel better

+100

Of course better still if the poster would show Kodak how to run things and how to streamline its' production, and while at that, they could also solve any product supply problems and then come back and post here how they did it, how easy it was and why didn't anyone think of it before.

 

[Paul Howell]

Wont last forever, at some point the kinks in the supply chain will smooth out, sadly I don't see any of the manufactures reducing prices to pre pandemic levels as their costs drop.

I can symptomize with folks who make living shooting film.

 

[Sirius Glass]

EK and K-A representatives have stated, on numerous occasions, that producing 100 foot bulk rolls isn't an easy job at EK....it is NOT a routine thing like it is for Harman/Ilford. The process is not automated and involves a lot of hands-on work. Hence they don't offer many films in bulk rolls and those they do offer are much more expensive than the Ilford/Kentmere equivalents.

But go ahead and assume they've got it personally in for you if that makes you feel better

+100

Of course better still if the poster would show Kodak how to run things and how to streamline its' production, and while at that, they could also solve any product supply problems and then come back and post here how they did it, how easy it was and why didn't anyone think of it before.

If asked nicely Kodak would make you CEO and let you take over the reins.

 

[mohmad khatab]

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

I somewhat agree with you
I feel that they are somewhat confused, not thinking of finding solutions to problems outside the box.

 

[pentaxuser]

EK and K-A representatives have stated, on numerous occasions, that producing 100 foot bulk rolls isn't an easy job at EK....it is NOT a routine thing like it is for Harman/Ilford. The process is not automated and involves a lot of hands-on work. Hence they don't offer many films in bulk rolls and those they do offer are much more expensive than the Ilford/Kentmere equivalents.

My recollection is that there was a period when Kodak's price for bulk roll b&w was proportionally less than for its cassettes. This changed and caused quite a lot of consternation here on Photrio with an accompanying lengthy thread where as usual it quickly deteriorated into a Kodak supporters v non supporters fight.

So, assuming my recollection is correct and the price relationship between bulk rolls and cassettes did change, what in the way of Kodak bulk roll production changed to bring this about

If you know the answer please share it.

On the question of C41 film bulk rolls what actually did EK and K-A representatives state about why it isn't an easy job at EK and did they say what does "NOT a routine thing actually mean in practical terms"

As it stands the EK KA explanation is a statement only, isn't it?


Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[NB23]

+100

Of course better still if the poster would show Kodak how to run things and how to streamline its' production, and while at that, they could also solve any product supply problems and then come back and post here how they did it, how easy it was and why didn't anyone think of it before.

I guess kodak is too Busy BULK ROLLING all its other films in HUGE quantities of 100’, 250’, 400’...

Maybe they should stream-in BULK PORTRA in the bunch, instead of what seems to be, asking the Janitor to stop the production of 35mm rolls and turn over The whole plant upside-down just for a few one-off bulks rolls of portra? I mean... would you be surprised?

 

[MattKing]

So, assuming my recollection is correct and the price relationship between bulk rolls and cassettes did change, what in the way of Kodak bulk roll production changed to bring this about

If you know the answer please share it.

Sale volumes changed - to a huge extent. As did staffing levels and the sheer volume of operational machinery plus the resources to maintain it.
The per unit cost to make 100,000 is vey different than 1,000.
The film itself isn't more or less expensive of course. The cost of confectioning it is where the huge difference resides. That includes the "lost opportunity" costs involved in devoting limited resources that would otherwise be devoted to the highly in demand production of 35mm colour negative film in individual cassettes.
Eastman Kodak was at one time making 70 master rolls - that is millions of individual rolls - of Kodacolour each and every day. All of their machinery and systems were set up for those sorts of volumes.
The systems and machinery at Ilford has always been far, far smaller than that, and became far far smaller again when Harman bought the business out of receivership. That much smaller entity was and is better set up to do much smaller runs. In order for their volumes to get to the scale of the current, much downsized volume of Kodak colour film production, they would have to increase substantially their production capabilities - perhaps at the expense of bulk film capacity.

 

[NB23]

EK and K-A representatives have stated, on numerous occasions, that producing 100 foot bulk rolls isn't an easy job at EK....it is NOT a routine thing like it is for Harman/Ilford. The process is not automated and involves a lot of hands-on work. Hence they don't offer many films in bulk rolls and those they do offer are much more expensive than the Ilford/Kentmere equivalents.

But go ahead and assume they've got it personally in for you if that makes you feel better

Maybe you should stop believing and repeating what you randomly read from other repeaters, for whom speculation and misinformed armchair expert opinion is a hobby?

Believe me: at Kodak, Bulk Rolling is a routine thing if they streamline it.

It’s routine because that is what they do BEST. Bulk rolling is their specialty. They do it so much. Thats almost all they do. They are expert Bulk Rollers. They are the masters of Bukk Rolling.

Take a look at their portfolio and come back with a different song for Kodak’s sake. Time to break the myth.

 

[Agulliver]

My, the anger here is almost tangible.

So OK, believe that Kodak are liars and that just to annoy you they expend lots of effort to not make products that they could so easily make they'd barely notice it.

Sometimes these forums are *incredibly* unfriendly. And then people wonder why we're all old farts here and the newbies are driven away.

 

[NB23]

My, the anger here is almost tangible.

So OK, believe that Kodak are liars and that just to annoy you they expend lots of effort to not make products that they could so easily make they'd barely notice it.

Sometimes these forums are *incredibly* unfriendly. And then people wonder why we're all old farts here and the newbies are driven away.

Kodak are liars?
Who says that? As far as I know, kodak said nothing at all.

Liars, I don’t know. Mismanaged? Yes, obviously.

But what’s with the overprotection of kodak? You work there or what? Your wife? No one can state the Obvious about them? You run them?

No, really, what’s up with that?

 

[MattKing]

As this thread has turned into nothing about an argument about what should be, I'm closing it.
But yes, Kodak Alaris and Eastman Kodak have both had people who work for them say, both publicly and privately, that the cost of their making and selling 100 foot bulk rolls of still film is relatively high and therefore not easy to justify in the marketplace.