Some Kodak B&W Film Deletions

[railwayman3]

Suzanne, Ilford FP4 is a beautiful film. Have fun.

I'll endorse that. FP4 is a great all-round film...I use a lot of that and HP5 (the latter speed since HP3 days!). I think of HP5 as a nice "old-fashioned" film..you "can't-go-far-wrong-with-it", if you see what I mean!

But all Ilford B&W stuff is good!

As for color slide, I'm not sure where I'll look when my stock of K64 is finished in a few months time. I'd only just discovered that EPP was still available and now that's gone!

 

[filmamigo]

I was really starting to like BW400CN in 120. Grainless and great tone.

I actually believed BW400CN might be one of the last films standing... with Kodak really streamlining most lines into C41 (ala Ektar "replacing" the E6 films).

I imagined a time 15 years from now when the Kodak catalog would consist only of Ektar 100, Portra 400NC, BW400CN and Tri-X 400.

Guess I was wrong.

 

[Cainquixote]

It is a real shame about the tri-x 320.

I was really starting to enjoy it in d76 1+1. It was simply stunning when i did everything right.

If this is true i guess i'll be going to the double fs. Foma and fuji.

 

[Bob Carnie]

My favorite film

I've got a feeling Harman might rapidly re-assess the viability of HP5 in 220

 

[K-G]

I've got a feeling Harman might rapidly re-assess the viability of HP5 in 220

I have used TXP-320 in 220 size for more than thirty years and it has been a wonderfull film when used in good lighting conditions. It's a shame that Kodak is going to discontinue it as it is the only remaining black and white film in 220 size on the market. If Harman can suply HP5+ or Delta 400 in 220 size, I will definitely switch to Ilford , both in 220 , 120 and 135 sizes. Today I mainly use TX-400 in 135 size but I have tried HP5+ and Delta 400 with good results, so I don't think the transition will cause any problems.
I might even think of using Ilford chemicals if Silverprint can find a way of sending them outside the UK.
Karl-Gustaf Hellqvist

 

[railwayman3]

I've got a feeling Harman might rapidly re-assess the viability of HP5 in 220

I think there is a thread here from last year where Simon G (of Harman)
explained that there there was no 220 packaging machinery existing or available on the market, and that to build a new machine would be impossibly expensive.

But if Kodak is stopping all 220 and their equipment could be bought and saved from scrapping, who knows.

 

[Martin Reed]

I think there is a thread here from last year where Simon G (of Harman)
explained that there there was no 220 packaging machinery existing and available on the market, and that to build a new machine would be impossibly expensive.

But if Kodak is stopping all 220 and their equipment could be bought and saved from scrapping, who knows.

Colin Hulley, who is my first point of contact at Harman, confirmed tonight that the original 220 gear at the Harman plant had gone

 

[Darkroom317]

Well there goes that 220 back I wanted for my RB67, oh well.

Also, I was out with my Voigtländer Bessa today and someone asked me, can you still get film for that?
It never ceases to amaze me about how many people don't realize that film is still made. I was at a photography symposium last May and was talking to a former National Geographic photographer who didn't know that Kodachrome was still available at the time.

I really wish that companies would start advertising for their product, however, it would be a costly endeavor.

 

[MikeSeb]

What the hell is happening with Kodak!

K

They are adapting to aggregate market demand for their products.

 

[Aurelien]

Harman already stated that they CAN NOT supply any film in 220 because their converting machine is dead, and building another one would be economically not possible. Maybe Kodak would sell its converting machine... I doubt: they prefer destroying their buildings, their history, and they are happy with that.
What I can't understand is why they discontinue TXP 320, and not PX125??? Maybe soon too. What will remain? TMAX 100 and 400, triX. That's all.

What about sheet films? All the TXP320 sheet film are going to die too, they won't coat this emulsion just for sheet film, don't dream.

Well, Kodak is a dying company. Digital won't save them.

Now, Ilford, Foma and Rollei are my friends in my cameras...

 

[Aurelien]

I forgot: Ilford is intelligent: they adapted their coating machine to make small amount of films: that's the case of Pan F, SFX and Maybe Delta 3200 that are coated in small quantities, when stocks are depleted. No big stock, they sell everything, and then they do not discontinue anything...

 

[removed account4]

Well, not that this is any thing authoritative, but I just got off the phone with Kodak about T-MAX 3200. The guy was very nice and said that he didn't see anything about it being discontinued. He told me that he checked the website, current product lists, and discontinuance notices. I'm in the US if it makes a difference.

Of course, take this with a grain of salt. It could very well be that the film isn't discontinued yet because they still have stock, even though they aren't making any more. I kind of get the feeling that Kodak doesn't delete a product number/line until they have no more stock left.

I'm still going to order some - I was getting low anyway

hi tim

they love to tell people things aren't gonna change until it is announced in the sunday papers.
when i learned of the plants closing in south america, i spoke with someone
who claimed he was some sort of vp, and he told me that they had no plans
on discontinuing any "black and white papers, chemicals or films in the near future"
within a few weeks ( maybe less i don't remember ) it was announced that
the weren't going to be making any papers anymore ...

luckily there are still companies that make and sell the things we still love and use,
and while it is a bummer that some of these things are becoming
unavailable that is the way of the future.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Would the OP posted if Fuji deleted a film? Not that Fuji ever did or would do. No only Kodak deletes film. How about going after Fuji for deleting its films? Or is this a thinly veiled attempt at Kodak Bashing, again, again, again?

