Kodak Alaris discontinues BW400CN film

Dr Croubie · Aug 19, 2014

I'm sure that I'm not alone in that this was my 'gateway drug' film. When I started back on shooting film not 3 years ago, it was BW400CN in my mum's old Spotmatic with 50/1.4 Super Tak. Developed and scanned at the local C41 lab (although after 1 set of very disappointing lab-scans I bought my own v750). Never printed to RA4, although I've still got some good shots on them that don't scan too well, I'd like to try get them onto MGiv if I can (I've got Crystal Archive but not gonna waste it on B+W).

Only after a few rolls of BW400CN and one or two of XP2 Super I found a lab that did real black-and-white and switched to TX/TMY, and on it went from there.

Long story short, now I shoot and dev all my own stuff, B+W, C41, E6, from 35mm to 8x10. And BW400CN is where it started.
So yes I'll be sad that it's gone, I hope with its passing that it doesn't discourage or prevent others like me from getting the bug. There's always XP2 Super, now as the sole-contender it may even gain more sales from ex-Kodak shooters. I'm not sure how many noobs print direct to RA4, but with the scanning/lightjet method that most labs do these days does the lack of mask matter?

ambaker · Aug 19, 2014

Kodak BW400CN - Canon Elan 7e

gone · Aug 19, 2014

It was my gateway drug too. We should start a 12 step. I also liked it more than the Ilford film. It was a good for portraits, for sure, and I found it pretty darned sharp, at least on my photos. Was it Tri-X? Not even close (no grain!), but it had it's uses. It was nice to find it in drugstores when you ran out of B&W, especially if you were traveling. I haven't shot it for quite a while, but got some great shots w/ it. My experiments w/ a yellow filter were not good :[ Most people wouldn't know these weren't taken w/ real B&W film.

markbarendt · Aug 19, 2014

EdSawyer said:
this was a bit of a bastard child of a film, IMNSHO. I never used it. It was the worst of both worlds - not as good as "real" B&W, but the expense and hassle of C41 processing. still, not cool that Kodak is discontinuing *ANY* film at this point. They don't have enough as it is to be able to be doing that sort of thing. >:-/

IMNSHO, by not trying it, you missed out. It is a pleasure to shoot and use.

As to C41 being tough, 6 of one, half dozen of another.

Yes, it does require 100 degree temp and a slightly more tedious mixing but beyond that it is sweet. One temperature, one time, any C41 film; throw various different C41 films in one tank for development, B&W/color/Fuji/Kodak, no segregation required.

OzJohn · Aug 19, 2014

miha said:
Kodak made three chromogenic films in the past, this, Portra BW and T400CN T-MAX. All gone now.

Yes they did and T400CN was the only one that was designed for printing on B&W halide paper rather than RA4. I can't imagine that anyone would mourn the loss of BW400 - in my experience it is a dreadful film printed on any type of paper. Let's not forget that Kodak also made a range of chromogenic B&W papers and none of them were much good either because none of them could produce a proper black - there was always a hint of colour in the image. In fact one of the papers was supposedly sepia but it looked like no toned sepia print I've ever seen. OzJohn

ambaker · Aug 19, 2014

I can't say it was my favorite film ever. It was easy to shoot, and a nice fine grain. It was handy to be able to drop it of and pick it back up in an hour.

It was convenient for me. But, I can see why it is going... Still hate to see any of them go.

Truzi · Aug 19, 2014

I'm a bit confused... I thought this was discontinued a year or so ago. I remember being surprised to see it in CVS. I've never used it, though, since if I shoot B&W I intend to print B&W.

michaelbsc · Aug 19, 2014

Jaf-Photo said:
This is the sort of film that logically should be the last man standing.

Yes, but the "last man standing" concept hasn't been in the Kodak mindset for years now. It is, however, Simon's mantra.

I don't recall who made the post, but the most unfortunate loss, in my mind anyway, was that we all let Fotokemika die to support the dying yellow dinosaur.

PKM-25 · Aug 19, 2014

michaelbsc said:
I don't recall who made the post, but the most unfortunate loss, in my mind anyway, was that we all let Fotokemika die to support the dying yellow dinosaur.

We? Who is we? The difference in quality control between Efke and Kodak products is night and day...and I have a lot of frozen R25 and IR820 for what that is worth.

I used a few rolls of C41 black and white before I got my darkroom up and running, but it never caught on with me since my plan was real black and white to begin with.

Xmas · Aug 19, 2014

michaelbsc said:
Yes, but the "last man standing" concept hasn't been in the Kodak mindset for years now. It is, however, Simon's mantra.

I don't recall who made the post, but the most unfortunate loss, in my mind anyway, was that we all let Fotokemika die to support the dying yellow dinosaur.

I plead the 5th amendment to constitution...
All my Fotokemia purchases were perfect I've had more problems with Kodak cine.

michaelbsc · Aug 19, 2014

PKM-25 said:
We? Who is we? The difference in quality control between Efke and Kodak products is night and day...and I have a lot of frozen R25 and IR820 for what that is worth.

I don't disagree with that. But the final result is that both Efke and Kodak will both be gone.

And while I don't have a freezer full of R25, in fact I have no remaining Efke, I do have about 80 rolls of 120 Plus-X still in the freezer.

Ektagraphic · Aug 19, 2014

For certain applications, this film is sure to be missed. I certainly hope that this does not turn into yet another Kodak bashing thread. At least Ilford still has something similar...

