Kodak product availability in Brazil

[fdonadio]

Hello, everybody!


I know there are not that many brazilians here, but foreigners visiting Brazil should be aware.

I talked to this very helpful lady at Kodak Alaris Brazil customer service (forgot her name) and came to know that a lot of products currently in production are not available to distributors/resellers here.

I was looking for HC-110 when I called and it can't even be ordered by Kodak Alaris Brazil from the factory! She told me their ERP system shows HC-110, but gives an error when she tries to add it to a purchase order. Something along the lines of "product not valid for region".

So, the bad news: all 120 roll films and large format films (both B&W and color), all B&W chemicals, and 135 T-Max are not sold by Kodak Alaris in Brazil anymore.

All you can find here is color negative film in 135 format, Tri-X 400 in 135 format, color paper and color chemicals.

If you're coming to Brazil and shooting any format other than 135, bring all the film you're going to use.


Cheers,
Flavio

 

[mooseontheloose]

Are other manufacturer's films and formats available? (Ilford, Fuji, etc)

I'm planning a trip to South America next year (including Brazil) - I always try to bring what I need with me, but it's nice to know where to stock up (if I can) when I run out of film. In any event, I'll keep this in mind.

 

[RattyMouse]

That's a pretty large market for Kodak to ignore. Not a wise move.

 

[fdonadio]

Are other manufacturer's films and formats available? (Ilford, Fuji, etc)

Yes, Fuji is here. From what I gather, they do the distribution themselves. They focus on consumer products, like color negative film and Instax. I mean, you can find Superia X-tra 400 kinda easily. In comparison, I don't see that many Neopan or Provia around, though. I know Fuji sells those in Brazil, for sure, and they are listed on the official website.

Early last year, i talked to the owner of the lab I usually take my slide film (Capovilla, in São Paulo) and she told me that Fuji didn't want to import their Pro6 (E6) chemicals anymore, citing low demand. She talked to other lab owners and got all of them to place orders together, so it would be one big import for Fuji. She told they bought chemicals for two years back then. I only hope they can manage to do pull this again on Fuji late this year.

Ilford has only one distributor, which happens to be a reseller too, in Brazil. They sell online (Dead Link Removed) and carry the whole range of Ilford products, including medium and large format film. They are not participating in the ULF run, though.

It seems film is dying faster here than in the US or Europe.


Cheers,
Flavio

 

[fdonadio]

That's a pretty large market for Kodak to ignore. Not a wise move.

In fact, I don't see that many photographers using film here. The Lomo-carrying hipsters are vanishing and most professionals switched to digital to cut costs and simplify their workflow.

When I go out with my Hasselblad, I get one or two curious guys asking if there's still film being sold, if I process the film myself... You get the picture.


Cheers,
Flavio

 

[RattyMouse]

It seems film is dying faster here than in the US or Europe.


Cheers,
Flavio

Film isn't dying.

 

[fdonadio]

Film isn't dying.

For sure. We are keeping it alive.

It was just my pessimistic side getting out of control, I think.


Flavio

 

[Michael Guzzi]

[...]
When I go out with my Hasselblad, I get one or two curious guys asking if there's still film being sold, if I process the film myself... You get the picture.


Cheers,
Flavio

Pretty much the same around here. Many, many people people find it madness to use film. Some lines I have actually heard:

"I thought film died like 10 years ago! I don't really miss it..."
"So you process it at home, with all those chemicals and stuff? Wow that is a whole lot of effort for a picture!"
"What is the point shooting film if there are smartphones around?" I hear this one a LOT
"Why did you spend all this money on useless, grossly outdated gear that nobody wants? You could have bought a smartphone and got way better photos for way less money!" My parents keep pulling this one every time they see me messing with any of my gear. Sigh...
"Why are you shooting B/W? B/W is so boring!"
"So you take pictures with film? with those big cameras on tripods and a black cloth over your head?", said in a sarcastic, demeaning tone. Heard this from co-workers and at the local uni where I study.
"So you print photos at home? So you can print the photos on my smartphone?"

You get the picture. I mostly get mocked for using film, it is a recurring joke on my work. I just ignore the naysayers and have fun. I know of nobody in or around my city that actually uses film, and only a handful understand how it all works(excluding the oldtimer pros who have all switched to the "D side").

It is very sad that so few people are interested in analog photography here. And the result of this lack of interest is very limited availability of products, forcing me (and a few others I know) to import basically everything from Europe and USA. Which isn't exactly "cheap". And what is offered locally isn't much better, about 14 dollars for a roll of 135 Ilford HP5+...

Anybody planning a trip to Brazil better bring everything they intend to use.

 

[fdonadio]

"So you take pictures with film? with those big cameras on tripods and a black cloth over your head?"

Actually, I try to get ahead of them talking about my Sinar and the black cloth I made myself! it works every time!

I just ignore the naysayers and have fun.

Which is, in fact, the best thing to do. I don't feel I could talk them into switching, anyway.


Cheers,
Flavio

 

[mooseontheloose]

Thanks for the information Flavio. It's an unfortunate situation to be in, and I feel your pain about having to import stuff in. Even here in Japan, not all chemicals and papers are available and over the years I've had to import a lot from the US or Europe, which is not cheap. Fortunately though, there are now a couple of distributors offering less common items, mostly from Europe, albeit at a premium.

