Sad news from Kodak - HIE, EPN, EPR

[Tim Gray]

Saw this over on photo.net, and went to the Kodak page to check. Unfortunately it looks to be true.

Link

Really sad. I was just getting the hang of HIE and was looking forward to making a large purchase of it to make some lovely photos. I guess I will be buying more than expected, but it will be a final (and almost first) fling.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

That's unfortunate. EPN was a real standard for accurate, neutral color--always my first choice for copy work.

 

[BrianShaw]

Boo hoo. But at least E100G and GX are fairly decent film judging rom my limited use of them.

 

[jd callow]

sh!t EPN was very good I won't miss EPR (they can take EPY away as well).

 

[walter23]

I discovered 4x5 HIE after it was discontinued when someone gave me a box for free. Shame the 35mm stuff is going too, though it was a bit too grainy for me (I have 4x5 expectations ).

 

[MattKing]

Can someone please cut and paste this announcement. One of the "peculiarities" of the Kodak website is that if you log in in a "country specific" manner,you will have difficulty following a link into another "country specific" page.

I haven't found a link to this information on the Kodak Canada website, and any Kodak link tends to re-direct me there.

Matt

 

[Tim Gray]

— Notice —
Preannounced Professional Film Discontinuances

November 2, 2007

KODAK is preannouncing the discontinuance of several smaller running families of Professional film - EPR, EPN and High Speed Infrared (HIE) effective end of December 2007. Demand for these products has been declining significantly in recent years, and it is no longer practical to continue to manufacture given the low volume, the age of the product formulations and the complexity of the processes involved.

We will continue to ship product through the end of this year.

These discontinuances are effective in all countries worldwide, with one exception: KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 64 Film / EPR will continue to ship to Japan beyond 2007.

Product CAT No.
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 64 Film / EPR 120 8350498
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 64 Film / EPR 135-36 8657124
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 64 Film / EPR / 6117 / 10 sh 4 x 5 in 1604719
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 64 Film / EPR / 6117 / 10 sh 8 x 10 in 1225341
The suggested replacement for KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 64 Film / EPR is
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film E100G or E100GX.

Product CAT No.
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 100 Film / EPN 120 8669467
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 100 Film / EPN 135-36 8004103
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 100 Film / EPN / 10 sh 4 x 5 in 1404474
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 100 Film / EPN / 50 sh 4 x 5 in 1489822
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 100 Film / EPN / 10 sh 8 x 10 in 1767276
The suggested replacement for KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 100 Film / EPN is KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film E100G or
KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME 100 Plus Film / EPP.

Product CAT No.
KODAK PROFESSIONAL High-Speed Infrared Film / 135-36 8101529

 

[MattKing]

Thanks Tim

Matt

 

[Removed Account]

Strange, I thought HIE had been discontinued several years ago!

- Justin

 

[jd callow]

Strange, I thought HIE had been discontinued several years ago!

- Justin

It had in all sizes, but 135.

 

[Aurelien]

Do you really think it 's a bad news? Kodak has been saying for a long time that they want to exit film market. SO, that is what they do. But when they will be out, kodak will certainly be very ill, maybe dead. It's a choice of this company. Bad choice, but their. Fuji made other (good) choices and that's is good news!

 

[jd callow]

All these films are old and very niche films. EPN was a great copy film, but digital is on par. EPN, EPR are 1970's formulas (PE will correct me) with big grain for their speed and have a very small following. HIE was/is a one of a kind, but commercial use seems to have gone away and consumer use was probably never enough to sustain it. This is not the sky is falling or Kodak is evil. This is (probably) a long over due business decision. I liked EPN because is crossprocessed so well and if you wanted a dead neutral trany it was the only choice. Other than freaks like me (and other APUGers) or the rare lab shooting 4x5 or 8x10 copy. who is going to spend 7.00 on a roll of film that is 2 stops slower and has larger grain than provia?

 

[AgX]

I assume time is coming for someone to show up with a doable recipe for spectrally re-sensitizing off-the-shelf films. To the IR then.

 

[abeku]

What a shame. I liked the HIE in 135-format. However, this was expected, as jd pointed out: niche films...

 

[Woolliscroft]

I always found HIE too grainy to use in 35mm anyway.

David.

 

[Aurelien]

Do not worry: Rollei are coating a very good IR film, and Ilford produces SFX, near IR film. So I won't miss kodak.

 

[AgX]

The HIE was exceptional in its kind of sensitation.

See my post above from that perspective.

 

[ben-s]

Another one bites the dust then...
I don't use either of the colour films, but I did like HIE.
It's odd, as when they discontinued EIR a couple of months back, they said that HIE was sticking around.
I think Kodak are reaching the "critical mass" where they (or their continuous coaters) are too big for the market.
It would be nice if they could set up a line similar to Ilford's, which can chop and change very rapidly between products - I guess the cost can't be justified though.
If they carry on like this, I think Mr. Perez's statements will be coming true soomer than expected.

 

[tim_walls]

. I guess I'm going to need to buy a stockpile of HIE for the freezer to sit next to the EIR that's already in there (and which I'm too afraid to ever shoot because I know I'll never get the chance again...)

 

[tony lockerbie]

I won't really miss HIE either but the lack of a anti halo backing did give it a special look that the other IR films don't have. Except for that one from Maco, I think it was called Aura or something, and was available in 5x4.... that was a good film.
Is it still made?
Tony

 

[eddym]

That's unfortunate. EPN was a real standard for accurate, neutral color--always my first choice for copy work.

Mine too. And I only have a few sheets left.

 

[AgX]

Is it [Maco IR 820c Aura] still made?

NO.

 

[rjphil]

I'm really going to miss EPN, as it has been my standard for photographing artwork for many years. I have used Astia, but I didn't like the reformulated version from a few years ago.
Just a note on stockpiling HIE - The base fog goes up rather quickly with age, even in the freezer. I've read that it was due to cosmic radiation, but am not sure about that.

 

[Uncle Bill]

I am not surprised in the cull with the Ektachrome slide films, I have used the E-100 series and I am happy with it.

Fuji has a simplified product line up in comparison to what Kodak was running with, so Big Yellow's rationalisation is not surprising. I would rather have just the E-100 series then no slide film at all.

 

[Tim Gray]

I can't say that it's not surprising, but it is sad. They are all old tech films with probably very niche uses, but still...

I never used the slide films, but HIE is unique. The range of its sensitivity and its lack of an anti-halation layer give it a wonderful look that can't be duplicated in other films. I'll miss it. Heck, I liked the grain too.