More Kodak discontinuations? (Ektachrome 400X + assorted others)

[tim_walls]

OK, maybe someone who understands Kodak can translate what the following means for the rest of us. I'm typing up the following from this photograph of a page apparently from the Kodak dealer listings:

Kodak News
For Direct Dealer Use Only - December 2007
PROFESSIONAL STOCKHOUSE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Selected Discontinued Listings

The following selected listings have been discontinued and will be removed from the next KODAK PROFESSIONAL Stockhouse Equipment and Supplies Price Catalog.

Please note: Only selected listings are being discontinued. These film families have NOT been discontinued and continue to remain available.

Page No - CAT No - Product Description
15 - 8079519 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL BW400CN Film / 120
16 - 8722837 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL PLUS-X 125 Film / PX120
19 - 1777127 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 160NC Film / 135-36
20 - 8494304 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 160VC Film / 220 propack 20 rolls
20 - 8560427 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 160VC Film / 135-36
21 - 1200419 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400NC Film / 135-36
21 - 1852094 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA 400VC Film / 135-36
25 - 8757759 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film E100G / 6091 / 220 propack 5 rolls
26 - 1306596 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film E100VS / 7085 / 50 sh 4x5 in
26 - 8644270 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film E100VS / 10 sh / 8x10 in
28 - 1739051 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 100 Plus Film / EPP220 propack 5 rolls
29 - 1999184 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film E200 / 120
29 - 8742819 - KODAK EKTACHROME 400X Professional Film / EPL135-36 (*)
30 - 8632267 - KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Duplicating Film EDUPE / 5044 / 135-36

(*) EKTACHROME 400X Professional Film family is discontinued​

So it looks like Ektachrome 400X is indeed discontinued entirely despite the note at the top; should we expect that the others will follow once the remaining stocks of the other 'not discontinued' product codes are cleared out?


You know, I'm a defender of the big K, and love my E100VS more than any other film, but it is getting increasingly depressing/difficult to rely on them from one month to the next :-(.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Some of this is discontinuation of medium format film in single roll packaging, so that it will only be available in 5-roll pro-packs. Some LF films are going to 10-sheet boxes, even in 4x5", which is a pain, but at least it will still be available.

 

[kman627]

No more Plus-X in 120? Does this mean it's still available in a pro-pack or not at all?

 

[eddym]

No more Portra in 135??? Damn!

 

[tim_walls]

No more Portra in 135??? Damn!

Well, don't jump to conclusions necessarily - that's why I was asking what it meant; presumably you can still buy it in pro-packs, just not single rolls.

(For how long is of course anyone's guess...)

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

READ CAREFULLY!

These discontinuations concerns PACKAGINGS. For instance, "PORTRA 160VC Film / 135-36" means "a single roll of Portra in a canister, inside a cardboard package."

Local pro stores in Montréal for a long time have been buying 135 film in propack, and just open them up to sell the individual rolls. So it's meaningless in the present circumstances.

Distressing to look at, but it does not say anything about coating or emulsion discontinuation. As a matter of fact, it's at least a good thing in terms of cardboard economy. A propack uses a little less cardboard than 5 x 1 roll.

(sorry for the shouting!)

 

[tim_walls]

READ CAREFULLY!

These discontinuations concerns PACKAGINGS. For instance, "PORTRA 160VC Film / 135-36" means "a single roll of Portra in a canister, inside a cardboard package."

Local pro stores in Montréal for a long time have been buying 135 film in propack, and just open them up to sell the individual rolls. So it's meaningless in the present circumstances.

Distressing to look at, but it does not say anything about coating or emulsion discontinuation.

Apart from EKTACHROME 400X.


How do stores sell individual rolls from pro-packs - they sell the rolls just in the foil?! Is that not against Kodak's policy?

 

[eddym]

How do stores sell individual rolls from pro-packs - they sell the rolls just in the foil?! Is that not against Kodak's policy?

Our local lab sells individual rolls of 35mm from propacks; after all, they are still in the cans. Not sure about 120/220 rolls.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Apart from EKTACHROME 400X.

How do stores sell individual rolls from pro-packs - they sell the rolls just in the foil?! Is that not against Kodak's policy?

Yep, apart from 400X.

Yep, they sell the 120 rolls in the foil, and the 135 in the plastic can. They even add a price sticker with barcode.

Given that I've seen that behaviour at the two biggest stores in Montréal, I gather that Kodak is not losing sleep on that one. I know nothing about Kodak's policies.

 

[tim_walls]

Some of this is discontinuation of medium format film in single roll packaging, so that it will only be available in 5-roll pro-packs. Some LF films are going to 10-sheet boxes, even in 4x5", which is a pain, but at least it will still be available.

It's the arbitrariness I find a little worrying. I mean, take E100VS; why discontinue the 50 sheet packs in 4x5", but the 10 sheet packs in 8x10"? That doesn't sound like standardising on 10 sheet packs - it sounds more like "this is the stuff we're running out of and we're not bothering to make any more."

I could just be paranoid of course .

 

[Photo Engineer]

There is another thread on this topic started a few days ago.

PE

 

[copake_ham]

In the glorious days before digital - who would have even thought to concern themselves all that much about the discontinuance of a particular type of film or of a form of packaging?

