DISCONTINUED KODAK (Chemistry products)

[dr5chrome]

EMAIL NOTICE:

D76R
MICRODOL-X
SELECTOL SOFT
ROYAL PRINT ACTIVATOR
ROYAL PRINT FIX
FARMERS REDUCER
TMAX DIRECT REVERSAL KIT
SEPIA TONER
SEPIA WARM TONER
REVERSAL AGENT RA-1
ANTIFOG #2
GLACIAL ACETIC 1GAL
PHOTO FLO 600

<edit> Her is the pdf:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[tjaded]

Dag nab it.

 

[Athiril]

Microdol-X is being discontinued?

 

[railwayman3]

I'm sure you may very well be correct, but we continually get these kind of postings without any indication of the source and veracity of the information (Kodak Head Office, or the junior office kid in some local shop? )

And, if correct, does it apply worldwide or just in one area.

 

[Ektagraphic]

I am certainly not trying to doubt you, but someone else had something similar a little while back and it turned out to be BS. I can see some of those things going though.....I really wanted to try one of those T-Max Reversal Kits!

 

[Shangheye]

No record of it anywhere on Kodak site or news releases. I am genuinely tired of these posts, since they benefit no-one when they come with no provenance or further detail of location etc. A simple check of the web on google will show this is post is the only reference to this discontinuation...that is on the WHOLE World Wide Web!

I am not saying the above is not true, but are you so damn sure you would put a months salary on it? If not, please refrain from starting fires unnecessarily. Maybe we need a runour forum, where people who enjoy them can go and look, but it does not get listed on the home page?

K

 

[Aurelien]

I think that dr5 is a partner of kodak so he may be well-informed.

No news about PlusX?

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I hope isn't true.

Jeff

 

[railwayman3]

I think that dr5 is a partner of kodak so he may be well-informed.

Maybe....in which case why not quote the full details and authority?

(I'd go with Shangeye's idea of a forum for rumours, for those who enjoy them, or who like having secret knowledge denied to we ordinary mortals. )

 

[Athiril]

We do, it's called the "Doom and Gloom" forum. I don't know where it has been moved to.

"Ethics and Philosophy"

 

[Photo Engineer]

HC-110 was reported to be discontinued or about to be discontinued elsewhere. So, maybe true or not.

I do know that shipping some of those items was becoming very difficult due to huge charges and complex regulations. Glacial Acetic Acid, Photo Flo 600 and Farmers Reducer being 3 of them. (Acid, Ethylene Glycol and Potassium Ferricyanide).

Kodak stopped selling their 1 pound bottles of Sodium Sulfite and Potassium Ferricyanide about 3 years ago due to similar concerns and problems. I'm glad I stocked up then.

PE

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I would trust dr5 to be a reliable source for information about discontinued chemistry, since he runs a lab and has access to this kind of information, but it's still a good idea for a few people to contact Kodak and find out what exactly is being discontinued. A product may be discontinued in a certain packaging size or in a certain market, for instance, but not discontinued in general.

David, if you could post the full e-mail with the header and contact information, that would be helpful.

The "gloom and doom" subforum for unsubstantiated discontinuation rumors, FID discussion, and such is in the Soapbox. If you don't have Soapbox access (subscriber only) or if you've got The Soapbox on your "ignore forums" list, then you won't see it.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Kodak processing chemistry is generally well priced and available in the UK, so any potential discontinuance is a shame.

Tom

 

[david b]

I truly believe all of these companies are going to continue to decrease their product lines down to the bare minimum. How many people in the world still use sepia toners?

In ten years, Kodak will be Tri-X, d76, and some sort of fixer. Nothing more.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've been mixing most of my chemistry from bulk chemicals anyway for the last few years. It's not difficult, offers greater control and consistency (because you can mix what you need and tweak as desired) and greatly expands the options available.

If Microdol-X is discontinued, the most likely substitutes would be D-23, which is the easiest developer to mix yourself, or Ilford's Perceptol.

 

[Chazzy]

I just tried to call Kodak and got a message saying that they are experiencing heavy call volume. I hope that at least some of that traffic is from people saying that they want things like Microdol and sepia toner.

 

[Uncle Bill]

I will believe when I see the official announcement from Kodak.

Since I only use D-76, Dektol, Xtol and Photo Flo 200, I am not that worried.

 

[Jeff Searust]

Discontinued...

This was in a memo from Kodak dated oct 19 to dealers.

The main thrust is that larger and smaller -- like the 5 and 10 gallon and the 1 liter packages are all being dropped in favor of just the 1 gallon bags of chemistry. Some items are being dropped all together. Selectol-soft is going away for one. Some of the larger bottles are going away also. like the 1 gallon size of PhotoFlo, in favor of the pint size.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I just tried to call Kodak and got a message saying that they are experiencing heavy call volume. I hope that at least some of that traffic is from people saying that they want things like Microdol and sepia toner.

@ Charles
Calling does not help, buying does!

@ David
Don't feel too save with bulk chemicals. The green police is after us! Getting some of the essential chemicals in Europe is getting harder and harder and outrageously expensive.

I think what we have to do is to support the few which are left. But this unfortunately also requires, less bargain hunting and spending your money at more than one but not at too many places.

If someone stocks up to be all set for the next few years, he should not be surprised if the last dealer is out of business when the stash is gone!

Interestingly enough, I use none of the above products, except for Framers Reducer, but I mix that myself.

 

[Brandon D.]

PHOTO FLO?!?!?!

C'mon, now...

 

[lns]

PHOTO FLO?!?!?!

C'mon, now...

Just the huge size. The regular size (that all hobbyists use and photo stores stock) is still being sold.

-Laura

 

[Jeff Searust]

We all were joking about that this morning--- WHO uses a gallon of Photo-Flo?

The 16oz size will still be available.

 

[Chazzy]

Just the huge size. The regular size (that all hobbyists use and photo stores stock) is still being sold.

-Laura

And Photoflo 600, not the Photoflo 200 that most of us use.

Sepia toner surprises me. It was my understanding that many people are using light sepia toning instead of or in addition to selenium toning, for archival reasons. Wasn't it recently shown that light selenium toning does much less good that was once thought?

 

[eclarke]

I make everything myself and have a huge stock of raw chemicals...but I can't make KRST and now you guys are going to send me out to buy several cases out of sheer paranoia!!!..Evan Clarke

 

[Anon Ymous]

And Photoflo 600, not the Photoflo 200 that most of us use.

Sepia toner surprises me. It was my understanding that many people are using light sepia toning instead of or in addition to selenium toning, for archival reasons. Wasn't it recently shown that light selenium toning does much less good that was once thought?

Discontinuing sepia toner doesn't hurt that much. It's very easy to make some if you can get some fairly basic chemicals and a very basic scale. I'd say Microdol-X is what would hurt most.