How can you know for sure it won't happen? You can't, as you can only make this discovery after the fact.
RattyMouse,
I don't disagree with you. In fact I, like you and your friends, will not use it unless I know for sure that the word "KODAK" and the frame numbers do not appear in my exposed frame. If I were Kodak I would hire a PR person just to monitor these analog forums and report findings from and to the company, because the way it is now the consumer is kept in the dark.
Whoa Drew, you touched a soft spot with me! I drove a Ford Explorer for years and the only thing that rolled over was the odometer. Well, I'm not saying Ford didn't have a design problem, but I never experienced it. Just like you with TMY2 in 120. I agree the the film itself is 1st rate, but the packing certainly is in question. I'll say again, if heat/humidity are the issue all of a sudden then there has to be a problem somewhere on the manufactures end. Of course unless our environment has somehow changed and is now producing some mysterious gas that's causing a chemical reaction with the dyes used or maybe, just maybe it's aliens???Well, again admitting I don't shoot the 120 version often, I will state that the quality control on the TMY400 sheet film I use, along with TMX100, and
then the remaining color films from Kodak has been superb. So I certainly don't think of them as a secondary player. I've even made batch to batch
densitometer readings on these, and they've been remarkably consistent. So going around badmouthing Kodak due to some hypothetical temporary issue with backing paper is a bit overdone. If you've ever been forced to shoot EU films, you'll never complain about Kodak quality again. This is a company we need to keep alive. It just might be the last serious color film manufacturer standing. These kind of complaints are like saying you'll
never buy a BMW again because you once had a flat tire with one. Now, if it's a Ford Exploder rollover epidemic, that's a different story. But please
keep things in proportion.
Well, again admitting I don't shoot the 120 version often, I will state that the quality control on the TMY400 sheet film I use, along with TMX100, and
then the remaining color films from Kodak has been superb. So I certainly don't think of them as a secondary player. I've even made batch to batch
densitometer readings on these, and they've been remarkably consistent. So going around badmouthing Kodak due to some hypothetical temporary issue with backing paper is a bit overdone. If you've ever been forced to shoot EU films, you'll never complain about Kodak quality again. This is a company we need to keep alive. It just might be the last serious color film manufacturer standing. These kind of complaints are like saying you'll
never buy a BMW again because you once had a flat tire with one. Now, if it's a Ford Exploder rollover epidemic, that's a different story. But please
keep things in proportion.
Have you looked into how the film is being distributed, or perhaps stored en route? I have a very substantial amount of expensive Kodak film on hand, and currently shoot everything from 35mm to 8x10. Zero issues. I know of manufacturers buying entire batches of TMY and TMX due to its
consistent quality. I'm not denying that Kodak might have hit a glitch from some paper contractor and need to address it, but that kind of issue was routine for some EU sources. Even the film boxes leaked light! So your extremely small statistical sample of problems does not affect my high opinion of Kodak. I think the film and paper products they still do offer are better than ever.
Clarification about whom Brian and Sal are referring to:
Real systems engineers work with hardware and software systems, physics, optics, thermodynamics, propulsion, spacecraft, control systems, computers, networks, information security et al. The computer toads who claim to be systems engineers have co-opted are merely computer nerds who know nothing about anything that is not designed by Intel and Micro$oft, but they do have a worthless piece of paper from Micro$oft.
Have you looked into how the film is being distributed, or perhaps stored en route? I have a very substantial amount of expensive Kodak film on hand, and currently shoot everything from 35mm to 8x10. Zero issues. I know of manufacturers buying entire batches of TMY and TMX due to its
consistent quality. I'm not denying that Kodak might have hit a glitch from some paper contractor and need to address it, but that kind of issue was routine for some EU sources. Even the film boxes leaked light! So your extremely small statistical sample of problems does not affect my high opinion of Kodak. I think the film and paper products they still do offer are better than ever.
I summarize it similarly, but different. Folks want to bemoan the demise of film but complain about the few remaining film maufactuets. It's canibalizm - were starting to eat our own kind!Guilty until proven innocent. I'm sure everyone has a grudge on one film manufacturer or another. Add them all up, and usable film must not exist!
I predict that, at some point after the supply chain (and Eastman Kodak's current stock) is exhausted, we'll see an announcement about Kodak 120 films being manufactured with a "new, improved" backing paper. One that actually works under all reasonably expected conditions.
...simply continuing to complain about the situation does nobody any good; it just makes for longer threads and distracts from more useful discussions.
"Shutting up" is not what I suggest. Refraining from continuous, repetitious posting (after an issue is identified and occasionally statused) better captures my advice. Sometimes those who must listen to a wheel that squeaks too much can decide it's easier to shoot out the tire than apply grease.^^^ I'm not so sure just shutting up about the problem is the right approach. "Squeaky wheel"...
Unfortunately, there is a second possibility: If they can't get a good backing paper supplier, they quit making 120 film.
Fred posted while I was composing. Yet another possibility that could lead Eastman Kodak to the same conclusion....Sometimes those who must listen to a wheel that squeaks too much can decide it's easier to shoot out the tire than apply grease.
"Shutting up" is not what I suggest. Refraining from continuous, repetitious posting (after an issue is identified and occasionally statused) better captures my advice. Sometimes those who must listen to a wheel that squeaks too much can decide it's easier to shoot out the tire than apply grease.
Guilty until proven innocent. I'm sure everyone has a grudge on one film manufacturer or another. Add them all up, and usable film must not exist!
Either Eastman Kodak's stock of backing paper ran out and it could no longer source more from the same supplier, or, responding to the rampant bitching and moaning about how expensive its film is, it put the backing paper contract out for bid, then selected the low bidder, which allegedly met Eastman Kodak's specification. The specification might not have included sufficient bleed through immunity requirements.
Either way, it's pretty obvious that the sequence was 1) Eastman Kodak changed paper 2) problems ensued. This is the same experience HARMAN had with its 120 backing paper not too long ago. Whether shipment, storage and use environmental conditions exacerbated the backing paper's tendencies is irrelevant. The same conditions existed for product shipped previously that used the old paper and we didn't hear of the problem before.
t is an unwanted interaction that enhances the film's sensitivity
In the meantime HP5 is cheaper here in the UK anyway so I will be buying a brick of that when I have used up my 120 TriX.
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