Ektachrome E200, Elitechrome ED200 will be gone

LunoLuno · Jan 13, 2011

The discontinuance notice of the Elitechrome 200 (ED200) appeared recently on Kodak's Japanese website, and rumors started to circulate this week saying that the pro-version, E200 will be gone, too. So I e-mailed Kodak Japan to ask about these films status, and had a very sad reply today.

前略、いつもコダック製品をご愛用いただき誠にありがとうございます。
さて早速ですがお問い合わせをいただいた件についてご連絡申し上げます。

エリートクローム200フィルムは米国での生産終了に伴い、日本でも在庫限りで終了となるものでございます。
また、プロ用のエクタクロームプロＥ２００フィルムもエリートクロームと同様に在庫限りで終了となります。

ご不便をおかけしますがなにとぞご了承賜りますようお願い申し上げます。

It says the Elitechrome 200 will be discontinued as its production in the US has ended. The case is the same with the pro-version, Ektachrome 200, too.

very sad......

hpulley · Jan 13, 2011

Where did you see the discontinuance notice?

Not listed as discontinued here:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/prof...00/e200Index.jhtml?id=0.1.22.14.13.20.7&lc=en

Or here:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/prof...filmAnnouncements.jhtml?pq-path=13319/2300263

And still listed here:
http://wwwjp.kodak.com/JP/ja/professional/products/colorReversalIndex.shtml\

I don't see anything about this in the press center either:
http://wwwjp.kodak.com/JP/ja/corp/news/index.shtml

However, the 検索 (search) button returns no hits for anything I put in it.

I used to shoot a ton of E200 but I pretty much stopped shooting slides last year since no one ever wants to watch my slide shows anymore :-(

LunoLuno · Jan 14, 2011

The discontinuance notice of the Elitechrome 200 can be seen only on the product information page of Japanese Kodak HP at the moment.

It's here:
http://wwwjp.kodak.com/JP/ja/consumer/reversal/index.shtml

"※在庫ごくわずか。なくなり次第、販売終了となります。" means "We have small amount of stocks. (This film) will not be available once the current stock runs out"

I first thought they were just going to cease selling it in Japan, and would continue to sell it in other countries as I couldn't find that kind of notice other than Japanese site.

And then, a roumor about the discontinuance of another film, the E200 (Ektachrome 200) started circulating this week. However, I coudn't find a single source about E200's discontinuance except those rumors on some Japanese discussion forums or personal blogs. So, I e-mailed Kodak directly asking about their status as E200 would be the only alternertive for me once ED200 is gone, and I received that reply, which included the expressions "as production of this film in the US has been ceased" and "which is the same with our Ektachrome 200".

Why they don't release any official statement about these films? I don't know...., maybe they still have plenty amount of stocks which will last for a year or so in the US....

happyjam64 · Jan 14, 2011

oh man, i hope EBX isn't next...

Jeff Kubach · Jan 14, 2011

I'm sorry to hear that.

Jeff

Ken Nadvornick · Jan 14, 2011

And I'm not surprised at all to hear that.

I suspect the new Kodak's aim is to end up with one B&W film, one color negative film, and one (maybe) transparency film. And that's it. At least for now.

No need for all of the previous beautiful palettes and flavors of a full line of Kodak film products. Just a single, basic "raw" capture medium for each type. Just like a digital sensor, really. Then everyone will be expected to take that raw negative or (maybe) positive capture medium and scan it and fix it up later in post-production using Photoshop.

Eventually they will do away with even this, recommending instead that users simply invoke the software emulation features built into their Easyshare cameras to simulate the various extinct film types.

Far fetched?

Well, they're already recommending precisely that to all of the ex-Kodachrome users (there was a url link here which no longer exists).

Ken

Dirb9 · Jan 14, 2011

Not surprised at all, but not for the reason Ken stated. When E200 in 120 was killed, it seemed pretty clear that its days were numbered in 35mm. A relatively slow selling slide film which is killed in one format won't last long in other formats. I will miss it though, E200 has a interesting palette, and the speed helps for shooting things like airshows.

hpulley · Jan 14, 2011

I tell you, it's like I'm losing one family member after another... Kodak, why???

