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Ok I go to Shanghai about 6 times a year. You need to tell me where this camera mall is.
Ok I go to Shanghai about 6 times a year. You need to tell me where this camera mall is.Evidence:
Shanghai has 3 stores that sell film full time as their primary product. They are *film* stores, not camera stores. I know the owners very well. They all report robust sales that are increasing year on year. They could be lying but I don't doubt them as their stores are very active and busy.
These stores *cannot* get Kodak HC-110 anymore directly from Kodak. If they can score some gray market, they will sell it. But lately they have not even been able to find any through any channel. I have purchased HC-110 from these stores in the past.
Further, in the past getting Portra film has been *very* sketchy. I havent tried lately so I dont know the current situation. However, if you look at the shelves on the stores, the space devoted to Kodak has shrunk considerably. In my favorite store, FOMA gets far more shelf space than Kodak.
Elsewhere in this photography mall are about 3 dozen if not more stores that sell nothing but used cameras. You name it, you can find it here. Any film camera you want is almost certainly here. Brisk business trading these film cameras. I doubt anyone is getting rich, but damn, it is sure fun to browse there.
Elsewhere, the lab where I get my C41 and E6 film processed says that their sales are going up very well. Turnaround time to get my film back has gone from 3 days when I first started using them up to 7 or 8 days minimum. They apologize but say that the work load simply demands longer times.
This lab also has stopped carrying some Kodak films (they sell film by mail order), due to inability to acquire stock.
I am surprised that so few people understand economics. If there is little demand then it is natural for a supplier to discontinue a product. Nothing arcane going on.
But according to store owner, he wants to order it (hence an implied demand), but no supply.
But according to store owner, he wants to order it (hence an implied demand), but no supply.
Where have I heard this before? I usually hear this whenever I enquire about a product no longer on the shelves. Store owners will say anything to keep a customer.
Lets see; first Agfa went out of business. Kodak stopped making papers and certain films like Plus-X and 5231. Some second tier film manufacturers went out of business. And on and on. Anyone who doesn't believe that demand for film, paper and chemistry has fallen off dramatically in the past few years is living in an alternate universe where digital cameras do not exist.
I am surprised that so few people understand economics. If there is little demand then it is natural for a supplier to discontinue a product. Nothing arcane going on.
Ok I go to Shanghai about 6 times a year. You need to tell me where this camera mall is.
Compared to the past there is little demand for photo chemistry and the demand shrinks with each year. China's new generation is obsessed with anything digital and there is little demand for products like HC-110.
Today I went there for some suppliers and as usual, I had to wait my turn in line to get serviced.
LIAR! No one waits in a "line" in China! I lived there 5 years! I KNOW this!
Heh heh heh....what can I say? Film users are special; they wait in line. Actually, it was a couple of European people in front of me today, not local Chinese.
Your assumptions do not match the facts. The stores that I shop with are trying to order HC-110 because there IS demand. Why would they order something that they think that they cannot sell?
This store stocks all kinds of developers because they are one of the primary film supply stores in a city of 24 million people. HC-110 isnt needed in a market like this? Seriously?
Is there a print developer analogue to HC-110 which keeps (relatively) forever and can be used like HC-110?
Liquid Dektol. Dektol is a brand name and not a formula. The Liquid dektol as far as I'm aware is a rebranded version kodak polymax print developer so Kodak Polymax developer is probably cheaper and just as good.
If its tray / working strength developer life you want, then Ansco 130 is very good but is expensive and not so easy to source chemicals (Glycin) especially in the UK.
However, I don't think your will maxmise modern papers range with Ansco 130 so Polymax is possibly a better option.
Personally I like Ilfords Bromophen. It's cheap to buy but stock doesn't keep too well if you let oxygen get to it, but its cheapness makes up for that.
Would you kindly elaborate on your statement (above) that one would not be able to maximize modern paper range with Ansco 130? I use this developer almost exclusively and I am wondering what I am missing. Thanks in advance.
RattyMouse, as you're in situ in China can you tell us what the state of play with Kodak is there? They bought up 3 photo companies around 2000 but now seem to be more into flogging digital print equipment in China. Are they actually manufacturing film and chemicals in China. Shouldn't be too hard for you to find out since you're there and have all this insider knowledge.
Kodak does not manufacture film or chemicals in China.
Kodak does not manufacture film or chemicals in China.
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