Steve

 

[DanielStone]

I think the simple answer is this:

If you want it, shoot it, then they'll make more cause they're sold out, and there's a demand there for more"

I have been shooting mostly TMY-2 and efke 25 in all formats lately, and have been happy with those offerings. I decided to give a box of 320TXP a try a few months ago in 4x5. 1/2 way through I started to get the hang of it in HC-110 dil. H. boy, nice results!!!!

I'll definitely be shooting more TXP in 4x5, maybe in 120/220 too if its still available, but I'm pretty well stocked out in PL25(efke) and TMY-2 right now. so my limited student budget won't budge much more right now for film.

definitely a pity if it ends up going away all together though, I LOVE the results(albeit very few) results I've gotten so far!

-Dan

 

[mikebarger]

"I forgot: Ilford is intelligent: they adapted their coating machine to make small amount of films: that's the case of Pan F, SFX and Maybe Delta 3200 that are coated in small quantities, when stocks are depleted. No big stock, they sell everything, and then they do not discontinue anything..."


That's easy to do when your a niche company producing for a niche market. Checker is a great niche company that produces for a niche market......sorry, they're out of business. Not that much demand for a basic taxi these days.


Mike

 

[Chazzy]

I've got a feeling Harman might rapidly re-assess the viability of HP5 in 220

I certainly wish that they would.

 

[Chazzy]

I don't think this is to surprising. Tri-x 400 out sales 320 in 120, and 220 in anything isn't a factor anymore. A 3200 film, couldn't guess there would be to much demand for this stuff (knowing it is someone's favorite film).

I know it's a big deal to those that use these products, but I bet all of these put together it isn't much of a blip on worldwide film volume.

Mike

It may not mean much to you, but it's enough to make me switch from Kokak back to Ilford.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Those annoucements pi$$ me off!

Jeff

 

[Sim2]

This may not be popular and I regret seeing a company p*ss away it's heritage, experience and potential but Kodak have been slowly retreating for so long now they might as well stop phaffing around and get off the pot.

It is a shame to see products going off the market and I feel very sorry for people who love these products.

If the remaining players are savvy there is an opportunity to expand their sales, growth and market share - if the marketing depts (poeple?) are not thinking about how to entice the old Kodak users then they need their heads whacked!

Pity that Kodak couldn't bite the bullet and realise that their old sales volumes were never going to come back and "hive off" the analogue into newly formed stand alone entities under the Kodak umbrella - wasted opportunities.

Sim2

 

[mikebarger]

"It may not mean much to you, but it's enough to make me switch from Kokak back to Ilford."

I missed the announcement...how many offerings does Ilford have in the 300 to 400 range.....how many 220 products do they have??

How long ago did Ilford bail out of 220?? Seems like Kodak stayed with 220 until the market just got too small. Ilford is just a niche player. I use HP5 in 4x5 because Kodak doesn't offer Tri-x 400 in that size. I sure don't bash them because they made that decision.

Mike

 

[Tim Gray]

I think the situation is a lot more complicated than everyone makes it out to be. Kodak STILL offers a big portfolio of film. Rivaled only by Fuji most likely. And the market is collapsing, and has been. I'd also be willing to be that Kodak DOES have agile machines that can coat small sizes.

 

[removed account4]

Would the OP posted if Fuji deleted a film? Not that Fuji ever did or would do. No only Kodak deletes film. How about going after Fuji for deleting its films? Or is this a thinly veiled attempt at Kodak Bashing, again, again, again?

Steve

steve

it is just a bunch of film shooters wishing they weren't living in 2010
with a traditional photographic market shrinking down pitifully to a shadow of its former self ...
if ilford or foma, or forte, or bregger, or j&C or ...
discontinue films and papers the same sort of posts are made.

( yeah, i know half of the ones i mentioned are gone ... )

 

[mikebarger]

Sim2

Spinning them off as a separate part of Kodak isn't going to generate any addition profit but will generate extra overhead. I suspect there must not be anyone beating down the door to buy the analog part of the business.

Guess that's where our hero Ilford should step up to the plate and buy the Kodak analog division and make it a division of Ilford. Then all B&W film would be protected forever and we would get 220 back right away.

Mike

 

[2F/2F]

More ridiculousness from Rochester. They appear to have the demise of Kodak film products on a six month schedule.

With all Tri-X 320 gone in medium format, what makes them unique against Ilford's line? One thing: It's Tri-X 400 and not HP5...different for sure, but not as different as HP5 vs. Tri-X 320. There is no medium format film anything like Tri-X 320.

Just how long do you suppose they will keep Tri-X 320 alive as a single-format product, in sheets only?

Hopefully Tri-X 400 production and availability in 120 will increase as a result, if thre is any good news to be pulled from this.

Have they ever considered using the profits from a more popular film to cover up the losses from another, just for the sake of keeping a full product line? There is far too much overanalysis and ghettoization going on here. If a single film doesn't profit, they axe it. It is stupid. Do you see marker manufacturers discontinuing certain colors of markers simply because they are not selling as well as others? No. Because all colors are essential to attract people to the set.

 

[Sim2]

Do you see marker manufacturers discontinuing certain colors of markers simply because they are not selling as well as others? No. Because all colors are essential to attract people to the set.

LOL !

I love this analogy - great!