Kodak will no longer produce any colour reversal still films

[Roger Cole]

Roger meant there are already a couple of threads here on this subject, you were a little late(5 days) to the party.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Exactly. I know it's important. I just think we have enough threads on it, and one of those was already created by merging two others. Maybe the mods can merge this in too.

 

[tnabbott]

Exactly. I know it's important. I just think we have enough threads on it, and one of those was already created by merging two others. Maybe the mods can merge this in too.

You certainly could have posted the links to the other threads. But I guess being snarky is more gratifying for you...

 

[Roger Cole]

I didn't feel like searching for them. That's more the job of folks posting big news five days later, to see if anyone might just maybe have already posted about something like that.

Never fear, no doubt our resident digital shills and founding members of the gloom and doom society will be along shortly to rain despair on this thread as well. I'll chime in with team ostrich from time to time...

 

[mikecnichols]

My only question is, does this mean no more 8mm film?

 

[SuzanneR]

Threads merged.

 

[michaelbsc]

Oh God, another film killed, another 20 rolls on their way here

I missed the Kodachrome thing at least I can try the ugly step-sister before she's gone too.

I don't know that I'd call it the ugly step sister. That's a bit harsh.

 

[ME Super]

Me personally, I think Velvia/Provia are popular enough that chemistry and processing will continue to be made for E-6/CR-56 for some time - hopefully longer than 18 months!! After all, Fuji didn't reintroduce Velvia 50 for no reason - there's a market there for it so they reformulated it when one or more of the old raw materials used to make the original 50 ISO Velvia were no longer available.

ME Super

 

[wblynch]

I don't know that I'd call it the ugly step sister. That's a bit harsh.

I keeed... I keeed

 

[ajuk]

Hang on, if it can make economic sense for someone to produce Precisa again, how does making Ektachrome not make sense, I bed Ektrachrome sells much more than Pricisa.

 

[wblynch]

Hang on if it can make economic sense for someone to produce Precisa again, how does making Ektachrome not make sense, I bed Ektrachrome sells much more than Pricisa.

It could be much better now for Agfa or Rollei transparency films since they may do very well with Kodak out of the market.

 

[gsucher]

But for the reasons that I believe many of the "pros" used reversal films years ago, and I do not profess to be an expert here, a digital process covers those needs with less cost and higher productivity.

I agree completely. I do accounting work for some professional photographers who switched over just 2-3 years ago. The reason was twofold: they had to compete financially and speed-wise with others who didn't have the processing costs and could show the digi 'proofs' instantly . Otherwise they said they'd still be shooting slides.

 

[ME Super]

I shoot slides in part because I can project the images at a higher quality with a slide projector than I can with a digital projector (not to mention the difference in price between the two!) Having said that, the iPad and its ilk could finish slide film off. The new iPad announced today has a 2048x1536 pixel display, which is higher than that of an HDTV at slightly more than 3 MP. Get it up to 6 or 8 MP and I might bite for the right price. 'Til then, slides are the way to go for me.

The Slide Curmudgeon, aka ME Super

 

[tnabbott]

It could be much better now for Agfa or Rollei transparency films since they may do very well with Kodak out of the market.

I just bought my first pro pack of the Rollei transparency film from Freestyle yesterday after hearing about Kodak's retreat. I had hesitated, but now I'm thinking "why not?"

 

[Hatchetman]

Projecting a set of slides you just got back from the lab is so much fun.......nothing can beat it. You have no idea what you have and then to see the photo for the first time 4-5 feet wide on a big screen in the dark! I can't understand how anyone could NOT get a huge kick out of that.

 

[CGW]

It could be much better now for Agfa or Rollei transparency films since they may do very well with Kodak out of the market.

What "market?" Aside from the possibility they couldn't afford to make another run, Kodak just wasn't selling enough of this stuff. Not to revisit the $hitstorm threads of last week, it's plain that demand for transparency materials is a shadow of what it once was. Not good news re: the survival of Fuji E6 films. Quality E6 processing is just a memory in many markets in N. America. The end of Ektachrome can't help but spook the surviving labs with E6 lines.

