Is Kodak studying a film subscription sales model?

[Theo Sulphate]

Survey + Film delivered at home = Kodachrome's return confirmed.

Yes, undeniably. Also notice their question on "mystery film". Clearly, they couldn't mention K-chrome explicitly, lest there be a riot.

 

[mshchem]

Mystery film sounds more like Kodak resurrecting a Chinese plant and making cheap film ,like Cinestill crap that wouldn't violate Alaris agreement. Whatever it is it's stirring up social media. It seems like Kodak is better at floating schemes than bringing new film to market.
Who knows what's up.

 

[MattKing]

As Eastman Kodak are not permitted to sell still film, this is either:
1) a marketing effort undertaken on behalf of both Kodak Alaris and Eastman Kodak;
2) a marketing effort on behalf of a distributor or retailer who purchased access through Eastman Kodak's email system (the "kodak.com" reference); or
3) the Russians or Chinese.
Shall I start a poll?

 

[jim10219]

It wouldn't surprise me. I work in the print industry and I know Eastman Kodak has been considering using a subscription service for their software. I hope they don't though. They forced my company into a software "upgrade" a while back and the new software is so much less reliable, clunky, and more expensive than the old one. Needless to say, we're not happy.

Eastman Kodak is no longer interested in delivering a good product, but rather in squeezing as much money as they can from their customers. I mean, who uses the same amount of film on a regular basis? Besides, I'm not convinced that there won't be issues with their film (like the backing paper) and they won't ignore the problem and just use this service as a way to dump all of their bad stock.

 

[mshchem]

) the Russians or Chinese.
Shall I start a poll?

Yes! EKCo is working with Boris Putinski to setup home delivery of medical marijuana and DYI nerve agent.

 

[mshchem]

What would Alaris do if Kodak started selling 35mm cassettes of cine negative film, with the remjet removed. Develop and return prints and a new roll of film? I remember such gimmicks from the 70's . There could even be cine prints mounted as slides. They would be able to crush Cinestill, well if they weren't idiots.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

That type of email / questionnaire would've made sense in 1988, not 2018.

Maybe Kodak sent it out in 1988, it got stuck on a server that didn't have access to the fledgling internet and that's where it stayed until an 8-year old bought that server for $0.15 at a scrapyard and then powered it up in his bedroom.

 

[AgX]

Both Kodak entities love Facebook. There is no hint at such survey.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

I use to always process my Kodachrome by Kodak, in a New Jersey Kodak lab...

Ditto. The address is permanently emblazoned in my memory: 16-31 Route 208, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. When I was shooting Kodachrome most actively during the 1970s through 1990s, after trying all Kodak's U.S. labs, it proved best, offering the most consistent and clean results. I even continued sending my PK-36 mailers to Fair Lawn after moving to California. Those were the days.

 

[benjiboy]

I bet many photographic retailers are reluctant to stock film of any kind because it's a perishable product on the shelves tieing up their capital in a dwindling market.

 

[trendland]

If the email came from Eastman Kodak, and not Kodak Alaris, then the film reference is to motion picture film, not still film. Eastman Kodak does not sell still film to anyone other than Kodak Alaris.
Does the OP also work with motion picture products or is he on the email lists for them?
Eastman Kodak does sell its motion picture products directly as well as through retailers, so it wouldn't be particularly surprising to see such an email from them.
The anti-trust litigation referred to above was limited to the US. It arose in a US environment where there was the potential for robust competition for services like processing Kodachrome. Those circumstances are long gone. The consent decree referred to above was rendered void by subsequent consent decree several years ago.
Kodachrome continued to be sold with processing included in Canada and most of the rest of the world for almost as long as Kodachrome was being processed by Kodak. Ektachrome and print films were much more easily processed, so most of that film was sold without processing included.

You got it Matt - I was just wondering about readin OP's introduction but you cleared it.
with regards

 

[Wallendo]

I suspect this is from a third party, representing both companies as it asks about still film and movie film.

It is hard to picture EK manufacturing small amounts of “mystery film”. It’s possible they could distribute some type of film under development, but other than a Plus-X replacement, I don’t see any gaps in Kodak’s lineup (other than E-6 400 ISO). It is possible these films could be repackaged motion picture film such as XX.

I wonder if this is somehow tied into Kodak’s previous relationship with Lomography.

 

[AgX]

Well, I have just looked into the message headers. Looks legit. Here they are:

"kodak@emails.kodak.com" Does not look like a Kodak address to me.