Mackinaw · Jan 14, 2011

hpulley said:
I tell you, it's like I'm losing one family member after another... Kodak, why???

Easy answer. Nobody buys the stuff.

Jim B.

Tim Gray · Jan 14, 2011

Ken Nadvornick said:
I suspect the new Kodak's aim is to end up with one B&W film, one color negative film, and one (maybe) transparency film. And that's it. At least for now.

Somehow I doubt it. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Kodak got out of E6 all together eventually.

It's probably more due to the fact that they were slow sellers. E6 in general seems to have gotten hit the hardest by digital, and the faster ones are the first to go. From my observations, most shooters who shoot E6 films prefer to do so for the fine grain, sharpness, and colors. An extra stop or two of speed isn't probably worth it in shooter's minds if you have to compromise on any of those three characteristics.

And if you shoot slide and really need the speed, I'd probably pick Provia 400X. And I shoot almost all Kodak films...

E200 looks like a cool film (I have some but haven't shot it yet). But I would think films like Velvia and E100G have a much stronger foothold in the E6 community. It's a shame that the market can't support a film like this, but nowadays, it's probably a niche emulsion in a niche class of film (slide) in a niche kind of capture (film) in photography.

nickrapak · Jan 14, 2011

I think that the major factor in this discontinuance was the relative weakness in the grain area compared to Provia 400X. Almost everyone that I know that shoots high-speed slide film shoots 400X, and even I will admit that the grain is finer, even with the higher speed. That being said, I'll probably pick up a roll or two of E200, even though I almost exclusively shoot low-speed slide films for my color work.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

hpulley · Jan 14, 2011

Including me lately since my local labs started sending it away. Might have to try home E6 before it goes away entirely. Used to shoot several rolls a day!

Mackinaw said:
Easy answer. Nobody buys the stuff.

Jim B.

accozzaglia · Jan 14, 2011

Kodak failed when they foolishly destroyed their smaller, older coating machines with larger, newer machines, right as the imaging market was undergoing the transition to a digital-inclusive one. Sure, having newer machines is a smart plan, but going bigger? And doing so without a more aggressive promotion scheme for so doing?* This all but assures that few coating runs will ever be successful enough to repeat within freshness cycles.

Way to go, Eastman "Post-Film" Kodak™

* obvious exceptions: Ektar 100 and TXP

accozzaglia · Jan 14, 2011

nickrapak said:
"Panic not my child, the Great Yellow Father has your hand"--Larry Dressler

Perhaps it should instead be amended to say:

"Panic not my child, the Great Yellow Father has bitten off your hand. Panic not over what you cannot have undone."

Antonov · Jan 14, 2011

Ken Nadvornick said:
And I'm not surprised at all to hear that.

I suspect the new Kodak's aim is to end up with one B&W film, one color negative film, and one (maybe) transparency film. And that's it. At least for now.

Well, I have to agree on this. And why the hell they don't publish these things on their web page? Oh, and what is condition with Fuji now? Do they have much more products, or are they also following Kodak footsteps?

Tim Gray · Jan 14, 2011

Antonov said:
Well, I have to agree on this. And why the hell they don't publish these things on their web page? Oh, and what is condition with Fuji now? Do they have much more products, or are they also following Kodak footsteps?

Nobody yet has confirmed it with the Kodak US.

It stinks when films get discontinued. However, there's still obviously some E200 in the retail pipeline. I suspect it's Kodak's procedure to not 'discontinue' a film until they reach an appropriately small amount of stock.

And if Kodak really wanted only one color negative film and one B&W film, why would they have 5 traditional B&W products and multiple new color negative products?

If you don't like Kodak, that's fine, but man do I get tired of all the griping about Kodak not wanting to be in the film market. I'd wager that Kodak would love nothing more for film to return to it's former glory. Wanting that to happen is different from reality though.

perkeleellinen · Jan 14, 2011

This is/was a fairly rare film in the UK. I don't think I've ever actually seen it for sale. With this film being cut and with the recent cut of all the Sensia films, I think Provia 400X is the only fast slide film left.

holmburgers · Jan 14, 2011

In war, you stop wondering why your comrades are dying once you've seen it a dozen times, I think I'm going to start doing the same with film and just accept it.

bblhed · Jan 14, 2011

First I think we need to force people to watch slide shows, maybe they will see how bad photos on a computer look.

