Henrys seems to want to make stuff unafordable. (HC-110)

[mrred]

I am sure that Henry's prices are based on their prices, including shipping. They are probably not happy with the situation.

They were always higher, even in the good times.

 

[mrred]

I doubt that Kodak Alar is has different prices for the US and Canadian distributors.

They certainly do. Look at the price of film.

 

[MattKing]

They certainly do. Look at the price of film.

No, what I am saying is that Kodak Alaris charge those distributors the same amounts for the same orders.

Those distributors then turn around and have to deal with any and all costs for paying Kodak Alaris (including currency conversion, where required), shipments, importation (if any), warehousing (if any) and any other costs that are particular to their operations.

In turn, those distributors charge the retailers that buy from them a marked up wholesale price. Those retailers will then have to pay that marked up price and bear such further costs as may apply, including shipping from the distributors to the retailers.

If Kodak Alaris offers any discounts for volume purchases, it is much more likely that the US distributors can take full advantage than that the Canadian distributors can.

It is fundamentally different then the old days, when Kodak maintained its own high volume distribution network, and smaller retailers could benefit from almost exactly the same cost structure as the larger retailers.

 

[mrred]

Perhaps, but I will say this; I have stopped buying Kodak film all togeather beceause of this disconnect. The only exception would be that I only buy C41 when I actually need it.....and it's probably done at walmart and would be what ever they have on hand. BW film is much more stable for the long run and I tend to buy ORWO bulk 400' cans for 35mm. The only Kodak film I truely miss is the PlusX and I still have a couple 100' rolls left.

Kodak did go from being totally in touch with their customers to a distant last place. As usual the marketing idiots will push away any loyalty they have left. At some point they must realize there are other more competitive companies chaising the same dollar. There is no way they can rationalize $70 for a litre of HC110. It's their market to lose.

 

[greg zinselmeier]

to the OP or to the person who posted. . . . . . my suggestion is, Mix your own chemistry. it is preferred because, your developer will always be fresh,hence better predictability, you can get formulas for either high acutance or fine grain working developers. You can really can "dial it in" . . ( optimal results for your taste). .. .and in the long run .. . . CHEAPER

 

[Doc W]

to the OP or to the person who posted. . . . . . my suggestion is, Mix your own chemistry. it is preferred because, your developer will always be fresh,hence better predictability, you can get formulas for either high acutance or fine grain working developers. You can really can "dial it in" . . ( optimal results for your taste). .. .and in the long run .. . . CHEAPER

greg, the OP was concerned about the price of HC-110 specifically, which can't be made from scratch because Kodak has never published the formula. Also, a lot of people use HC-110 because it has a very long shelf life, especially if you mix from syrup and thus avoid making a stock solution. I love it because it is (was) relatively cheap.

 

[cmacd123]

Also, a lot of people use HC-110 because it has a very long shelf life, especially if you mix from syrup and thus avoid making a stock solution. I love it because it is (was) relatively cheap.

indeed, the fact that I tend to do batches irregularly is what drew me to HC-110. And at 16 bucks for a half US quart, it was fairly cheep.

it takes at least 38 ml to make enough for one Jobo 1520+1530 tank. (5 rolls of film.) and sticking to dilution B

so we are now talking 55 cents a roll before tax. it was closer to 25 cents.

 

[ericdan]

I've never used it, but here in Japan it's $103 a litre (although it appears to be sold out/discontinued here). D-76, on the other hand, is $12 a package. I think I'll stick with that. I can get about 170 rolls developed (1:1) with D-76 for the same price as about 100 rolls in HC-110 (although that would depend on dilution too).

As of late last year HC-110 has been determined to be a dangerous or hazardous good and cannot be sold anymore in Japan. You can import it as long as it doesn't come in by air. Anyways, no point in using that anymore in Japan. I got a bottle from my friend two years ago and like it for it's consistency and convenience. To me it looks a lot like D-76 minus the 'having to mix up powder' issues. I pay 630 yen per 1L pack of D-76. At 1+1 I can develop 6 rolls per pack with my tanks. Unlike HC-110 it goes bad within a few weeks. Usually I just process in batches of six rolls and use it all up in one go.
HC-110 was super convenient in that you didn't have to care much about how you kept the stock syrup and just used what you needed when you needed it. Too bad it's gone here.