 

[railwayman3]

What "market?" Aside from the possibility they couldn't afford to make another run, Kodak just wasn't selling enough of this stuff. Not to revisit the $hitstorm threads of last week, it's plain that demand for transparency materials is a shadow of what it once was. Not good news re: the survival of Fuji E6 films. Quality E6 processing is just a memory in many markets in N. America. The end of Ektachrome can't help but spook the surviving labs with E6 lines.

You say that you don't want to revisit the shitstorm (why bother with the prissy $ sign), yet you just repeat the same views over-and-over again. What you say is perfectly obvious to anyone, we're not children, but we are surely allowed to express our disappointment and concern with the way things are going.

I love steam engines, but I don't spend time on steam enthusiasts forums pointing out the obvious facts that changing economics, lack of demand, costs, inconvenience, and safety and cleanliness issues, have lead to replacement by electric and diesel locos.

(Edit: CGW takes me to task in a subsequent post, (which now seems to have been deleted), for using the word "views" for what he asserts, quite correctly, to be "facts". Please read my post with this substitution....I don't think it actually alters my point one iota. )

 

[CGW]

You say that you don't want to revisit the shitstorm (why bother with the prissy $ sign), yet you just repeat the same views over-and-over again. What you say is perfectly obvious to anyone, we're not children, but we are surely allowed to express our disappointment and concern with the way things are going.

I love steam engines, but I don't spend time on steam enthusiasts forums pointing out the obvious facts that changing economics, lack of demand, costs, inconvenience, and safety and cleanliness issues, have lead to replacement by electric and diesel locos.

I'm down to one quality E6 lab in Toronto, OK? I'm stating facts, not "views." The "facts" are bugging me out. No intention of running endless whiteboard sessions, which I'm guessing you're sick of.

 

[Hatchetman]

I was down at the lab yesterday. $15 to process a roll of 35mm e-6. Let's say I wanted a print. A drum scan of a slide is $30. High quality 5x7 digital print = $35. IMO the print sample he showed me didn't look all that great anyway. Oh well, I'm shooting 90% slides for the next year or so until it goes bye-bye.

 

[ME Super]

What "market?" Aside from the possibility they couldn't afford to make another run, Kodak just wasn't selling enough of this stuff. Not to revisit the $hitstorm threads of last week, it's plain that demand for transparency materials is a shadow of what it once was. Not good news re: the survival of Fuji E6 films. Quality E6 processing is just a memory in many markets in N. America. The end of Ektachrome can't help but spook the surviving labs with E6 lines.

What you say may be true north of the US/Canadian border, and where I live in the U.S. processing is generally available by send-out and mail-order only. However, I pass by THREE Wal-Mart stores on my way home from work, and there's a Meijer's (it's a northern mid-west department store chain kind of like Wal-Mart) about 5 miles from work. All four of them are willing to send film (that's B&W, C-41, and E-6) out to be processed. Pickups are Tuesday and Friday mornings. C-41 picked up on Tuesday morning is ready on Friday afternoon, and C-41 picked up on Friday morning is ready on Tuesday afternoon. My experience has been to add a week onto those times for E-6. Not sure about turn-around for B&W as I haven't sent any out that way recently, but suspect it is about the same as for E-6. Processing is handled by Fuji/Dwayne's, and slides come back with no scratches in cardboard mounts. If I want a print of a particularly good slide, I sc*n myself and upl**d for printing.

Last I checked the USPS is more than happy to deliver your E-6 to Dwayne's for a small fee. I would assume Canada Post would do the same. Fuji pre-paid mailers for E-6 can be bought from B&H with Dwayne's address on them.

But, you say, it takes two weeks to get slides back from processing if it's not done locally. Big deal! 20 years ago it took two weeks to get slides back from send-out processing. The wait gives me more time to forget what was on the roll, and when I get it back and toss 'em in the projector, I get to see 36 never-before seen images (no chimping!). It's like being a kid again on Christmas morning!

