Product Discontinuation Notice From HARMAN technology Limited :

Simon R Galley · Jul 16, 2013

Dear Apugger,

Please be advised that we are ceasing production of KENTMERE Fineprint VC FB ( Variable Contrast Fibre Base ).
This product is only available in GLOSS.

The coated volumes of this product have seriously declined to the point it would be un-economic to keep it in production. The product at present remains in stock at the factory, at distributors and in re-sellers, should you use and value this product we apologise on its withdrawal and recommend that should you wish to secure some product you do so at the earliest opportunity.

No other KENTMERE product is affected.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology LImited :

miha · Jul 16, 2013

Simon, so the only product from the 'old' Kentmere still in production is VC SELECT?

wildbill · Jul 16, 2013

Of course, I find an affordable paper I LOVE and poof, it's gone! DAMN IT!

brianmquinn · Jul 16, 2013

Miha, more Kentmere papers are listed on their web site.
I hope there will be an update with the above news soon.

http://www.kentmere.co.uk/products/producttype.asp?n=11&t=Kentmere+Photo+Papers

Curt · Jul 16, 2013

Sal Santamaura · Jul 16, 2013

Simon R Galley said:
...Please be advised that we are ceasing production of KENTMERE Fineprint VC FB ( Variable Contrast Fibre Base ).
This product is only available in GLOSS....

OK, first, to be completely clear, are you saying that the only version still available was glossy and that's discontinued? Or, as the Kentmere Web page for papers indicates

http://www.kentmere.co.uk/products/product.asp?n=70&t=Kentmere+Photo+Papers

that there's also a Finegrain surface and that's what's discontinued?

Second, in another thread, we had this exchange:

Sal Santamaura said:
Has anyone figured out the code that HARMAN uses for Kentmere Fineprint? On a package just received, in addition to the CAT 6006549 number, there's a six-digit code on the label (332415) as well as, in the bottom right corner, another series that reads 13504705 F08. Inquiring mind wants to know.

Simon R Galley said:
I will find out

Simon. ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

Does this thread explain why you haven't gotten back with the answer in that one? Also, was it my question that prompted the discontinuation?

Oh well, I probably just bought my first and last package of Kentmere Fineprint FB. At least you've announced its discontinuation before I set up the temporarily-converted-bathroom-darkroom next week and try printing on it. Money wasted but not time.

Simon R Galley · Jul 16, 2013

Hi Sal,

It was'nt your question that priompted the notice....no

KENTMERE VC Select / KENTHENE & BROMIDE* are all still available. *BROMIDE has been on 'run down' for some time.

Regards Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited.

brianmquinn · Jul 16, 2013

Does "run down" mean that the last batch has been produced and you are only clearing out the inventory.
Or does "run down" mean that there are less orders and you are making batches less often?

David Lindquist · Jul 16, 2013

Well rats, I started using Kentmere Fineprint VC in early 2010 because I liked the tone it gave with rapid selenium toner (diluted 1 = 8.75) compared to what I got with Ilford Multigrade IV.
David

pstake · Jul 16, 2013

Hey, Simon! Good to hear from you here at APUG!

Thank you for all the GREAT film and paper from Ilford and Kentmere!

miha · Jul 16, 2013

brianmquinn said:
Miha, more Kentmere papers are listed on their web site.
I hope there will be an update with the above news soon.

http://www.kentmere.co.uk/products/producttype.asp?n=11&t=Kentmere+Photo+Papers

Hi Brian, the web site is out-of-date, hence my question to Simon, but he already aswered to Sal.

Bruce Osgood · Jul 16, 2013

"Product Discontinuation Notice From HARMAN technology Limited "

And the beat goes on.....

brianmquinn · Jul 16, 2013

miha said:
Hi Brian, the web site is out-of-date, hence my question to Simon, but he already aswered to Sal.

I know it is out of date. I kept wondering when or if it would be updated. My question / comment was a hope that the site would get an update. Or a least a product has been taken out of production note. Still it is better than no web site and many film makes are known for not keeping things current in their literature (Kodak and Fuji come to mind).

miha · Jul 16, 2013

What surprises me is that there is still a big enough demand for graded RC papers to stay in production. I would imagine they would have to go first.

BMbikerider · Jul 17, 2013

Simon. I use both Kentmere and Ilford papers although I prefer Kentmere FB as opposed to Ilford Multigrade FB for two reasons. The first being it is faster and secondly, takes less exposure and it has more 'Punch' than Ilford. By that I mean I can print Kentmere with no filtration and get a pretty decent print with a full range of contrasts, but with the Ilford version I have to use a grade 3 or even a grade 3.5 filter value to get the same result.

As Harman apparently own both Kentmere and Ilford would it not be possible to tweak the Ilford variant so that it is more like the Kentmere. Or reading between the lines as you own both companies, running two similar lines together at the same time, is counter to what the 'bean counters' (AKA Accountants) have said and the less used version has to go.

I submit the Kentmere version was a better product

I sincerely hope you are not going down the line that Jessops took in UK by swallowing up the smaller photographic outlets and closing them down one by one so reducing competition. (Then going bust themselves!)

StoneNYC · Jul 17, 2013

Simon. Your products are excellent and thanks for being the company with the best communication to its customers I've ever seen.

On that note, this made me think about your lines of product and what might be next.

