Report: Film at Photokina (part one ;-) )

[PKM-25]

There are a lot of people working at Eastman Kodak that are hoping to retain a job in an already depressed part of the country. The decisions are not made by these workers, but by a team of executives who count beans and who haven't exactly developed the best strategy over the years. That's not the fault of the majority of the amazing professionals that work there, churning out the best quality film in the world.

Support the films and products you like to support. Shoot what gives you the most pleasure and the best results, chances are that would be a Kodak emulsion. A photography world without Kodak would be a much poorer one, if you look beyond the politics of it, which has nothing to do with the joy of photography.

Bingo, this is what I see missing in a lot of the anti-Kodak talk. I don't think RattyMouse is a troll, but his not very well informed or thought out blurts of his feelings toward Kodak sound an awful lot like that of 12 year old. There are days I feel like I am reading a post by a kid...

Off topic, anyone notice that Freestyle keeps raising the prices on film in the past few months? Two weeks ago I ordered 30 rolls of Rollei IR400 at $8.99 a roll....now it is $9.99...:-O

 

[georg16nik]

... anyone notice that Freestyle keeps raising the prices on film in the past few months? Two weeks ago I ordered 30 rolls of Rollei IR400 at $8.99 a roll....now it is $9.99...:-O

Yes, Efke IR820 slow disappearance drove Rollei IR400 price up.

Nope, nor do I intend to. So I'll say it again - if you do, and if you have some allegations to make, and evidence, make them and show it.

I for one put less than zero stock in eyebrow wagging vague insinuations online without specifics.

No point of diluting Henning's thread further.
Even on APUG there are dozens of threads about how Kodak hands are being bend back, the lawsuits and who is interested in Kodak exit.
If You cared about Kodak., You'd keep yourself informed already.

 

[RattyMouse]

Bingo, this is what I see missing in a lot of the anti-Kodak talk. I don't think RattyMouse is a troll, but his not very well informed or thought out blurts of his feelings toward Kodak sound an awful lot like that of 12 year old. There are days I feel like I am reading a post by a kid...

Off topic, anyone notice that Freestyle keeps raising the prices on film in the past few months? Two weeks ago I ordered 30 rolls of Rollei IR400 at $8.99 a roll....now it is $9.99...:-O

12 year old? My goodness. It's really simple. It is demonstrably true that Kodak does not view film as their core business. No one can argue against that. They dont want to be in the film business. I choose to support a company that DOES want to be in the film business. If that is the rant of a 12 year old then so be it.

Not that my film consumption makes any real different, so it is all theoretical from a realistic point of view. Anyway, here is my last 7 days work.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

12 year old? My goodness. It's really simple. It is demonstrably true that Kodak does not view film as their core business. No one can argue against that. They dont want to be in the film business. I choose to support a company that DOES want to be in the film business. If that is the rant of a 12 year old then so be it.

Not that my film consumption makes any real different, so it is all theoretical from a realistic point of view. Anyway, here is my last 7 days work.

I'm glad you're so happy shooting Fuji film, another truly excellent choice and a first rate product. If I were you I wouldn't wonder what it would be like to shoot some other brand of film. Just continue shooting what you're happy shooting and leave it at that. Are you still using that Fuji 645 camera?

 

[RattyMouse]

I'm glad you're so happy shooting Fuji film, another truly excellent choice and a first rate product. If I were you I wouldn't wonder what it would be like to shoot some other brand of film. Just continue shooting what you're happy shooting and leave it at that. Are you still using that Fuji 645 camera?

Yep, all those rolls were pounded out by my GA645. A real fun camera to shoot with but a bit of a challenge as I enjoy low light street photography. ISO400 and f/4 do NOT make a good low light camera!

Still, I did a lot of daytime shooting as you can see from all that Reala that I shot.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Yep, all those rolls were pounded out by my GA645. A real fun camera to shoot with but a bit of a challenge as I enjoy low light street photography. ISO400 and f/4 do NOT make a good low light camera!

Still, I did a lot of daytime shooting as you can see from all that Reala that I shot.