 

[RattyMouse]

As of late last year HC-110 has been determined to be a dangerous or hazardous good and cannot be sold anymore in Japan. You can import it as long as it doesn't come in by air. Anyways, no point in using that anymore in Japan. I got a bottle from my friend two years ago and like it for it's consistency and convenience. To me it looks a lot like D-76 minus the 'having to mix up powder' issues. I pay 630 yen per 1L pack of D-76. At 1+1 I can develop 6 rolls per pack with my tanks. Unlike HC-110 it goes bad within a few weeks. Usually I just process in batches of six rolls and use it all up in one go.
HC-110 was super convenient in that you didn't have to care much about how you kept the stock syrup and just used what you needed when you needed it. Too bad it's gone here.

Wow, that's a shame. I wonder what's in HC-110 that gives it such a bad label in Japan. The stuff is supposed to be a near identical knock off of D-76!

 

[mooseontheloose]

As of late last year HC-110 has been determined to be a dangerous or hazardous good and cannot be sold anymore in Japan. You can import it as long as it doesn't come in by air. Anyways, no point in using that anymore in Japan. I got a bottle from my friend two years ago and like it for it's consistency and convenience. To me it looks a lot like D-76 minus the 'having to mix up powder' issues. I pay 630 yen per 1L pack of D-76. At 1+1 I can develop 6 rolls per pack with my tanks. Unlike HC-110 it goes bad within a few weeks. Usually I just process in batches of six rolls and use it all up in one go.
HC-110 was super convenient in that you didn't have to care much about how you kept the stock syrup and just used what you needed when you needed it. Too bad it's gone here.

Thanks for the info Eric - I didn't realise that, but I never used it so it wasn't really a concern for me. I'm surprised that D-76 doesn't last for you - I mix mine up and it's usually good for at least 6 months, often more (in full or kind of full bottles only). That's the 3.76L packages though. However, since I tend to shoot in "spurts" I usually only mix up D-76 whenever I've got a number of rolls to develop.

 

[darkroommike]

Wow, that's a shame. I wonder what's in HC-110 that gives it such a bad label in Japan. The stuff is supposed to be a near identical knock off of D-76!

You can get times that approximate D-76 and D-76 1:1 but it was really intended to replace the Various DK-50 dilutions. As a liquid concentrate there are shipping concerns, the concentrate has a rather high pH. The active developer agents are proprietary but speculation has it containing Dimezone-S (from the Phenidone family of developing agents) and Hydroquinone so it's a PQ rather than an MQ developer. Film speed is on the low side but accutance is very good.

If you want to make your own syrup-ish liquid concentrate look to something like PC-TEA or PC-glycol, if you want to play with a more conventional developer you can homebrew any number of D-76 family developers or DK-50. The British Journal of Photography also at one time published formulas for something called BJ DK-50 which used DK-50 or a modified DK-50 diluted from stock with a Kodalk solution rather than plain water. If you want simple look to D-23 used 1:1.

If you have a simple scale and a few chemicals you will never be dependent on the big guys for your favorite brew ever again. And some of the good developers are pricing themselves into economic oblivion. Diafine and HC-110 come to mind but I never thought Dektol would be $12.00 for a gallon mix either. I miss FG-7, Ektonol, and Kodak Polydol and others will bemoan the disappearance of Microdol-X, etc.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

If you have a simple scale and a few chemicals you will never be dependent on the big guys for your favorite brew ever again. And some of the good developers are pricing themselves into economic oblivion. Diafine and HC-110 come to mind but I never thought Dektol would be $12.00 for a gallon mix either. I miss FG-7, Ektonol, and Kodak Polydol and others will bemoan the disappearance of Microdol-X, etc.

Definitely switch to home-brew developers. You can get halfway with ordering Pyrocat HD in dry form from either Bostick & Sullivan or Photographers Formulary where all you have to do is add water. Or you can get it in powder form and mix all the chemicals in proper order if you feel like it. Switching to Pyro was probably the best photo process decision I've made in 26 years - yes, it is that much better a developer.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

1L of HC-110 for me lasts for so long it turns red. I wish they make it in 500L bottles...

Definitely switch to home-brew developers. You can get halfway with ordering Pyrocat HD in dry form from either Bostick & Sullivan or Photographers Formulary where all you have to do is add water. Or you can get it in powder form and mix all the chemicals in proper order if you feel like it. Switching to Pyro was probably the best photo process decision I've made in 26 years - yes, it is that much better a developer.

I was going to try it with lith components from Argentix.ca, but realized they have plenty of all kind of developers, liquid and in powder to try and cheap.

 

[MattKing]

I wish they make it in 500L bottles...

