Attention former Tri-X users!

[fhovie]

Sigh. Lee and Paramount have good points, but they will not play out in reality. How do I know this? Economics is my business. Some things we need to hoard. I have 175' of nitrogen packed Pan-X in the freezer. Efke 25 is close, but no cigar in the shadow to midrange. Every time I order from B&H, I get another box of Azo. No one else makes a product like it. Same deal for Tech Pan. Did you like Super XX? Go for the Bergger BPF200. J&C 200 comes out of the same plant. A little economic difficulties there. We can hoard everything like Tri-X and Plus-X until we are like Michael & Paula with a walk-in freezer, and it will not deter what Kodak will do in the next year or so. They dont care about bread and butter film. A Kodak moment is now shared by the stockholders in a digital revolution.

Ilford may be a little shaky coming out of reorganization. That is even more the reason that we need to lay down our yellow fetish and jump on what will very soon be the largest producer in the world of BW films. Do you really think that Fuji will be pumping out BW in five years? The reality is that we need to begin fully supporting companies that in the very near future will be our main outlets for BW film and papers. Chemistry we can make. This means making the jump to Ilford for FP4 instead of Plus-X, and any other product they make that has a comparable result. It will not hasten what Kodak does, and even in an Alice in Wonderland twist if it did, so what? They fully intend on leaving us. As to the Chinese production boosting the price of film, go back to Econ 101 and pay attention to how they flood the market with goods. Keep an eye on Lucky Film boys. It's a mover for the consumer segment.

Three cheers for Ilford, Efke, Foma, Forte and all the photo paper manufacturing companies. We must support them now, or they may not be there for us when we need them. That is supply and demand.

FP4 - ok - PanF - great - Even Delta 3200 - Fine. HP5 is NOT TRI-X. It will not replace it - It might supplant it but it will not replace it. From an art point of view. I will buy Iford products but only the ones I like. I will also send a message to big yellow - If you make it - i will buy it - till the last one is made. I think that pre-emptive switches just makes it easier for the BOD to make these choices. It will be tougher for them if we make it profitable by buying product. I work for a company that is one of 37 little companies in a big conglomerate. Our company does not do the same kinds of products the rest of the corporation does. They won't slice us off and sell us as long as we make money. Stock holders do not want to see profitalbe businesses sold off just because they are old school. If we all support the big yellow - they will have to keep what we like as long as we buy enough to make it profitable.

 

[Papa Tango]

Yeah, but... Kodak is going out of the silver and wet chemistry business. Their future is digital. Continuing to polish the brass on the Titanic that the film division is will not make it stay longer. I'm willing to bet they DC the black and white film production by the end of next year.

The point is to start supporting someone else who has taken an interest in the long-term production of films and paper. They need our business. Kodak does not.

 

[SchwinnParamount]

My money is with Kodak still for the next 5 years. They allegedly lost 1.6 billion in the last quarter. These losses did not come in film production. Film is the only division of theirs that actually made any money. The losses came due to a couple of things. The first was a 1 time accounting charge against the digital division. I don't remember the specifics on that. The rest of the major loss came from huge R/D spending to catch up to the rest of the digital world and of course, losses due to lackluster digi sales. Stock prices are at an all time low. 10 years ago, Eastman Kodak traded at nearly $60 per share. Today it's at $22. It was at nearly $30 a month ago. I would not be surprised to see the HP 'Wonder boy' get sacked soon. If I was a major shareholder in EK, I'd be calling for his head.

 

[fhovie]

Yeah, but... Kodak is going out of the silver and wet chemistry business. Their future is digital. Continuing to polish the brass on the Titanic that the film division is will not make it stay longer. I'm willing to bet they DC the black and white film production by the end of next year.

The point is to start supporting someone else who has taken an interest in the long-term production of films and paper. They need our business. Kodak does not.

A company that really wants to support us would tender an offer to purchase or lease the patents on the tri-x formula (or the whole Kodak line) to meet the demand. In the mean time - I will try films that are "like" tri-x. An emulsion with great expansion and contraction capabilities and pintilated grain structure, a forgiving film that offers a sharpness that HP5 cannot duplicate.

 

[david b]

I've never really been a Kodak man so if they ditch the market all together, it won't really matter to me. I've never used the Kodak papers and love Ilfords.

But as I've said, I don't see Ilford trying to market a picture phone thingamajig.

HP5+ may not be the best film in the world but to me and my eyes, it is very nice rated at 250 and souped in ID-11 1+1 for 12 minutes.

I see both sides of this and I agree with Patrick. Support a company that wants to support us. Kodak is obviously not interested as they bail out. And I am not sure where I heard it, but I heard they are trying to get out of the B&W business by 2007.

 

[Papa Tango]

David, you really hit the nail on the head. Kodak remains completely proprietary when it drops a product. Don't see any European companies making Pan-X, Super-XX, Tech Pan or the like? These were popular films and suddenly they were gone. They simply dont license their DC'd lines. Heck, they are still secretive about chemistry formulations that have not been made in 30 years... For archival work in the Library of Congress, Azo is the only acceptable paper. Dont see anyone from Kodak caring about that.

 

[Joefoto]

Neopan in Rodinal & HC-110.

Thought that might draw a bit of attention.
I would like to continue a post started by luvmydogs (HP5 in Rodinal) except my inquiry is about developing Neopan (400 & 1600) in Rodinal or HC-110.

My fellow Apuger from Montreal just sent me some Neopan in 400 and 1600 configurations (thanks again Michel) and I am wondering if those who have made this transition might share in their knowledge. I have both Rodinal and HC-110 on hand and will be developing my first roll of Neopan tomorrow (iso 400 rated at 400).
All sugestions welcomed.

Thanks Much,
Mike

Hey there Mike. I found (when living on Maui) that Neopan works really well in Rodinal. I stick to the plan and dilute 1:25. Also, it will give a completely different look if developed in HC-110 1:51 (right from the bottle). Both are fine grain, the HC-110 gives a bit more in the mid-tones while Rodinal is equal across the board.

Hope this helps you out.

Joe