Kodak Chemistry disruption

[250swb]

From the mouth of the Owner of my local dealer “buy all the Kodak chems you can afford, they announced me that they won’t produce any for the foreseeable future”.

We can speculate, or it is maybe old news. But now is your chance to buy XTOL, D76, HC110... who knows what’s happening.

I tend to think this may be a storm in a teacup.

When a batch of Xtol (or whatever) is made and packed it has a 'use by' date put on it. But if the Xtol can't then leave the factory because of the world wide shipping backlog it's just sitting there with it's use by date counting down. If they keep manufacturing and do get it into circulation the same goods made on the same day may take either a very slow journey around the world on a ship taking months, or a fast journey by air, so new stock could arrive faster than older stock. This gives retailers a stocking and restocking problem. As an example the dates on the film box serve two purposes, the first is to allow the retailer to rotate stock efficiently, the second is to show a 'best before' date. Other manufacturers around the world are pausing production, not because they can't make things but because they can't deliver them.

 

[Alan Johnson]

Anyone know if this company makes any of the Kodak branded chemicals?
https://www.photosys.com/

 

[pentaxuser]

The EU and UK should step up.

Can't help withe EU but I have e- mailed Boris, asking him to tell Joe to send as many of his security entourage around the various retailers in the U.K. while he, Joe , is busy with solution to the climate problem in Glasgow. I imagine that Airforce One can carry quite a lot of at least powder stuff and there wouldn't be too many problems with paperwork at the Washington D. C. end

pentaxuser

 

[mshchem]

Can't help withe EU but I have e- mailed Boris, asking him to tell Joe to send as many of his security entourage around the various retailers in the U.K. while he, Joe , is busy with solution to the climate problem in Glasgow. I imagine that Airforce One can carry quite a lot of at least powder stuff and there wouldn't be too many problems with paperwork at the Washington D. C. end

pentaxuser

That's a great idea. Joe's plane could carry several 1000 kilos. Of course the way We pissed off the French he may be carrying French cheese

 

[faberryman]

Is this going to be a mass exodus of users from Kodak chemicals to coffee, white vinegar, and pool dechlorinator? I guess we'll just have to see how this all works out.

Speaking of pissing off the French, maybe Macron could use some of those extra diesel submarines he now has for freight delivery. Submarines could probably sneak to the head of the line for unloading at port.

 

[pentaxuser]

Submarines could probably sneak to the head of the line for unloading at port.

Yes with signs on them saying . Don't make me submerge, you wouldn't like me if you make me submerge.

pentaxuser

 

[Paul Howell]

Other than Photo flow I've not used Kodak products in years, currently I use Clayton 76+ and paper developer, have a gallon of PF version of D76 mixed, and a bottle of A09, T5 from PF, Permawash, and Clayton stop bath. At this point what is offered under the Kodak brand that cannot be sourced from local U.S providers?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

The only Kodak chems I use is Xtol and KRST (for toning Kallitypes). Everything else is Ilford or Fuji (I love their HCA, and Quickdry which is their equivalent to photo-flo)

 

[MattKing]

Andrew,
Should we start referring to you as Gomez now?
(no changing your avatar after this post)

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Andrew,
Should we start referring to you as Gomez now?
(no changing your avatar after this post)

HAHA I was watching The Addams Family on METV last night. Couldn't resist. I have to admit though, I was more of a Munsters fan...

 

[MattKing]

I like the Canadian content in the original Adams family

 

[Sirius Glass]

Local port at Lake Erie said 'Come on down, we got all the workers, space and infrastructure to unload everything and more.'

It's only a short 'round about trip through Panama and up the St. Lawrence. But 3 month detour or waiting another 6 to unload?

Easy to say, but the products are off the coast of Long Beach and San Pedro.

 

[faberryman]

The EU and UK should step up.

And do what exactly?

 

[Cholentpot]

Easy to say, but the products are off the coast of Long Beach and San Pedro.

Yes, this was the joke. Or what we call 'Joking on the square.'

 

[mshchem]

And do what exactly?

Well, Fujifilm in Europe could send more chemistry. I needed RA4 developer, I have been using Kodak Alaris Ektacolor, I switched over to Fuji P1. Works great, thanks Unique Photo!
I got my 1st package of Adox XT-3 from Freestyle in October. No more supply problems for me.