How about a tripod? Even a monopod helps tremendously while allowing you fast movement, especially if you lean up against a wall or a light post it will be very stable down to long exposures.

Anyway, sorry to derail the thread. Back to Photokina.

 

[PKM-25]

Sorry to call a spade a spade, but you as a consumer do not have enough information to say if Fuji is more committed to film than Kodak is. There is a lot more to this than Fuji getting out of MP, Kodak staying in it, Fuji keeping the current still film line as long as it is profitable, Kodak selling the market end of theirs in order to see it move forward.

I know people at Kodak, you do not.....believe me, Kodak is not the CEO, it is the products and the people who work real hard at keeping it going.

 

[Henning Serger]

Hey guys, keep calm, please not such a superfluous Kodak versus Fuji flame war.
That does not make any sense.
I use both Kodak and Fuji film and want that both companies continue producing their excellent films.
I think we all can agree that this development would be the best for all of us.

Please don't waste your time in such flame wars. Instead use the time and go out shooting film.

I made my posting because of the Photokina. And the news both from Fuji and Kodak are quite positive. Please have a look at my latest report in English (the other thread).

Thanks and best regards,
Henning

 

[MattKing]

On the Freestyle pricing point, I would be willing to bet that with the exception of those products for which Freestyle are the distributors, Freestyle bases their prices on the prices currently being charged to them by the distributors they buy from.

And some of those distributors may themselves be buying from other distributors.

It is a lot easier for a distributor to increase a price, than a retailer.

 

[PKM-25]

Hey guys, keep calm, please not such a superfluous Kodak versus Fuji flame war.
That does not make any sense.
I use both Kodak and Fuji film and want that both companies continue producing their excellent films.
I think we all can agree that this development would be the best for all of us.

Please don't waste your time in such flame wars. Instead use the time and go out shooting film.

I made my posting because of the Photokina. And the news both from Fuji and Kodak are quite positive. Please have a look at my latest report in English (the other thread).

Thanks and best regards,
Henning

I agree Henning, in fact I am on a shoot right now using film, it's how I make my living.

 

[Roger Cole]

I agree except that I certainly haven't seen any "flame wars." Anyone who thinks there have been any flames at all in this thread just hasn't been around the Internet much.

I like Kodak color film a lot and hope it sticks around. I use it almost exclusively in color neg, except for some Fuji and long gone and lamented Agfa Optima that I got in a package deal off eBay, reportedly frozen since purchased and definitely frozen by me since I got it, that all works beautifully. I like Tri-X and TMY-2 but could live without them. Same for T-Max RS. I'll likely continue using those as long as they are available, so I am supporting Kodak.

I also shoot Pan F+, FP4+ and Delta 3200, and love them all for what they do best.

 

[K-G]

Please don't waste your time in such flame wars. Instead use the time and go out shooting film.

+ 1

Karl-Gustaf

 

[RattyMouse]

Sorry to call a spade a spade, but you as a consumer do not have enough information to say if Fuji is more committed to film than Kodak is. There is a lot more to this than Fuji getting out of MP, Kodak staying in it, Fuji keeping the current still film line as long as it is profitable, Kodak selling the market end of theirs in order to see it move forward.

I know people at Kodak, you do not.....believe me, Kodak is not the CEO, it is the products and the people who work real hard at keeping it going.

1. Kodak's own words state clearly that film is not their core business, hence why it is for sale.
2. I do not care one wit about MP film.
3. None of my comments are directed at the employees of Kodak's film division.
4. All of my comments are directed at Kodak's senior executive staff.

 

[Bertil]

Question: suppose Kodak manages to sell their film division, would that be bad?
Would that necessarily mean that Kodak's films disappear from the market?
Why buying the film division just in order to kill it?

These films are among the best on the market, some the very best. There is, after all, a reasonable demand for their products, evan if the volume isn't what it was.

For those of us who want their pruducts still being on the market, it's not imortant who makes them.
If Kodak wants to do something else than making films, why not let Kodak make somethinhg else (if they still want to survive as a comapny) and let someone else make these films, evan if they, perhaps, will be produced under some different names.
Kodak isn't important, their products/films are!
/Bertil