T-Max 100 (120) backordered?

[Roger Cole]

Freestyle now says expected Sep. 2.

I never cared for TMX myself but I know many do. FP4+ and Delta 100 are excellent films, as is Acros with a rather different spectral response and thus look.

Ektar 100 was also mentioned above but I was able to find it everywhere I looked. That's a relief. There's just nothing else like it anymore.

 

[bvy]

Freestyle now says expected Sep. 2.

They just keep pushing it out. Before that it was July, before that, May.

 

[RattyMouse]

They just keep pushing it out. Before that it was July, before that, May.

Just use Ilford film.

 

[mnemosyne]

Last week, German company Nordfoto has informed its customers that Tmax 100 in 120 format is still out of stock (it was supposed to become available again at the end of the year) and shipments will be delayed by another 3 months or so (new stock ist now due in March 2017).

 

[bvy]

I got tired of waiting. I ordered T-Max 400.

 

[LAG]

in the meantime

I got tired of waiting. I ordered T-Max 400.

I admire your resilience and your patience. Well done!

 

[bvy]

I admire your resilience and your patience. Well done!

I used up my remaining Acros "in the meantime." The T-Max 100 was supposed to replace that for me. I only shoot it during the warm months anyway.

 

[LAG]

I used up my remaining Acros

That would have been my advice (Neopan 100, slightly more expensive than Tmax-100 where I live*) but I thought I have arrived too late for this debate to say anything ...

Best

* Neopan Across 100 (x5) 34 € . T-Max 100 (x5) 31 €

 

[aldevo]

FreeStyle Photo currently has Kodak TMAX 100 120 Size 5 packs out of stock with a "expected delivery date from vendor" of February 24, 2017. So...maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel...but I know the availability date has been delayed at least once already.

 

[bvy]

FreeStyle Photo currently has Kodak TMAX 100 120 Size 5 packs out of stock with a "expected delivery date from vendor" of February 24, 2017. So...maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel...but I know the availability date has been delayed at least once already.

It's been backordered for almost (if not) a year now. The FreeStyle dates are meaningless. It's perpetually four to six weeks out.

 

[RattyMouse]

If TMAX 100 has been back ordered for a year, I think Kodak Alaris owes customers an explanation.

 

[bvy]

If TMAX 100 has been back ordered for a year, I think Kodak Alaris owes customers an explanation.

Backing paper.

 

[aldevo]

If TMAX 100 has been back ordered for a year, I think Kodak Alaris owes customers an explanation.

Did you think to ask for one?

I emailed the ProFilm division in late October, 2016. Here is the response I received:

"As you may be aware, we have had some problems with frame numbers appearing as a latent image on our 120 format B&W film negatives. As a result, earlier this year we implemented some backing paper modifications which should eliminate the potential for this type of imperfection going forward.

We are still working through some material component issues that are specific to T-Max 100. We apologize for the inconvenience, but hope you can appreciate that we would rather err on the side of protecting our B&W film customers.

If all goes according plan, shipments of T-Max 100 should be resuming again early next year."

 

[NB23]

Since when can paper, a 1000 years old technology with absolutely no secrets, can cause such a shortage?

Lotsa BS going on

 

[MattKing]

Since when can paper, a 1000 years old technology with absolutely no secrets, can cause such a shortage?

Lotsa BS going on

Since each of films, special purpose paper and inks have changed, when the changes interact with each other.
If you have a simple solution for Kodak's wrapper offset problem that is different from what they have been trying, I'm sure that they would like to hear from you.

 

[bvy]

Since each of films, special purpose paper and inks have changed, when the changes interact with each other.
If you have a simple solution for Kodak's wrapper offset problem that is different from what they have been trying, I'm sure that they would like to hear from you.

Indeed. Not to mention that the paper is not of uniform thickness. This is hardly 1000 year old technology.

 

[RattyMouse]

Did you think to ask for one?

Nope. However, if an entire product was to disappear for 1 year I would think that Kodak would not wait until customers try to contact them to inform them of this drastic situation.

 

[NB23]

Since each of films, special purpose paper and inks have changed, when the changes interact with each other.
If you have a simple solution for Kodak's wrapper offset problem that is different from what they have been trying, I'm sure that they would like to hear from you.

"Dead Kodak,

Ask Fomapan for help.

Regards

NB23"

Good enough?

 

[MattKing]

"Dead Kodak,

Ask Fomapan for help.

Regards

NB23"

Good enough?

Might work if you had older technology films like Fomapan, and a paper supplier who hadn't modernized their inks.

 

[NB23]

Might work if you had older technology films like Fomapan, and a paper supplier who hadn't modernized their inks.

"Modernized"

What kind of modernization are we talking about if it throws you back a few years behind?

You see? We are beginning to scratch the BS I was talking about earlier.

But there is more BS than that. There is the BS lies that they've been serving us.

And then the BS that they're "working on it".

And the BS that they must adjust the pricing of theor films to keep up with the BS of research and development (new inks and so on).

And the truth might probably simply lie in the fact that they simply run one film coating per year and thus they are waiting for tmax 100's coating turn. And this would mean that all the above was pure BS, including the "new ink" BS.

No, I mean really, Kodak is BSing us in a major way.

 

[NB23]

And what irks me more are the customers that are being BS'd who take Kodak's defense as if they owed Kodak something.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

At the end of the day, if they don't come up with the goods, then you can say they BS'd us.

 

[MattKing]

I'd like to see some facts, because the assertions you make are inconsistent with the facts we have.
Like the fact that there have been at least two new sets of backing paper since their old, most likely Kodak produced backing paper ran out.
Like the fact that Kodak is quite willing to refer to other products as being produced infrequently or only on special order.
Like the fact that Kodak has been able to schedule production and satisfy orders for other films, while T-Max 100 isn't being supplied despite clear demand.
The films were modernized and production was centralized. Subsequently the backing paper production changed. Problems arose. There have been attempts to deal with them.
T-Max 100 is different than their other films, particularly in respect to the UV blocking layer used in it. Is it particularly surprising that the wrapper offset might manifest itself differently?
And as for Kodak defense - I do have decades of both direct experience with Kodak and its employees, as well as decades of satisfactory experience with their products. The people within the current versions of Kodak that I have had contact with seem to me to have the quality of their products and the satisfaction of their customers in the forefront. Why wouldn't I support them?

 

[Alan Klein]

I'm not a fan of the look with T grain films, but I prefer Delta 100 to T-Max when I do shoot it. If I had any in the freezer I would give it to you, but I'm all out(except for a box of 4x5).

Why Delta 100 over Tmax 100?

 

[NB23]

The people within the current versions of Kodak that I have had contact with seem to me to have the quality of their products and the satisfaction of their customers in the forefront. Why wouldn't I support them?

You sure sound like a Kodak employee.

"Quality product" while it's clearly not a quality product.

"Customer satisfaction at the forefront" while it's clearly not on the forefront.

You must be kidding.

Please don't waste anynore energy on trying to make me understand how good Kodak is and how much they Love their customers. You're really atarting to sound like a Kodak rep. So far they've been a major fail.