Kodak Darkroom Products Discontinued? or just Australia?

Michael W

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Don't think I've seen any mention of this on APUG.
A B&W darkroom facility I use in Sydney has been told by Kodak that a couple of their darkroom supplies are no longer available.
A few weeks back it was Polymax B&W paper dev, which made them switch to Dektol, so I wasn't complaining about that.
Then today one of the darkroom techs said they had been told that B&W film fixer would no longer be available. They were using different fix for film & paper. I'm not sure what they will do about that.

Is this just Australia or a worldwide thing? I'm thinking that perhaps these products are still being made but Kodak Australia doesn't bring them in anymore.
Also what should this facility do about the fixer? Can they just use the paper fix with a different dilution?
 

Photo Engineer

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I just bought 2 packs of fixer from our locak store. They had it in stock and could get more according to them 2 weeks ago. So, if there is a change here, it took place in the last 2 weeks.

I just got several packs of different developers as well. Kodak has discontinued some small 1 L packs of developers, but still makes the 1 gal. I was told that.

PE
 

gregory bertolini

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Kodak's Black and white products.

Kodak anounced two years ago that they planned to dicontinue black and white products, starting with darkroom materials. The postings appeared in professional publications, and through organizations such as APA and ASMP.
.....upon learning of this, I purchased 10 cases of Tmax 8x10 film and the needed chemistry, plus a freezer to store the film in. I'll try to purchase anouther 10 cases of film this year. That should get me through a life time of shooting.
 

srs5694

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goldie said:
They were using different fix for film & paper. I'm not sure what they will do about that.
...
Also what should this facility do about the fixer? Can they just use the paper fix with a different dilution?
Click to expand...

I'm not intimately familiar with Kodak's product line, but I don't recall their marketing specific fixers as being for film vs. paper. Kodak does offer several fixers, though, so I can certainly believe that your commercial darkroom was using different products for film and paper. If so, using the same product for both should work fine, although you might need to use different dilutions. Check the instructions on the bottle or packet for details. I've also heard that Kodak Flexicolor fixer (for C-41 film) can be used for both B&W film and B&W paper. Flexicolor fixer is very inexpensive, at least in the US, so this is a very cost-effective way to go. Of course, there are also suppliers other than Kodak -- Ilford, Fuji, Paterson, etc. all make B&W darkroom chemicals. I don't know anything about availability in Australia, though.
 

Photo Engineer

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Gregory;

That is B&W paper production only, and it took place about 2 years ago. It was done at the same time the shrinking market caused Agfa to fail and Ilford to falter.

It was in the midst of the biggest decline in conventional photo products to ever take place.

Since then, the market has stabilzed. Kodak has never said it would discontinue film and film still represents over 50% of the company income. They have just introduced new color and B&W films.

PE
 

gregory bertolini

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Of course the sites are several years old; I stated that two years ago Kodak announced plans to start to discontinune black and white products. I never said that it was just announced today. I was making a comment regarding the lack of and the discontinuation of Kodak black and white products. Kodak announcement from 2 years ago is now becoming a reality; go to your local photo store and check out how many products are available. Dektol, no longer made; Polymax, no longer made. 220 film, one offering;TMX, all others no longer made. Slowly and over the course of years Kodak has been shrinking it's inventory. And this will continue, over 200,000 Kodak employees have been laid-off, factories closed. Kodak's mission is to make money, and Black and White film doe's not make money. This is not Kodak bashing-I like their products, and as a business owner I understand that decisions are made with regard to profit, not emotion. If you like Kodak products, then maybe you should think of stocking-up, as I have done.
 

JBrunner

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gregory bertolini said:
go to your local photo store and check out how many products are available. Dektol, no longer made; Polymax, no longer made. 220 film, one offering;TMX, all others no longer made.
Click to expand...

At my local photostore, in stock:

Plus X
Tmax
TriX 320
TriX 400
D-76
Dektol
HC110
Polymax T
Tmax developer
Xtol
Tmax direct positive developer
 

rwyoung

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Hmmm, I find no mention of Dektol being discontinued on Kodak's Pro pages. Even so, the formula for D-72 is easy and the components are readily available.

