Kodak announcement

Photo Engineer · Feb 25, 2006

In todays Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Mary Jane Hellyar, president of Kodak's film and photofinishing group says that 9 out of 10 professionals use digital cameras, but 2/3rds of them still use film for a portion of their work and that one half of US households still use film.

Kodak says that although film will never dominate the market, it will likely never disappear and that it will continue to be a smaller, viable and prfitable business well into the future.

This paraphrase should counter some of the doom and gloom out there.

The complete text is to be released on Sunday at PMA.

PE

df cardwell · Feb 25, 2006

Have yourself a fine day, PE

gracias

d

agGNOME · Feb 25, 2006

ahh, Sweet and Beautiful words.

jd callow · Feb 25, 2006

Cool!

Michael Kadillak · Feb 25, 2006

Thanks for sharing with the rest of the group what a number of us already know.

Next time someone wants to rain on the film parade, (and it will continue in regular intervals as clockwork) link them to this post.

Long live analog!

ann · Feb 25, 2006

just to add to this news;

yesterday my dealer was telling me that in a news letter they received there was an article about the growing trend with the 17 to 25 age group and their growing interest in film. That film might be dead with the over 50's crowd, not so with the younger people.

roteague · Feb 25, 2006

It is good to finally hear some statistics. Thanks for sharing.

Ed_Davor · Feb 25, 2006

Hearing from Kodak (the symbol of death of film), that film will probably never dissapear sure is music to my ears.

Keep buying Kodak films people, specially classic Ektachromes and Portra

jd callow · Feb 25, 2006

What Ed says and I'd add their c41 chems and the UC film line.

JohnArs · Feb 25, 2006

I love that sound in my ears!
But they should also give Perez a shoe in his back!!!!
In swiss german its called: En schou in Arsch!

Ed_Davor · Feb 25, 2006

mrcallow said:
What Ed says and I'd add their c41 chems and the UC film line.

I've heard a lot about the UC films, but in Croatia, the UC line is not distributed at all. Instead, they still sell Supra films, which is funny, I wonder where do they get them from.

They import from UK Kodak and French Kodak. Uk and France sell UC films as "Elite color" line.
Everything that Kodak makes is available here (all chrome films, negatives and chemicals, even lab films) exept for the UC (Elite) line. I have no idea why they don't import it, and where do they still get Supra films from.

Dave Parker · Feb 25, 2006

Ed,

They used to sell the Supra films here in the states, they changed them to the UC film a while ago, in actual shooting, I have noticed very little difference, not any more difference that I ever did from lot to lot of the Supra films.

Dave

jovo · Feb 25, 2006

ann said:
That film might be dead with the over 50's crowd, not so with the younger people.

Though I'm over 50, it's nice to know my choices are those of 'the younger people'. Now I wonder what else we have in common??

Sportera · Feb 25, 2006

Good news indeed!

mark · Feb 25, 2006

Load of crap. All marketing hype BS. Tomorrow Kodak will announce they have discontinued themselves.

Well....SOmeone had to interject doom and gloom into a positive thread.

Dave Parker · Feb 25, 2006

mark said:
Load of crap. All marketing hype BS. Tomorrow Kodak will announce they have discontinued themselves.

Well....SOmeone had to interject doom and gloom into a positive thread.

MARK....

SLAP!!!!!

Dave Swinnard · Feb 25, 2006

ann said:
just to add to this news;
yesterday my dealer was telling me that in a news letter they received there was an article about the growing trend with the 17 to 25 age group and their growing interest in film. That film might be dead with the over 50's crowd, not so with the younger people.

I have noticed over the last couple of years that the students registering to take B/W darkroom classes where I teach, in the last couple of years, have been fewer in number and younger in age. The downward trend in numbers has stopped and the ages do seem to fall into the 17 - 25 yr grouping (with women outnumbering men).

They have in common that they have tried the digital thing and now want to try it the "old school" way. Some of them are investing in the darkroom equipment that these over-50s folks are divesting themselves of.

(temporal readjustment required - I'm 51 and never considered what I know and practice as "old school". Maybe it is one of those trees/forest perspective things. I am still shooting film and plan to continue though I am starting to think about trying the D thing with negative sc*ns and D printing...)

The good thing is that the "Great Yellow Father" might still believe in film.

MattKing · Feb 25, 2006

I was in a camera store today in White Rock, British Columbia. It was more like the old style store then some, but it was in a strip mall.

