Kodak Gold Now Available in 120 - threads merged

[Duceman]

Maybe we are just lucky then. In each town of let's say 10.000/15.000 inhabitants there is a store of a chain that works together with Fujifilm. I dropped one of monday it was ready today. Paid €7 for 2 rolls of 120 slide film.

Yes, you are quite lucky to have that available for you. I live in a metropolitan area of approximately 2M, and I'm aware of only two places that develop film on-site. Of these, only one offers "develop-only" with the other requiring at least prints (and they don't even do 120 film). Of the one place that does develop-only, while their prices are quite good ($5.49 for 135 and $7.95 for 120), they are not conveniently located (at least for me). The other place charges >$14 for a 36-exposure roll of 135, but that comes with prints.

I recall about a decade ago going into a photo shop that was nearest me. By this time, the "big box" stores had stopped developing film, so there wasn't that much to choose from where I lived. I made the mistake of simply handing over two rolls of film without asking on pricing. When I came back a few days later, I was shocked when he handed me a $52 bill (which did not include any scanning). That's when I learned up on C-41 home kits.

 

[Duceman]

Most of the beta testers appear to be popular youtube analog enthusiasts (some of whom occasionally post here.) I think Ribsy is a board member?

I watched Ribsy's vid on it last night. Another YT channel I follow that has it was Willim Verbeeck. Doing a YT search on "Gold 200 120" brings up six or seven vids that have come out within the past few days.

 

[Agulliver]

This all sounds wonderful to me. £60 for 5 rolls of Portra seems a bit breathtaking, not really though. It sounds like smaller shops can still thrive in the UK and Europe. A level tax rate helps. In the US the big places have crushed most of the local shops.

Some are certainly thriving. And those I talk to definitely are making most of their sales on film and second hand film cameras. Though the shortage of amateur colour film has stunted sales as newbies often want to buy a couple of rolls along with their camera. the shop I refer to does camera repairs, sells cameras (new and old), film, accessories and processes film all under one small roof. I know of similar shops doing well. There are also all-digital shops which have done OK up to now but are beginning to struggle as people don't buy new digital cameras that often....especially the profitable DSLR and micro 4/3 models.

When I popped in on Tuesday, I mentioned that Gold was being relaunched in 120 and it appears the shop staff were not aware. They felt it was *very* good news as it's the kind of film the majority of their customers want.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

They felt it was *very* good news as it's the kind of film the majority of their customers want.

An important point as the needs and desires of one group of customers is not always aligned with another. - which may also go some way in explaining why myself and others on this forum can be perplexed by the content on social media and YouTube - the perspective is different, and perhaps the quotient of "entertainment" higher.

 

[BrianShaw]

the needs and desires of one group of customers is not always aligned with another

... which is why a bit more diversity in the Kodak 120 size color film offerings is a really good thing.

 

[BAP888]

Freestyle totally removed their pricing, after some bitching to them by consumers (I was one of them). They never responded back, so that was their response.

Freestyle has it back up now, at $44.99. Still not great, but at least a little better.

 

[mshchem]

At least there's a warm welcome for a new offering. Good news for a change.

 

[foc]

When I had a lab, this is how I used to price C41 processing costs.

• C41 chemistry.............................€0.25
• Neg sleeving...............................€0.05
• Labour.........................................€0.20
• Equipment/depreciation..............€0.05
• Putting up with customer bitchin.€4.74
• Vat @13.5%................................€0.71
• Retail price..................................€6.00

 

[MattKing]

Putting up with customer bitchin.€4.74

Good customers! - you were fortunate

 

[braxus]

I just got notification from B&H that my Gold 200 in 120 has now been shipped. So it seems they just got stock on it now.

 

[mshchem]

Mine is in the mail. That's Unique Photo free shipping, USPS where B&H is FedEx

 

[braxus]

I live in Canada, so courier is much faster then mail. B&H can either take a couple days or around a week to get to you, depending on how fast the shipping service they choose to use for your shipment.

 

[markbau]

I know this is slightly OT but if Kodak think there is a big enough market for them to go ahead with this film I'm wondering if we'll see a camera manufacturer start making MF cameras again? I'm betting if one of the biggies, Hassy, Mamiya, Pentax, Fuji did go ahead they would sell like hotcakes.

 

[Photomultiplier]

Actually, one company still does: https://www.dw-photo.eu/products/photo-cameras/Camera Hy6 mod 2.html
But the price tag is a bit high for most customers

Something like a Mamiya6 or 7 at ~2000€ or similar (like the DSLRs that are also bought by amateurs) would be easier to sell.

