As most have probably heard by now, Kodak intends to raise film prices beginning in March of this year. The average price increase expected in the U.S. is reportedly 17%, while other regions (e.g., Japan) are expected to see higher price hikes. It seems likely that these newest price increases are intended to address at least two ongoing issues: 1) to offset elevated, inflation-driven costs in the manufacture of film and chemistry; and 2) to expand the company's manufacturing capacity (i.e., equipment and manpower) in an effort to keep pace with current film demand, which has reportedly surged in the last few years.
Point #1 above is almost certainly true just based on general economic trends occurring around the world. And point #2 seems likely true based on recent statements made by Kodak regarding the company's push to hire more people for its film manufacturing division. However, I've seen some people in forums optimistically speculating that this newest round of price increases might also be driven by an interest within the company to expand its current product lineup (i.e., film, chemistry, etc.). It's that last speculative point that interests me the most, for if true, I think it might help to soften the blow that many are feeling about these newest price increases. If Kodak is looking to offer more products but needs additional revenue to do so, I think a lot of film shooters would be cautiously willing to accept the increases (especially if only temporary).
I don't know to what extent Kodak reps read these or other forums in an effort to understand what customers want (it would certainly be in their best interest to do so, of course), but I'm curious to know what one or two "projects" film shooters would like to see the company pursuing in the near term (say, the next 2-5 years), whether it was changing a current product, bringing one back from the dead, or offering up something completely new. There are no right or wrong answers, so feel free to dream. I'll go first:
1) Bring back Kodak E-6 chemistry -- In February of 2019, Kodak announced it was exploring the possibility of offering its own E-6 chemistry, which was likely spurred on by having brought back Ektachrome E100. No firm plans were announced, and I now notice that the original announcement on the official Kodak Instagram account no longer exists (which might be a bad sign). With Fuji-Hunt having eliminated their 5-liter E-6 kits in October 2021, now would be a good time for Kodak to begin offering its own 6-bath home kit in comparable sizes (e.g., 1-5 liters).
2) Add another color slide film option -- I'm glad E100 was brought back a few years ago, but I'd like to see another offering from the company. I imagine it'd be easier to revitalize an older film than to develop one from scratch, though it's conceivably possible that EPA rules have changed sufficiently in the last 5-10 years that any "old" film might need to be tweaked to meet current regulations (this is reportedly what killed off Velvia 100). Personally, I'd love to see Kodak bring back E100VS. With Fuji Velvia 100 being completely gone in the U.S and Velvia 50 no longer available in sheet sizes, E100VS seems like a no-brainer, as it would fill a void for shooters looking for a punchy, saturated color positive film. Opinions obviously vary, but this was one of my favorite films in the early 2000s.
3) Bring back Aerochrome - There's virtually zero chance of them actually doing this, but as an Aerochrome user, I'd love to see it, even if it was only made available as an infrequent special order every few years. The (re-)startup cost would probably be astronomical, but given what new-old-stock rolls and sheets go for online (~$250 per 120 roll!), I'd be curious to know what the company's break-even price would be. Maybe it's less than $250 per roll?
Have fun.
Point #1 above is almost certainly true just based on general economic trends occurring around the world. And point #2 seems likely true based on recent statements made by Kodak regarding the company's push to hire more people for its film manufacturing division. However, I've seen some people in forums optimistically speculating that this newest round of price increases might also be driven by an interest within the company to expand its current product lineup (i.e., film, chemistry, etc.). It's that last speculative point that interests me the most, for if true, I think it might help to soften the blow that many are feeling about these newest price increases. If Kodak is looking to offer more products but needs additional revenue to do so, I think a lot of film shooters would be cautiously willing to accept the increases (especially if only temporary).
I don't know to what extent Kodak reps read these or other forums in an effort to understand what customers want (it would certainly be in their best interest to do so, of course), but I'm curious to know what one or two "projects" film shooters would like to see the company pursuing in the near term (say, the next 2-5 years), whether it was changing a current product, bringing one back from the dead, or offering up something completely new. There are no right or wrong answers, so feel free to dream. I'll go first:
1) Bring back Kodak E-6 chemistry -- In February of 2019, Kodak announced it was exploring the possibility of offering its own E-6 chemistry, which was likely spurred on by having brought back Ektachrome E100. No firm plans were announced, and I now notice that the original announcement on the official Kodak Instagram account no longer exists (which might be a bad sign). With Fuji-Hunt having eliminated their 5-liter E-6 kits in October 2021, now would be a good time for Kodak to begin offering its own 6-bath home kit in comparable sizes (e.g., 1-5 liters).
2) Add another color slide film option -- I'm glad E100 was brought back a few years ago, but I'd like to see another offering from the company. I imagine it'd be easier to revitalize an older film than to develop one from scratch, though it's conceivably possible that EPA rules have changed sufficiently in the last 5-10 years that any "old" film might need to be tweaked to meet current regulations (this is reportedly what killed off Velvia 100). Personally, I'd love to see Kodak bring back E100VS. With Fuji Velvia 100 being completely gone in the U.S and Velvia 50 no longer available in sheet sizes, E100VS seems like a no-brainer, as it would fill a void for shooters looking for a punchy, saturated color positive film. Opinions obviously vary, but this was one of my favorite films in the early 2000s.
3) Bring back Aerochrome - There's virtually zero chance of them actually doing this, but as an Aerochrome user, I'd love to see it, even if it was only made available as an infrequent special order every few years. The (re-)startup cost would probably be astronomical, but given what new-old-stock rolls and sheets go for online (~$250 per 120 roll!), I'd be curious to know what the company's break-even price would be. Maybe it's less than $250 per roll?
Have fun.