RattyMouse · Aug 20, 2014

Ricardo Miranda said:
Source:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/bw400cn/main2.jhtml

What a bizarre discontinuation notice! The first part reads like a standard announcement and then the second part reads like an avert for the now discontinued film! They have a pro quoted on how wonderful this film is, Kodak states 400CN is "the world's finest-grained chromogenic film, and then finish off by telling us "BW400CN Film. Seeing is believing."

Surreal.

Roger Cole · Aug 20, 2014

Jaf-Photo said:
Now it starts.

This is the sort of film that logically should be the last man standing. It's easier to develop as many shops don't do B&W processing anymore and it's easy to scan.

Which Kodak film is next, do you think?

Well yes, but it seems XP-2 Super was always more popular, AND it's available in 120. The Kodak stuff was/is optimized to print on RA4 using automated mini-lab type machines because it has the orange masking layer. I bet not much of that is being done anymore. If it's printed by the lab instead of the photographer it's scanned and printed either inkjet or lightjet type printing.

Roger Cole · Aug 20, 2014

Jaf-Photo said:
Hope not. Portra 800 is fantastic. There's nothing like those colors at that speed.

Except Portra 400.

I like the 800, and think it's better at 800 than un-pushed 400 (though I've never tried pushing the 400) but the 400 is good enough at 800, or pushed to 1600, that some others don't agree.

I would miss Portra 800 though.

Roger Cole · Aug 20, 2014

michaelbsc said:
I don't disagree with that. But the final result is that both Efke and Kodak will both be gone.

And while I don't have a freezer full of R25, in fact I have no remaining Efke, I do have about 80 rolls of 120 Plus-X still in the freezer.

I wish folks would stop writing the Kodak obituaries while there are still great films like Tri-X, TMX, TMY-2, Portra 160/400/800, and Ektar 100 available for purchase easily.

MattKing · Aug 20, 2014

Roger Cole said:
I wish folks would stop writing the Kodak obituaries while there are still great films like Tri-X, TMX, TMY-2, Portra 100/400/800, and Ektar 100 available for purchase easily.

++++1

PKM-25 · Aug 20, 2014

Roger Cole said:
I wish folks would stop writing the Kodak obituaries while there are still great films like Tri-X, TMX, TMY-2, Portra 100/400/800, and Ektar 100 available for purchase easily.

+1,000,000

AgX · Aug 20, 2014

TheFlyingCamera said:
Actually, this kind of makes sense - since virtually nobody is printing anything any more anyway, this odd bird which always was a bit of a niche market doesn't have a big market share.

-) this film I can even get at the dugstore-chain shop around the corner

-) this and the AgfaPhoto APX 100 are the only b&w films I can get at drugstores

-) the Kodak one is the only film I can give in at any dugstore here without having the hassle to find out whether the finisher they are linked to also does standard b&w film processing

PKM-25 · Aug 20, 2014

AgX said:
-) this film I can even get at the dugstore-chain shop around the corner

-) this and the AgfaPhoto APX 100 are the only b&w films I can get at drugstores

-) the Kodak one is the only film I can give in at any dugstore here without having the hassle to find out whether the finisher they are linked to also does standard b&w film processing

I get what you are saying but......the last time I bought film at a drugstore might have been as much as 20 years ago...

Jeff Kubach · Aug 20, 2014

I do print myself, but on occasion I do use BW400CN.

Jeff

Xmas · Aug 20, 2014

AgX said:
-) this film I can even get at the dugstore-chain shop around the corner

-) this and the AgfaPhoto APX 100 are the only b&w films I can get at drugstores

-) the Kodak one is the only film I can give in at any dugstore here without having the hassle to find out whether the finisher they are linked to also does standard b&w film processing

Ditto cept 'um die ecker' is 2km.
and the monos on offer are

Xp2+
HP5+ &
BW400

If I run out on a Sunday there is normally a pharmacy a walk away. APX100 is specialist shops only.

It is interesting that Plusx disappeared first.

If Kodak are doing it on coating area.

Siompa · Aug 20, 2014

That's too bad.. I live in sweden and although we have pretty good supply in Stockholm and some other bigger cities, the availability of film in smaller towns are really bad.

I was recently in a small town in the south of sweden and the only B&W film i could get a hold of were kodak bw400cn, without driving for an hour. They had no "real" B&W film since they didn't develop it anywhere in town.

NJH · Aug 20, 2014

I don't know what the pricing has been like elsewhere but everywhere I have looked here its more expensive than Kodak's other B&W offerings, that couldn't have helped them. Its a real shame its going as being c41 and very fine grained its technologically ideal in theory for a hybrid workflow, never tried it myself but would probably settle on something finer than XP2s. Its always seemed bizarre to me that the so called film resurgence and so much of the stuff on the net is around playing with tri-x and scanning it at home on some basic scanner.

Curt · Aug 20, 2014

I used to order Panatomic-X 120 in "bricks" from Kmart! Now they are both gone! Kmart just closed here in town. There's a new sheriff in town and his name is Rollei Pan 25! There is a GOD, a film GOD! It is in 35mm and 120 though and not big beautiful sheets but it is film.

I need to to think about a sheath for an 11x14 holder so I can load up some 2 1/4 x 14!!! That would make one heck of a Carbon print!!

Kodak Alaris discontinues BW400CN film

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Kodak Alaris discontinues BW400CN film

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