Polymax PAPER is discontinued. But I can't find a reference that says the DEVELOPER has been discontinued. I do remember hearing (but haven't confirmed) that some toner formulations were on the chopping block.

TMX is definately NOT the only B&W film available from Kodak. TMY, TMZ are still available. Tri-X is available. Plus-X I'm not so sure about. Super-XX, Verichrome are definately gone.

The 220 length rolls are hard to find and I don't have a camera that accepts them anymore anyway. 120 size is easy to get. As is 35mm (24, 36 and 100') and various sheet sizes.

Feel free to keep stocking up on the products though.
 

Photo Engineer

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I just got some Polymax developer and Xtol developer. No problem here but I'm cheating being in Rochester. Actually, the distribution center for these used to be right here in the city and now it is in Atlanta Ga. for the east.

PE
 

copake_ham

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Actually, what you did was to throw the proverbial dirty sock into the punch bowl.

You haven't even had the courtesy to introduce yourself to this site; but you saw it incumbent on yourself to start spreading rancor based on out-dated information that is common knowledge here.

This site has been around a long time and there are many folk here with far more depth of knowledge as to this topic than you. You've told us nothing we did not already know and we likely "know" a hell of a lot more about what's going on at Kodak than you do!

Frankly, you came on here like a "troll".

I think you firstly owe the folks here an apology for coming onto this site in this fashion. Then you should go onto the "Introduce yourself to APUG..." forum and start over again.
 

Photo Engineer

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Well said George. In my position, I would hesitate to say the same thing, but I think now that you have said it, I can agree.

PE
 
OP
OP

Michael W

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I've heard today from another facility that this situation only applies in Australia. Kodak Australia are no longer stocking these items. I was also told they no longer stock Tmax 3200.
If I want any of this stuff I can order from Freestyle, but it does have some effect on facilities that have accounts with Kodak & want to order direct.
 

Ian Grant

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goldie, this is a common problem outside the main US/UK/EU markets.

I have a very similar problem in Turkey with certain Ilford products, if the importers won't carry them then there's no option other than buy from elsewhere in another country.

Ian
 

PHOTOTONE

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A year or two ago, Kodak sold its photo processing chemical manufacturing plant. It now contracts with the new owner for Kodak branded chemicals. I have had no problem here in the USA obtaining all the Kodak (brand) chemicals I have always used. So, in effect, Kodak did get out of the manufacturing of processing chemistry, however this has not effected supply of Kodak designed and branded chemicals at all.
 

Rob Skeoch

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Hi Guys,
While we're on this topic. When I was in the local camera store yesterday I saw I box of 4x5 EPP on the shelf. After we chatted about it for a second or two the owner mentioned that Kodak had just let them know about discountinuing much of the Ektachrome family... as well as his beloved HIE (I think that's the name, it's the IR product.)
Anyway this could be old news or gossip so I'm reporting it with a warning that I don't have all the facts.
 

Rob Skeoch

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I'm a goof.... just read the next post. Disregard my babble above.
-Rob
 

aldevo

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HIE was discontinued in 120 and sheets some time ago.

HIE was confirmed to be very much in production for 35mm early this spring after rumors had spread about its discontinuation.
 

srs5694

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gregory bertolini said:
Of course the sites are several years old; I stated that two years ago Kodak announced plans to start to discontinune black and white products.
Click to expand...

In English, the phrase "plans to start to discontinue" means a planned ongoing process. The references you provided describe no such thing; they describe the one-time discontinuation of a specific range of products that's much smaller than the range you specified (B&W paper vs. all B&W products). This means you were sloppy with your reading, sloppy with your writing, or outright deceptive. To date and to the best of my knowledge, Kodak has announced no plans to discontinue all B&W products, although some specific products have been dropped and I do expect more to be dropped in the future. Reporting it the way you did, though, is known in the computer industry as FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).

Dektol, no longer made; Polymax, no longer made. 220 film, one offering;TMX, all others no longer made.
Click to expand...

Dektol and Polymax T developers are both listed as in stock at B&H. I've not heard that either's been discontinued, although Kodak has sold its chemical manufacturing facilities and is now buying the products from the new owners. That's a change in business organization, though, not a pullout from the market.
 
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