State of Kodak in 2019

[removed account4]

Fortunately it seems clear the Kodak and Kodak Alaris has little concern for Photrio or its participants.

yup or their psych bills to deal with all the negative-nancys would be through the roof !

 

[Ai Print]

I agree.

Fortunately it seems clear the Kodak and Kodak Alaris has little concern for Photrio or its participants.

Oh, I would not go that far, I reckon they just are choosing to not have a web presence on here at this time. Even Ilford’s Simon Galley was an unusual cadence of presence given how much less we hear from them now.

The film world in current form is much, much larger than just those who frequent this site.

 

[BrianShaw]

Oh, I would not go that far, I reckon they just are choosing to not have a web presence on here at this time. Even Ilford’s Simon Galley was an unusual cadence of presence given how much less we hear from them now.

The film world in current form is much, much larger than just those who frequent this site.

For clarification... I didn’t mean that in a negative way. I meant that they aren’t getting bent out of shape by discussions here. Their lack of participation is both consistent and understandable.

 

[Ai Print]

For clarification... I didn’t mean that in a negative way. I meant that they aren’t getting bent out of shape by discussions here. Their lack of participation is both consistent and understandable.

Ah, thanks! That makes sense and we all need that these days...;-)

 

[Photo Engineer]

I can assure you all that Kodak has a presence here!

 

[BrianShaw]

I can assure you all that Kodak has a presence here!

Who? How? Please elaborate!

I’m talking about Kodak present, not the ghosts of Kodak past or Kodak future.

 

[MattKing]

Those who know probably can't say how they know that PE is correct.
And I'll say no more.

 

[BrianShaw]

Those who know probably can't say how they know that PE is correct.
And I'll say no more.

Sorry, but that’s a malarkey response.

With all due respect, of course.

If Kodak is secretly watching, then so too are angels-on-high, the CIA and other intell services, and the bogeyman...

And I’ll say no more.

 

[Sirius Glass]

In any case, it's no use speculating what Kodak will do. In my dealings with Kodak I've found one profound truth. Everyone who works at Kodak is either a genius or an idiot. They have no one there that is of average intelligence. So unless you know who is making the decision, it's hard to say what will happen. If the idiots are in command, they'll likely sell the company for bitcoins. If the geniuses are calling the shots, they may stumble across cold fusion. I have no idea what their upper management consist of. I've only dealt with the engineers, sales, and support staff.

And like many companies the idiots float to the top and be geniuses are ignored by management.

 

[faberryman]

I can assure you all that Kodak has a presence here!

Why in the world would Kodak be watching Photrio? What could they possibly learn that isn't immediately obvious?

 

[removed account4]

Why in the world would Kodak be watching Photrio? What could they possibly learn that isn't immediately obvious?

dude
they gotta hang with their peeps

 

[Sirius Glass]

dude
they gotta hang with their peeps

And they are smart enough to keep their identity hidden so they are not attacked.

 

[BrianShaw]

Seriously, Serius? I’m real glad I previously stated that “I’ll say no more”...

 

[Arklatexian]

And they are smart enough to keep their identity hidden so they are not attacked.

Over 50 years ago, when I worked in a camera store, we called Kodak "The Great Yellow Father". They were our No.1 supplier and if we did not take our discount when we paid our Kodak bill, we were told that Kodak would start looking for someone who would take the discount. So, if receipts were slow in a month, we would take an extra bit of time paying other bills in order to pay "The Great Yellow Father" and take the discount. The Kodak salesmen, technical representatives and others were great. Some were personal friends but the company was all business and cold blooded as hell (that doesn't match, does it). At the time, as an amateur photographer, I had my choice of films, and paper from three manufacturers: Kodak, Ansco, and Agfa. DuPont had about dropped out of the picture except for Varigam and Varilour, our only VC papers. Today, I have my choice of twice as many manufacturers including Ilford, which we only read about in our British BJP books. So quit your bitching, you have it better today than any time in the past 50 years with the exception of "sob" Ektalure Opal, Cykora, Ardura, Indiatone Record Rapid, and a few others.........Regards! (The U.S. government still owned Ansco as an enemy alien property from WW2. Before the war it had belonged to Agfa)

 

[removedacct1]

So quit your bitching, you have it better today than any time in the past 50 years

Sounds about right to me.