Thoughts on Kodak pairing down to one of each type of film.

If Kodak pairs down to just one type of each film that is not going to be a good thing for us at all because it will leave us with something like the following lineup from Kodak.

400TX for B&W ( could be wrong, but they are pushing this stuff hard)
Ultra Max 800 for Color Negative
Some sort of Motion picture film for Slides

It is a lousy lineup but here is my reasoning, 400TX is everywhere, they even sell the stuff at my local CVS. Ultra Max 800 is what they stuff into all those disposable cameras, and they sell a lot of those things. Motion picture film is what they make the most of in reversal film, or any film for that mater, I don't really think that using Movie film will kill me, but I can process E-6 at home, I'm unwilling to try to remove rimjet at home. Maybe if they can make E-6 then add rimjet to it for motion picture use we will be alright for a while. I would rather have the scraps form the motion picture industry than nothing at all.

holmburgers · Jan 14, 2011

I believe that most of their motion picture film is negative, process ECN-II. Most movies are shot on negative and printed again onto negative film. There are exceptions, particularly in the consumer formats for home projection, 64T for instance which is E6.

Personally, I think that consolidating their line into the motion picture stuff would be awesome. That way they're not spread as thin and we have a great selection. The motion picture people have just as much variety as we do, if not more.

frobozz · Jan 14, 2011

bblhed said:
Motion picture film is what they make the most of in reversal film, or any film for that mater, I don't really think that using Movie film will kill me, but I can process E-6 at home, I'm unwilling to try to remove rimjet at home. Maybe if they can make E-6 then add rimjet to it for motion picture use we will be alright for a while. I would rather have the scraps form the motion picture industry than nothing at all.

Most color motion picture camera film is negative film. They're down to one reversal stock (E100D) and that's a niche product that I would guess may not be around much longer (used to be available in 400 ft and 1000 ft rolls, now only in 400 ft). Probably the only reason it's even around is because they switched to using E-6 for it instead of a special movie film process. And one reason they can do that is because there is NO Remjet backing on it. So you should be able to process it just like any other E6 film at home....as long as they still sell it.

Duncan

Nightfly · Jan 14, 2011

Kodak E200 in 120 format was discontinued in Summer 2009. Kodak did not publish a notice of this happening, but kept manufacturing the film in 135, so technically E200 was still available. As a heavy user of this film I stocked up and filled my freezer. Glad I did, as a fellow shooter and I cleaned out Freestyle and B&H (Thirty pro-packs) and it was never restocked. The last batch was dated to expire January 2011.

E200 was a staple of many astrophotographers and offered the best reciprocity characteristics and color stability of any E-6 film. It also was the most red sensitive slide film (Fuji Provia 400F, a close second) for capturing faint emission nebulae.

Provia 400X is a great film to consider as a replacement, but lacks the red response Kodak E200 was famous for.

For color film astrophotographers it is like Kodachrome going away, but at least we can still work off our stock!

Milky Way Splendor by Nightfly Photography, on Flickr

hpulley · Jan 14, 2011

Yeah, I used it for a lot of astrophotography as well, great stuff but the astrophotographers have all gone to DSLRs or CCDs by now for the most part.

Tim Gray · Jan 14, 2011

Didn't know E200 excelled for that. Cool!

Nightfly · Jan 14, 2011

hpulley said:
Yeah, I used it for a lot of astrophotography as well, great stuff but the astrophotographers have all gone to DSLRs or CCDs by now for the most part.

Yea, I know. I feel like the last man standing. Someone has to continue the legacy of film.

Legacy Astrophotography

E200 is an amazing film in so many ways. I've learned its character and have exploited it as much as possible.

Ektachrome E200, Elitechrome ED200 will be gone

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