Hasselblad reintroducing the V series, that would be my dream But who makes the shutters, that is the biggest problem in my opinion. Unless you make a new electromechanical system where the electronic leaf shutters
can be utilized. Today, that would be the only feasible way. Eliminate all the complicated and expensive to make clockwork mechanisms.

 

[Ernst-Jan]

Actually, one company still does: https://www.dw-photo.eu/products/photo-cameras/Camera Hy6 mod 2.html
But the price tag is a bit high for most customers

Something like a Mamiya6 or 7 at ~2000€ or similar (like the DSLRs that are also bought by amateurs) would be easier to sell.

Hasselblad reintroducing the V series, that would be my dream But who makes the shutters, that is the biggest problem in my opinion. Unless you make a new electromechanical system where the electronic leaf shutters
can be utilized. Today, that would be the only feasible way. Eliminate all the complicated and expensive to make clockwork mechanisms.

A company like Seiko is still around. If you order either a serie of those shutters of you pay them enough for the drawing, why wouldn't they?

 

[AgX]

Well, Prontor is still around too.

 

[Photomultiplier]

And all the tools an dies? The design documentation is the one thing, the other is the very expensive tooling for this watchmaker-stuff.
But there are electromechanical shutters in the Hasselblad HC lenses and Rollei Hy6. So if one diverts from the fully mechanical path, there are possibilities.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I know this is slightly OT but if Kodak think there is a big enough market for them to go ahead with this film I'm wondering if we'll see a camera manufacturer start making MF cameras again? I'm betting if one of the biggies, Hassy, Mamiya, Pentax, Fuji did go ahead they would sell like hotcakes.

Unlikely. Kodak did produce cameras including Graphic and Graflex but an antitrust lawsuit from the government took Kodak out of the professional camera market.

 

[Sirius Glass]

And all the tools an dies? The design documentation is the one thing, the other is the very expensive tooling for this watchmaker-stuff.
But there are electromechanical shutters in the Hasselblad HC lenses and Rollei Hy6. So if one diverts from the fully mechanical path, there are possibilities.

It would be nice, but companies are not going to start up making 35mm film cameras much less Hasselblad and Rollei.

 

[Photomultiplier]

Does anyone know if Hasselblad still makes the HM 16-32 film back for the H series? I think it only worked up to the H3 and then again for the H5 and onward, but i am absolutely not sure if this is true.

This would be by far the easiest solution.

 

[Agulliver]

Unfortunately just because Prontor once made shutters and are still around, doesn't mean that they have any capacity to make them now. Try asking Ford to make a 1973 Mustang. Or Sony to make a Betamax VCR.

If anyone is going to make a semi-serious film camera, it's going to be with parts such as shutters which are already available, or easily modified from something available.

As for Gold in 120, some UK retailers have announced that it's arrived a week earlier than expected.

 

[abruzzi]

Actually, one company still does: https://www.dw-photo.eu/products/photo-cameras/Camera Hy6 mod 2.html
But the price tag is a bit high for most customers

Don't forget that there are a number of low end 120 roll cameras too--Holgas and Dianas. I wouldn't be suprised that the Holga lovers will take to this film, but yeah there's nothing to meet that middle ground. I honestly doubt its likely that we'll see any new cameras coming from the availability of C41 roll film that is just $2 a roll cheaper than Portra/Ektar.

 

[AgX]

And all the tools an dies? The design documentation is the one thing, the other is the very expensive tooling for this watchmaker-stuff...if one diverts from the fully mechanical path, there are possibilities.

That latter point was already made above and this trickled me to throw Prontor into the discussion.

 

[5150Bronco]

Suggests they're selling as much Portra as they can make, but have noticed a gap in the market that they can fill. Gold 200 has a fraction less apparent granularity than Portra 800, not as sharp as Portra/ Ektar - but its aesthetic is quite popular.

Why would you say its aesthetic is popular?

Is this your opinion or experience? Thanks!

 

[Lachlan Young]

Why would you say its aesthetic is popular?

Is this your opinion or experience? Thanks!

In terms of colour etc, Gold 200 is the right kind of wrong. Compared to Portra 160 it's less accurate in colour reproduction/ saturations and considerably grittier (Portra 800 levels at least), but that fits with certain aesthetics (classic-era Juergen Teller & several (many) contemporary scandinavian photographers of similar mien - in particular when used with fill-flash) - and it also delivers a more 1980s/1990s colour neg look rather than the more-real-than-reality Portra look. All of these aesthetics are popular with younger contemporary practitioners, but so are 120 cameras - and Lomography seem to sell decent amounts of toll-coated 1990s style Kodak colour neg emulsions (VR-G derived for 100 & 400 I believe) in 120.