Michael - glad to hear you ignore the naysayers and continue having fun shooting film. That's what I did too, although I never had it as bad as you do.

If worse comes to worse, you could always start shooting wet plates, like Dead Link Removeddoes in Buenos Aires...

 

[fdonadio]

Thanks for the information Flavio.

No problem, mooseontheloose! If you stop by São Paulo, leave me a PM and we can have a coffee or beer!

If worse comes to worse, you could always start shooting wet plates, like Dead Link Removeddoes in Buenos Aires...

Beautiful ambrotypes... My list of things to try has just got longer.


Flavio

 

[Peter Rockstroh01]

Boa noite Flavio. I visit Sao Paulo a few times a year. I'll be glad to bring you film and HC-110. Developers and chemicals ... I don't know. Customs agents not too happy about that concept, coming from Bogota

 

[RSalles]

Flavio,

Saying that, I'm a long time friend for a guy which brother was the Latin America Manager from Kodak original/not Alaris - Claudio D'Amico - who I know also. I remember the Kodak Factory at Sao Bernardo do Campo, near Sao Paulo, where I was visiting once, in the '80ies. That's a very bad news from Kodak reincarnation to just give up the LA market this way. I was connected with Kodak by both professional preferences and friendship relations.

But now I'm forced to import nearby everything film related, and have choosen Adorama, B&H and Freestyle as main suppliers.
Due to the daunting task which became buying both film and paper developers, I decided to buy raw chems from Photo Formulary and prepare it myself, and more common stuff I'm getting from the local version of ebay, Mercado Livre, as Sodium Sulfite, Borax or Sodium Tiosulphate, etc.

My neighbor Michael Guzzi have brought some stuff also from Germany for me, we can stay in contact to try to cut shipping costs, dropping a line to each other to stay update when one of us will need something, as local shipping inside the country is much more affordable, in general.

Cheers,

Renato

 

[fdonadio]

Boa noite Flavio. I visit Sao Paulo a few times a year. I'll be glad to bring you film and HC-110. Developers and chemicals ... I don't know. Customs agents not too happy about that concept, coming from Bogota

Peter,


Bom dia! Thank you very much for offering to help. I don't want to put you in a risky situation, either... I'm sending you a PM in a bit.


Flavio

 

[fdonadio]

Due to the daunting task which became buying both film and paper developers, I decided to buy raw chems from Photo Formulary and prepare it myself, and more common stuff I'm getting from the local version of ebay, Mercado Livre, as Sodium Sulfite, Borax or Sodium Tiosulphate, etc.

Living near São Paulo, it's easy for me to source raw chemicals. There are some very nice places to buy raw chemicals and lab gear.

My neighbor Michael Guzzi have brought some stuff also from Germany for me, we can stay in contact to try to cut shipping costs, dropping a line to each other to stay update when one of us will need something, as local shipping inside the country is much more affordable, in general.

I've got CD-3 from Phototechnik Suvatlar, in Germany, which is impossible to find here. Since it's a small and light envelope, shipping was cheap. I also bought film from Foma, which operates its web store from Norway (IIRC), and the shipping was very fair.

The most problematic are the heavy and/or bulky packages. A bottle of HC-110 must weigh something like 5 pounds (over 2kg). Shipping for something as simple as Print File negative archival sheets is absurd, because of the weight.

Sometimes I buy more stuff than I need, just to make shipping worth it!

You guys can can count on me for whatever you need that you can't source down there in RS. I'll be happy to help. And you can count me in your buyers club!


Flavio

 

[RSalles]

Flavio,

I will,

Cheers,

 

[Michael Guzzi]

Living near São Paulo, it's easy for me to source raw chemicals. There are some very nice places to buy raw chemicals and lab gear.



I've got CD-3 from Phototechnik Suvatlar, in Germany, which is impossible to find here. Since it's a small and light envelope, shipping was cheap. I also bought film from Foma, which operates its web store from Norway (IIRC), and the shipping was very fair.

The most problematic are the heavy and/or bulky packages. A bottle of HC-110 must weigh something like 5 pounds (over 2kg). Shipping for something as simple as Print File negative archival sheets is absurd, because of the weight.

Sometimes I buy more stuff than I need, just to make shipping worth it!

You guys can can count on me for whatever you need that you can't source down there in RS. I'll be happy to help. And you can count me in your buyers club!


Flavio

Must have been a distributor of theirs, the "official" Foma website only sends on to handful of countries, Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Austria and Poland, IIRC. What's the website you are talking about?

I mostly buy from Fotoimpex (kudos for the people at Fotoimpex, excellent service and products!), and a bit from Macodirect. And as you, I almost always buy more than needed because of the shipping. Let's keep in contact, there's always something that we need (for me atm is some more B/W film but not enough stuff to put an order through yet - them shipping costs!)


Michael

 

[fdonadio]

What's the website you are talking about?

I bought from fomafoto.com and I can confirm their operation is based in Norway.

I mostly buy from Fotoimpex (kudos for the people at Fotoimpex, excellent service and products!), and a bit from Macodirect.

I never tried buying from them, but I will, for sure!


Flavio