 

[Ernst-Jan]

So are you saying that this owner of your local dealer is saying that he has an official announcement that all Kodak chemicals are disappearing completely? Did he show you the doc and if so can you say who sent it to him Was it Kodak or SinoPromise who I understand have been the owners for some time now ?

Exactly this.

And well, for most chemicals there are alternatives made my companies that do care about their customers.
HC110B = Ilford Ilfotec HC
D76=Ilford ID-11, Foma W37
Xtol=Adox XT-3, Foma Excel
T-Max and Ilford DDX are really close.

For sure there are products that are very close to Dektol. Fixers and stopbaths are also universal, no need to buy a certain brand.

 

[brbo]

Xtol=Adox XT-3, Foma Excel

Definitely not. Learned the hard way.

I mix 5L of Xtol and use it slowly since I don't shoot much BW film. I've used a year old (and older) Xtol with still perfect results. I recently used Foma Excel that was 2-3 months old and negatives came out undeveloped. First I thought it was because I used it with film that I don't shoot much and that I somehow screwed up the times only to find out that next roll (TMZ) also came out very undeveloped. First roll from freshly mixed Excel came out fine. So maybe Foma Excel is a perfect substitute for Xtol in terms of results when it's fresh, but not if you need it to last a bit longer.

I'll let others test Adox XT-3 for developing properties and longevity and I will stick to Xtol as long as it's available...

 

[Sirius Glass]

Definitely not. Learned the hard way.

I mix 5L of Xtol and use it slowly since I don't shoot much BW film. I've used a year old (and older) Xtol with still perfect results. I recently used Foma Excel that was 2-3 months old and negatives came out undeveloped. First I thought it was because I used it with film that I don't shoot much and that I somehow screwed up the times only to find out that next roll (TMZ) also came out very undeveloped. First roll from freshly mixed Excel came out fine. So maybe Foma Excel is a perfect substitute for Xtol in terms of results when it's fresh, but not if you need it to last a bit longer.

I'll let others test Adox XT-3 for developing properties and longevity and I will stick to Xtol as long as it's available...

I have had XTOL stock solution tightly sealed for years with no problems.

 

[Ernst-Jan]

I am running out of Kodak Flexicolor C-41 chemistry. Everywhere I look, it's out of stock. I called several distributors and nobody could tell when they get another shipment. A nice lady from Armadillo Photo Supply suggested I move to Fuji chemicals ASAP. When I asked her maybe I should just wait, she simply said "Kodak is done". Wouldn't go deeper.

This is bigger news than CN film price increases IMO. I have ~200 rolls of C41 film in a freezer and there's no chemistry available to use it. I wonder what all the labs are doing right now... As far as I can tell, there is not a single online shop currently offering full set of Fuji C41 chemistry, at least not for retail users like us. I can't see myself using those retarded one liter "blix" kits, will be sticking to B&W until I find a solution.

Isn't there an USA company that sells Fuji chemicals in consumer friendly amounts? Rollei and Compard do this trick in Europe.
Is Bellini an option?
https://www.bellinifoto.it/en/prodotto/kit-amateur-c41/

 

[MattKing]

Seems to be available in several European and Australian web stores.
And as I've passed on before, Sino Promise has distributed notices to North American distributors and retailers indicating that they are having serious problems getting product shipped into North America.

 

[AgX]

Is Bellini an option?

Bellini state as their US distributor Freestyle.

 

[halfaman]

New Tetenal seems to be back in the minilab business also with their own brand, I have seen several products with availability again in Europe.

 

[Ernst-Jan]

New Tetenal seems to be back in the minilab business also with their own brand, I have seen several products with availability again in Europe.

They have seperate bleach and fix?

 

[pentaxuser]

A nice lady from Armadillo Photo Supply suggested I move to Fuji chemicals ASAP. When I asked her maybe I should just wait, she simply said "Kodak is done". Wouldn't go deeper.

.

There seems to be a few hints like this from a couple of dealer types. A nice lady saying this brought the last scene in a very famous film to mind. In the new picture the Kodak CEO has announced another whopping increase that will bring untold riches and is on top of a high structure saying with a fanatical gleam in his eyes "Top of the world, Maw" ..... the rest is harrowing and not fit for a sensitive audience

pentaxuser

 

[halfaman]

They have seperate bleach and fix?

For minilabs of course, I really don't know any professional C41 chemistry with Blix. Check below some of their products (bleach starter price seems crazy to me, should be a mistake).

C-41-Prozess Minilab - TETENAL (nordfoto.de)