Not every product discontinuance or marketing realignment is a catastrophe that portends the end of film. Sometimes, a wise manufacturer just gives the slow-movers the "heave ho".

I wonder how many of the folks here have even used Ektachrome 400X?

 

[tim_walls]

There is another thread on this topic started a few days ago.

PE

Thanks for linking to it to help us find it :rolleyes:.

(For what it's worth, I did a search for Ektachrome 400X before starting this one and nothing popped up. If a mod would like to merge the threads though then please go ahead.)

In the glorious days before digital - who would have even thought to concern themselves all that much about the discontinuance of a particular type of film or of a form of packaging?

I guess that would depend whether it was their favourite film being discontinued...

Not every product discontinuance or marketing realignment is a catastrophe that portends the end of film.

I'm sorry, I must have missed the post that said it was; perhaps you could point it out.

 

[srs5694]

How do stores sell individual rolls from pro-packs - they sell the rolls just in the foil?! Is that not against Kodak's policy?

I have no idea about Kodak's policies on this; however, I know that some mail-order outfits in the US do this. In fact, just yesterday I got a foil-wrapped roll of Fuji 220 film from Freestyle. I've gotten 35mm film in plastic canisters (no box) from several different retailers -- probably Freestyle, Adorama, and B&H. Some of these outfits offer the same film for two prices, one in its own box and one pulled from a pro pack. (Some also offer "US market" vs "import" pricing, but that's another matter.)

My main problem with breaking film out of a larger package is that the retailers often neglect to put expiration dates on them. This omission isn't universal, but I've seen it happen.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Sorry, I rechecked and it was Elite Chrome 400. My bad.

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

If anyone cares.

PE

 

[copake_ham]

I have no idea about Kodak's policies on this; however, I know that some mail-order outfits in the US do this. In fact, just yesterday I got a foil-wrapped roll of Fuji 220 film from Freestyle. I've gotten 35mm film in plastic canisters (no box) from several different retailers -- probably Freestyle, Adorama, and B&H. Some of these outfits offer the same film for two prices, one in its own box and one pulled from a pro pack. (Some also offer "US market" vs "import" pricing, but that's another matter.)

My main problem with breaking film out of a larger package is that the retailers often neglect to put expiration dates on them. This omission isn't universal, but I've seen it happen.

My guess is that Kodak also recognizes that a heck of a lot of film is now moving through informal marketing channels such as eBay.

It's quite common to see listings for unpackaged cannister or foil-wrapped film offerings on eBay. So it's not surprising that Kodak would recognize that this "de-packaging" is going on in the internet marketplace and respond as they've done.

As to tim's query. Sorry if you think I was presumptuous, but the Product Availability forum is rarely used to announce new film types. And you did list a bunch of films that were NOT being discontinued under a thread title that would lead a casual reader would think otherwise.

 

[PatTrent]

No more Plus-X in 120? Does this mean it's still available in a pro-pack or not at all?

I surely hope that's what it means. I love Plus-X.

 

[DBP]

It's the general tone-deafness of the announcement that really makes you wonder about the marketers. Imagine the same announcement with this preamble:

"In light of the evolving market for distribution of film products, Kodak has recognized that many professional films that are distributed in propacks are sold by retailers as single rolls. In light of this practice, and in a continuing effort to reduce the environmental impact of packaging, the following films will no longer be distributed in single roll boxes. Likewise, in our continuing effort to support the traditional film user by streamlining production and reducing packaging costs to maintain the affordability of sheet films, the following box sizes will be eliminated."

Would anyone have blinked?

 

[Sirius Glass]

When I take the foil wrapped Kodak rolls from the 5 packs, the date is stamped on the foil.

Steve

 

[tim_walls]

Sorry if you think I was presumptuous, but the Product Availability forum is rarely used to announce new film types. And you did list a bunch of films that were NOT being discontinued under a thread title that would lead a casual reader would think otherwise.

I would expect nothing less; but you'll forgive me if I'm not going to start modifying my language to cater for casual readers with precious little grasp of English - who can't understand the infinite subtleties of the question mark, or feel that the word "discontinuation" has a silent "film" in front of it. The topic subject is 100% accurate.

It's the general tone-deafness of the announcement that really makes you wonder about the marketers. Imagine the same announcement with this preamble:

"In light of the evolving market for distribution of film products, Kodak has recognized that many professional films that are distributed in propacks are sold by retailers as single rolls. In light of this practice, and in a continuing effort to reduce the environmental impact of packaging, the following films will no longer be distributed in single roll boxes. Likewise, in our continuing effort to support the traditional film user by streamlining production and reducing packaging costs to maintain the affordability of sheet films, the following box sizes will be eliminated."

Would anyone have blinked?

Nope, probably not. But Kodak's ability to shoot itself in the foot is rather impressive. As I say, I'm a Kodak defender by inclination, and I probably wouldn't have blinked anyway - except after the HIE debacle I'm afraid I've lost trust in the company. I didn't even realise it until I saw this announcement.

 

[tim_walls]

When I take the foil wrapped Kodak rolls from the 5 packs, the date is stamped on the foil.

35mm cans, on the other hand, do not have the expiry on them (just checked a roll of E100VS to make sure it's not something I've just never noticed before.)