I expect you mean 500 ml .

And red HC-110 seems to work just as well as clear HC-110.

But I understand everybody's concerns. A 500 ml bottle would be better.

At ~160 rolls of film developed per litre bottle of HC-110, it still is a reasonably economical choice, and it remains excellent for us who are challenged for space.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I expect you mean 500 ml .

And red HC-110 seems to work just as well as clear HC-110.

But I understand everybody's concerns. A 500 ml bottle would be better.

At ~160 rolls of film developed per litre bottle of HC-110, it still is a reasonably economical choice, and it remains excellent for us who are challenged for space.

Exactly! On both, liters and number of rolls. Kodak must do what retail suppliers did in Canada. Kept same price, but small packages. If I'll pay same price for 500 ml bottle it will still lasts for long to me and I could use Rodinal as another extremely small package for ISO50-100 films...

Red and exposed to the air HC-110 seems to give more grain...

 

[greg zinselmeier]

it is always a tough call. how much do I pay for. . . . . . this? which is my "go to" thing. I wish I could bring done the cost of HC-110, for those who still use it, I could be your hero, u mmmmmm !!! fantastic! however, due to its parent company going under some years ago, I switched to pyrocat hd. I do not use any kodak products. the last time I used kodak hc -110 was in 2000. pyro-hd is a different developer than hc110, but I have changed too. as well as my work, If cost is a concern, maybe you think about what kind of change you might want or need? or if change is too much, then don't and pay out the nose!!! I wish there was a middle ground on this, some have suggested d-76 or something along those lines. If change is being considered, try reading the film developing cookbook! see where that takes you.

 

[MattKing]

I was speaking to Nicole at Beau Photo today. There was a recent Kodak Alaris price increase on photographic chemistry of approximately 20%. That is an increase in the price charged to the distributors that Beau has to buy from. Generally, Beau buys Kodak materials from one or both of two different Canadian distributors. Each of those different distributors tends to specialize in different parts of the market. She doesn't know whether there are other Canadian distributors they could buy their Kodak product from.

We talked about HC 110, and I think she will most likely be bringing another dozen bottles into stock.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Long lasting developers include Rodinal and Pyrocat mixed in Glycol. Both will last for years and are great developers you can mix yourself. For Pyrocat I prefer the Pyrocat-P or PC version and for Rodinal I use Gainer's EZ-Rodinal formula.

If you learn to mix your own chemistry you will never have a problem finding a developer the rest of your life. It is worth learning.

 

[cmacd123]

If you learn to mix your own chemistry you will never have a problem finding a developer the rest of your life. It is worth learning.

hey, I have mixed developers for years, I even have some Russian Metol and some Ukrainian Hydroquinone on hand. But to mix D-76 by formula requires one to plan ahead and mix it a couple of days in advance as the properties are proported to change when it settles.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Question for MIY gurus. Is it possible to mix your own alternative to HC-110 for ISO 400 films and to push them at ISO 1600?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

We have to order it in case quantities of 12 at a time and then we'd have to sell it at the new higher price of $54.70.

Holy film developers, Batman! I'm glad I mix up my own!

 

[canuhead]

I probably shouldn't spill the beans on this but Henrys has 100' rolls of TX402 on sale at $99 Cdn The web page says that's half price ! HALF ! lol I ordered some awhile ago so surprised to see it's still on sale (think it's online sales only). Maybe clearing older stock or just trying to drive web sale ? Hurry and buy some and often hahaha

 

[Lachlan Young]

Question for MIY gurus. Is it possible to mix your own alternative to HC-110 for ISO 400 films and to push them at ISO 1600?

DK-50 might be a place to start - I would not be completely surprised if Dil. B. HC-110 times are pretty close to DK-50 1+1 times. They're certainly intended to do similar things to characteristic curves.

Or try Ilfotec HC.

 

[MattKing]

Ilfotec HC has a wholesale cost in Canada that is as high or higher than even the new high price for Kodak HC-110.

 

[cmacd123]

Or try Ilfotec HC.

I have seen that as being "similar" to HC-110. How does it actually compare? Is it a clone, or just a similar product? Same times, same results, same shelf life in an open bottle?

Interestingly B&H is in there strange wisdom WILL ship a 1 Litre bottle of Ilford HC, at US$45.99 which is terribly expensive compared to the 28 dollars HC-110 which they have listed for Pickup only.

HC is also shown as ship for free to canada at a 100US order which is not hard to meet at these prices.