 

[Lee Rust]

Since the chemical photography market has shrunk so much, it's very difficult for Kodak to operate at the same high levels of product consistency that we all used to take for granted, especially with outsourced raw materials. I sincerely hope they can transition into the smaller and more focused company that they need to be, but so far there have been some serious glitches. Naturally, the more new Kodak products we buy, the more likely they will be able to survive as an independent company.

The demand for Ektachrome is very encouraging, but the financial realities are dire. Could it be that the new 2018 product lines were introduced for the express purpose of propping up the stock price in anticipation of a 2019 loan default and subsequent buy-out?

 

[MattKing]

Sorry, but that’s a malarkey response.

With all due respect, of course.

If Kodak is secretly watching, then so too are angels-on-high, the CIA and other intell services, and the bogeyman...

And I’ll say no more.

There is a difference between "secretly watching", and having a presence here.

 

[BrianShaw]

There is a difference between "secretly watching", and having a presence here.

Yes. (Si)

 

[Photo Engineer]

It should not be beyond your comprehension to believe that Kodak has employees who are Phototrio members, or is it? Geez guys, I talk to Kodak people! I'm surrounded by them and have them sending me notes regularly. Come on! The CIA and the NSA is also looking at us as well as the FBI! Russian secret service (the old KGB and NKVD) are watching.

Oh, and Mulley and Sculder are here too. The truth is out there.

PE

 

[Pioneer]

I for one am darned glad that Kodak brought back two films this year. I am also happy that they actually stepped to the plate and determined the problem with the 120 film backing paper rather than just drop the products effected all together. This, despite obvious financial difficulties, is more than I see anyone else doing. To me this means that they are actually taking their photographic market seriously, unlike what may have happened within the company in the past.

Fuji, on the other hand, has done the opposite and continues to discontinue product. This despite huge profits.

Nuff said.

 

[MattKing]

What I find most heartening is that Ektachrome is a joint project involving both Kodak Alaris and Eastman Kodak, as well as both a still film and a motion picture film.

 

[Truzi]

[

"Oh, and Mulley and Sculder are here too. The truth is out there.

Don't forget their predecessor Carl Kolchak

 

[Photo Engineer]

I have a book autographed by Donald F. Keyhoe and knew members of project Blue Book.



PE

 

[cmacd123]

What I find most heartening is that Ektachrome is a joint project involving both Kodak Alaris and Eastman Kodak, as well as both a still film and a motion picture film.

the previous ektachrome Movie film (7285?) was re-purposed ektachrome still film, they found that with a few tweeks they could make the still film run in movie cameras. BY making one run that will work in both applications they effectively make the minimum run half as large, as long as both markets take similar amounts. I would guess that the Antistatic treatment used on EASTMAN Vision Print films could be used on the entire ektachrome run and would not be noticed by Still photographers.

 

[Helge]

Kodak recently sold a division to get some badly needed cash to cover debts. Kodak One is being sued over the bitcoin issue.

PE

You sound so fatalistic! Or is that just your succinct style?
I was about to accuse the OP of being unnecessarily and perhaps damagingly fatalistic and negative.
How bad is it?
Without Kodak, C41 film is pretty much finished (and E6 too) for good. Which of course would be a catastrophe to those of us who love the stuff.
I was under the impression that Kodak was if not on a steady rise, then at least had stabilised and got a solid money stream going with film?

Off a tangent, I think they are too mealy-mouthed about the real technical benefits and advantages of film. Or perhaps the PR side is not knowledgeable enough or capable of communicating it.
And I don't "just" mean stills but motion picture too.
As an example The Kodakery is a good podcast at times, but they are way too happy to wade through the same old cliches and hand wavy platitudes about the qualities of film.

Of course film has always had to have two legs to walk on. Motion picture industri uptake with rapid consumption of thousands of feet of film with high demands on homogeneous quality and speed.
And the small but steady trickle of the consumer market which happily used all of the technology of the cine market in altered and tweaked versions.