I'm a big PanF+ fan as you know, but I can assume its also probably one if the lesser purchased films. So I was wondering if there were a way to make a PRE-announcement "hey guys, x product isn't doing so hot lately and if sales decline any more we will be forced to discontinue it" as a way of either allowing an even LONGER transition away from that product, or to get those who like it but haven't used it lately to be remembered why they love it and to use it more?

Or am I just crazy? Lol.

~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

David Allen · Jul 17, 2013

BMbikerider said:
Simon. I use both Kentmere and Ilford papers although I prefer Kentmere FB as opposed to Ilford Multigrade FB for two reasons. The first being it is faster and secondly, takes less exposure and it has more 'Punch' than Ilford. By that I mean I can print Kentmere with no filtration and get a pretty decent print with a full range of contrasts, but with the Ilford version I have to use a grade 3 or even a grade 3.5 filter value to get the same result.

As Harman apparently own both Kentmere and Ilford would it not be possible to tweak the Ilford variant so that it is more like the Kentmere. Or reading between the lines as you own both companies, running two similar lines together at the same time, is counter to what the 'bean counters' (AKA Accountants) have said and the less used version has to go.

I submit the Kentmere version was a better product

I sincerely hope you are not going down the line that Jessops took in UK by swallowing up the smaller photographic outlets and closing them down one by one so reducing competition. (Then going bust themselves!)

I concur that Kentmere is the better product. Since Adox FPVC was discontinued I have tried very many papers and have been using the Kentmere and that was a fine replacement.

I live for my photography but I barely scrap a living. The loss of a superb paper at an affordable price is going to hurt enormously.

For many years I have believed that Black & White photography would always survive albeit as a niche market. However, I never imagined that I might be priced out of the darksroom!!

David
www.dsallen.de

paul_c5x4 · Jul 17, 2013

BMbikerider said:
I use both Kentmere and Ilford papers although I prefer Kentmere FB as opposed to Ilford Multigrade FB for two reasons.[...]

I submit the Kentmere version was a better product

I also use both papers, but I wouldn't say one is better than the other. They have noticeably different characteristics both in terms of speed and tonal representation. Having seen a sizeable range disappearing from the market with Fotochemika last year, I think many of us hoped that the remaining brands would fill the void and survive.

Pooh Bear said:
Oh dear...

DLawson · Jul 17, 2013

StoneNYC said:
So I was wondering if there were a way to make a PRE-announcement "hey guys, x product isn't doing so hot lately and if sales decline any more we will be forced to discontinue it" as a way of either allowing an even LONGER transition away from that product, or to get those who like it but haven't used it lately to be remembered why they love it and to use it more?

I don't know whether photographic supplies are different, but the common response to news/rumors that a product will be discontinued is for consumers to abandon it. So pre-announcing would tend to kill the product even sooner.

Roger Cole · Jul 17, 2013

Ruh-roh. Based on Drew Wiley's recommendation I was planning to try it for a colder toned paper. Oh well.

Simon R Galley · Jul 17, 2013

Dear All,

Firstly: We are now attending to the KENTMERE website to bring it up to date.

Second: For those who liked the discontinued product, we are very, very sorry.

The KENTMERE and ILFORD brands are obviously very different, we discontinued this product as it was no longer viable to coat due to the low volumes sold. The ILFORD range of film and paper products have never had a product range deleted* since HARMAN technology Limited took over, and we have only added NEW products, this is our clearly stated committment to analog photography WE KEEP ALL ILFORD branded products.

* I am sure you will come back at me with ILFORD Cooltone Paper Dev, technically that was a 'NEW product' that never reached profitability and was pulled. Also I am aware some individual items eg sizes or sheet number choices may have been deleted.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited.

Klainmeister · Jul 17, 2013

Thanks again Simon. You can tell your superiors that because of your presence on this forum, you have gained a-many loyal customers, including myself. Sad to see Kentmere go, but WT FB is still the all time fav.

Sal Santamaura · Jul 17, 2013

Roger Cole said:
Ruh-roh. Based on Drew Wiley's recommendation I was planning to try it for a colder toned paper. Oh well.

You're still a bit of cash ahead of me:

Sal Santamaura said:
...Oh well, I probably just bought my first and last package of Kentmere Fineprint FB. At least you've announced its discontinuation before I set up the temporarily-converted-bathroom-darkroom next week and try printing on it. Money wasted but not time...

Want to buy a 25-sheet 8x10 package, 7 sheets of which I'd already split into 14 5x8s?

Simon R Galley said:
...For those who liked the discontinued product, we are very, very sorry...

Drew Wiley hasn't visited APUG since one day before this thread was started. From another, earlier thread on a different subject:

DREW WILEY said:
Dear Simon - if you had simply produced Kentmere Fineprint and MGWT a couple centuries earlier, we would have been perfectly content over here and never have claimed independence to begin with ... just be forewarned that if you ever ever discontinue either of these wonderful products it will probably constitute grounds for a third world war!

Simon, I'd start construction on that bunker before Drew returns to APUG from wherever he is at the moment.

AndreasT · Jul 17, 2013

Damn, my favourite from the look.

DREW WILEY · Jul 17, 2013

Simon - why not advertise it instead? Nobody knew about it. One of the best papers ever made ... and apparently there goes the last premium cold tone paper on the market. MG IV doesn't even come close to its richness.

Product Discontinuation Notice From HARMAN technology Limited :

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