ME Super, aka The Slide Curmudgeon

 

[CGW]

What you say may be true north of the US/Canadian border, and where I live in the U.S. processing is generally available by send-out and mail-order only. However, I pass by THREE Wal-Mart stores on my way home from work, and there's a Meijer's (it's a northern mid-west department store chain kind of like Wal-Mart) about 5 miles from work. All four of them are willing to send film (that's B&W, C-41, and E-6) out to be processed. Pickups are Tuesday and Friday mornings. C-41 picked up on Tuesday morning is ready on Friday afternoon, and C-41 picked up on Friday morning is ready on Tuesday afternoon. My experience has been to add a week onto those times for E-6. Not sure about turn-around for B&W as I haven't sent any out that way recently, but suspect it is about the same as for E-6. Processing is handled by Fuji/Dwayne's, and slides come back with no scratches in cardboard mounts. If I want a print of a particularly good slide, I sc*n myself and upl**d for printing.

Last I checked the USPS is more than happy to deliver your E-6 to Dwayne's for a small fee. I would assume Canada Post would do the same. Fuji pre-paid mailers for E-6 can be bought from B&H with Dwayne's address on them.

But, you say, it takes two weeks to get slides back from processing if it's not done locally. Big deal! 20 years ago it took two weeks to get slides back from send-out processing. The wait gives me more time to forget what was on the roll, and when I get it back and toss 'em in the projector, I get to see 36 never-before seen images (no chimping!). It's like being a kid again on Christmas morning!

ME Super, aka The Slide Curmudgeon

Like Hatchetman, I'm planning a slide "bender" for spring/summer/fall. I have superb Refrema E6 processing now(Ed Burtynsky's Toronto Image Works) that's fast and affordable. Lots of 120 film on hand and Mamiya/Bronica 645/6x6/6x7 kits to gobble it up. Why wait?

 

[ME Super]

Indeed. If you have fast, affordable, local E-6 processing, use it! If you don't, don't stop shooting E-6. Continue to shoot it and then send it out.

I don't live in a large metro area. My nearest E-6 lab is at least an hour and a half drive (Champaign, IL). I have no reason to drive to Champaign other than for E-6 processing. Much more convenient to drop it off somewhere and then pick it up in a couple weeks (actually if I drop it off on a Tuesday morning, it's back on Friday of the following week, so it's more like 10 days, not 2 weeks).

ME Super

 

[CGW]

Indeed. If you have fast, affordable, local E-6 processing, use it! If you don't, don't stop shooting E-6. Continue to shoot it and then send it out.

I don't live in a large metro area. My nearest E-6 lab is at least an hour and a half drive (Champaign, IL). I have no reason to drive to Champaign other than for E-6 processing. Much more convenient to drop it off somewhere and then pick it up in a couple weeks (actually if I drop it off on a Tuesday morning, it's back on Friday of the following week, so it's more like 10 days, not 2 weeks).

ME Super

At least we both have access to service that works for us. It's been troubling to endure quality film services shutting down over the last 5 years. My local mom&pop pro lab dropped film service 2 years ago and just dropped film scanning last month, leaving me to charm/bribe friends with scanners. I remain loyal to our tribe but not without some pardonable kvetching.

 

[wblynch]

They have this newfangeld thing called the Postal Service. Can you imagine?

I can order a processing kit and they will deliver it right to my doorstep, in only 2 days, and then I can process my own E-6 slides in less than 1 hour. --- For less than $2 a roll!

I am not kidding. I couldn't believe it myself.

The modern world, who knew?

 

[ME Super]

wblynch,
I see you have listed yourself as a 127 shooter. Do you shoot E-6 in 127? Where do you get slide mounts for those? I thought about snagging a 127 camera and some film but don't see anywhere to get the mounts.

ME Super

 

[wblynch]

wblynch,
I see you have listed yourself as a 127 shooter. Do you shoot E-6 in 127? Where do you get slide mounts for those? I thought about snagging a 127 camera and some film but don't see anywhere to get the mounts.

ME Super

I have not shot E-6 in 127 but yesterday I saw some long bulk rolls of Ektachrome in 46mm that would be for 127. There is also Rollei Crossbird available in 127 that makes beautiful transparencies.

I haven't bought any mounts but I have seen them from time-to-time. Just keep looking.