I had been in there a few months earlier, and they had a small but usable selection of chemistry and paper, which included some Ilford postcard paper - this was before I knew what postcard paper was. So I went back today, wondering if they still had some.

No luck, it was gone, and their selection was markedly smaller too for the other darkroom supplies.

I wandered around, and saw that they actually had 120 film in the fridge - both Kodak and Fuji. I also looked into their small but interesting wall cabinet of used items, and saw a couple of things of interest, so I asked to see them.

The sales clerk was a young woman with a discrete nose piercing - maybe late teens or early twenties. She was very enthusiastic - we agreed that the used equpment cabinet was always the most interesting.

I ended up buying some (new) Sepia toner, and two used Cable releases. As I was paying for them, I commented on how sad it was to see that their darkroom section was shrinking. Her response was very heartening. She told me that was because their biggest source of customers was the students taking photography courses at the high school. At this time of the year, everybody there will have bought all their supplies, so they have less stock. The good news was, as the next semester comes near, they will increase the stock again, and I should make sure to visit.

I left with my purchaes, and a smile!
Matt

athanasius80 · Feb 25, 2006

Well as a 25 year old, all I can say is Yes! Finally I'm trendy.

david b · Feb 25, 2006

So whats the word about their chemistry?

Kino · Feb 25, 2006

Super!

I am really glad to hear Kodak speaking up about their commitment to film; I only hope it drowns out "flavor of the month" Perez.

The people of Kodak deserve better than him...

Oh and BTW; a curious fact is that the Darkroom section of Ebay is one of the most robust sections. Hardly anything leaves that category without selling; that is encouraging.

I know my 4 and 8 year old daughters are hooked! They saw their first picture come up in the soup today; their dog Sally!

"Cool" and "Neat" abounded. Next, oatmeal can pinholes and then their very own SLRs!

srs5694 · Feb 25, 2006

Kino said:
I know my 4 and 8 year old daughters are hooked! They saw their first picture come up in the soup today; their dog Sally!

"Cool" and "Neat" abounded. Next, oatmeal can pinholes and then their very own SLRs!

This probably deserves another thread entirely, but I'd think an SLR might not be the best choice for children of that age, simply because most SLRs are so big and heavy. A small point-and-shoot camera might be better, or a compact ~1970s rangefinder (like a Canonet) for more control.

Kino · Feb 26, 2006

srs5694 said:
This probably deserves another thread entirely, but I'd think an SLR might not be the best choice for children of that age, simply because most SLRs are so big and heavy. A small point-and-shoot camera might be better, or a compact ~1970s rangefinder (like a Canonet) for more control.

True, I'm probably jumping the gun on introducing them to SLRs. I have a number of types of cameras; maybe a Holga should be next, or a Lomo or something similar.

MattKing · Feb 26, 2006

The 8 year old - I'd try her with my Olympus OM1.

I was able to handle my Brownie Starmatic at that age, as well as my dad's 828 rangefinder. I think an OM1 might work.

It's probably the enthusiasm of the instructor that makes the most difference

gnashings · Feb 26, 2006

I hate to say this - because I think that a film market with many players is better for all of us - but does anyone think that perhaps there was a boardroom meeting at Big Yellow that went a little like this:
"Uhm, Mr Perez... what is this?"
To which he naswered:
"A roll of Kodak film, of course...why?"
"Do you know where it came from?"
"Uhm, our factories?"
"Yes, but more specifically ... A STORE SHELF, you idiot! As long as we make film, and sell film and related products STOP PISSING OFF THE CUSTOMERS..."

Ok, I don't actually think it went quite like that... just having a bit of fun with it But the fact is, someone might be doing a bit of damage control, because for however long Kodak makes film and accessories, it is in their best interest to SELL those products. They may have an all digital vision of the future, but they would be stupid to illustrate that notion on their own skin. No company in their right mind wants to alienate any source of revenue as long as it exists. I assume that someone noticed the overall mood that is best summed up with all the "Support Ilford" signatures and the general distsaste for the attitude that Kodak has towards the partner that brought them to the dance in the first place. And as much as we all like to play arm-chair CEO, there surely are some intelligent people in the Kodak management who noticed this trend.
Kodak may want out of the film game, but they want to leave on their own terms and at their own good time - and a lot of the press coming out of their boardrooms was doing a great deal of damage to its ability to do so. Hence, my initial assessment of damage control.

Take with grain of salt, and cheers,

Peter.

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