Anyway, maybe someone local of us just could give Kodak a phone call and ask...

 

[fdonadio]

"kodak@emails.kodak.com" Does not look like a Kodak address to me.

What’s wrong with subdomains?

 

[pentaxuser]

"kodak@emails.kodak.com" Does not look like a Kodak address to me.


Anyway, maybe someone local of us just could give Kodak a phone call and ask...

Sounds like a good suggestion

pentaxuser

 

[Theo Sulphate]

"kodak@emails.kodak.com" Does not look like a Kodak address to me.
...

The question is, who owns "kodak.com"? Within kodak.com, there can be an indefinite number of "---.kodak.com" addresses.

 

[macfred]

Kodak at your doorstep seems to be a new Kodak advertising slogan - here's another service they anounced on Oktober 9th on their webpage
https://www.kodak.com/US/en/Consume...rstep_with_The_New_Digitizing_Box/default.htm

 

[faberryman]

Kodak at your doorstep seems to be a new Kodak advertising slogan - here's another service they anounced on Oktober 9th on their webpage https://www.kodak.com/US/en/Consume...rstep_with_The_New_Digitizing_Box/default.htm

It is just a rebrand of the existing LegacyBox service based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nothing to do with Kodak other than the name on the box, but at least it is a real service unlike KodakCoin. Kodak stock closed at $2.78 today.

 

[AgX]

But, macfred is right:
In both cases Kodak is approaching the customer. Not at a shop, but at his doorstep.

 

[KenS]

It might be more acceptable for a "studio" photographer who is able to continue 'working year round'. But up here in 'cold country Canada" it is somewhat difficult to get out and expose a box of 100 4x5 sheets of film per month 'outdoors in REAL 'winter weather' when the temperature drops well into the minus degrees for weeks at a time. On top of that... there ARE other manufacturers of film

Ken

 

[MattKing]

Right now, the distribution systems for film and darkroom related products are terrible. Prticularly in Canada.
If a new approach improves that, I am in favour of change!
So any enquiry that is related to new models is at least interesting.

 

[cmacd123]

Right now, the distribution systems for film and darkroom related products are terrible.
If a new approach improves that, I am in favour of change!
So any enquiry that is related to new models is at least interesting.

we have heard on this site of folks in south America being unable to purchase Certain Kodak film in their country, because the distributor will only stock the most popular items. Arranging for a monthly or bimonthly package of your favourite film, as long as the transaction costs were reasonable might be very appealing in those cases.

in the 70s Kodak could set the terms, and anyone how wanted to be in the Photo industry followed. A camera shop who ordered 400 rolls at a time got a good price and direct shipping. big enough orders shipped free. If you only shold 20 rolls a month, you would have it suggested that you get it from your photo-finisher. These days stocking film is not a requirement to sell pixelmatic Cameras.

Kodak has always avoided a direct to consumer channel to avoid backlash from existing dealers, and a subscriptiion service might allow this without upsetting the remaining dealer base.

 

[removed account4]

Survey + Film delivered at home = Kodachrome's return confirmed.

IDK i watched a video of a person from alaris or kodaky at photonickay
and they explicitly said they aren't making kodakcrumb again ..

Kodak at your doorstep seems to be a new Kodak advertising slogan - here's another service they anounced on Oktober 9th on their webpage
https://www.kodak.com/US/en/Consume...rstep_with_The_New_Digitizing_Box/default.htm

mini lab down the street does the same thing
you give her a shoe box of stuff, anything, she'll have it made viewable ...

what they should do is burn everything to betamax !

 

[mshchem]

Ditto. The address is permanently emblazoned in my memory: 16-31 Route 208, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. When I was shooting Kodachrome most actively during the 1970s through 1990s, after trying all Kodak's U.S. labs, it proved best, offering the most consistent and clean results. I even continued sending my PK-36 mailers to Fair Lawn after moving to California. Those were the days.

I remember my Dad sending out rolls in pre-paid mailers when were still on vacation. He usually mailed to the nearest Kodak lab, from the zone map on the mailer . When he got the slides back there would be gummed address labels for the Chicago lab, this was closest to our home.
In 1965 2ea. 5 cent (1st class) stamps to mail the film.Kodak was such an amazing company then. I was so brand loyal as a kid. I did actually adopt Fuji Provia-F when Kodak was still making slide film. Still for roll film I shoot mostly Kodak.

 

[AgX]

Over here it was long time standard for reversal films types 135 and S-8 to be sold including processing costs and a preaddreesd envelope for sending in the exposed film.