Worried about 120 film being discontinued?

[Arctic amateur]

I'm worried about coating/finishing machines breaking, since the trend seems to be that when that happens, whatever that machine was making gets discontinued.

 

[gone]

Worrying is a terrible waste of time and energy. It accomplishes nothing. Yet a lot of us, including me, apparently enjoy it! Like the Dali Lama said, if you can do something about an issue, do it. If you can't, let it go. Drop it.

You can stock up on lots of 120 film. So there's that. But what the film makers do is totally out of your control, so don't spend a second worrying about that end. People will tell you to buy film to insure that it continues to be made. I wish it worked like that. No film maker is going to go under because one individual stopped buying it, and all you can control is what you do.

 

[aoresteen]

All I need is one B&W 120 film. Any speed. My freezer is in good shape as I have plenty of 120 Verichome Pan, Agfapan 25, and Ilford HP-5. Should all production cease of 120 roll film (never will happen IMHO) I guess I'll get a digital back for my Hasselblad & sell the rest.

 

[railwayman3]

I'm worried about coating/finishing machines breaking, since the trend seems to be that when that happens, whatever that machine was making gets discontinued.

Don't worry, it's not worth it, by 2115, it won't matter to you or I.

On a more encouraging note, our local branch of Boots (big UK pharmacy/household chain) has four kinds of color neg (including "bargain holiday packs" of 5 films), but, more specifically, Ilford HP5+ in 120 has been a stock item on the shelves for the last 6 months. And it's only a quite small branch in a local town, not a big city shop.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

The best way to ensure that film continues to be made is to keep buying and using it!

 

[Harry Stevens]

Well I certainly miss my Shanghai GP3 120 roll film.

 

[DREW WILEY]

120 color neg film is abundant and processing widely available. Black and white 120, no problem - lots of choices out there. However, the selection of chrome films of all formats is steadily declining.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Don't worry. Buy and shoot 120! That sends a clear message to film manufacturers that there's a market. Also, go on ebay and see how many folks are buying 120 cameras. Hopefully, they're not just collectors

 

[Sirius Glass]

We're all doomed

All siriusness aside. I am not worried about 120 black & white and color negative film disappearing. I process both and print both. I have a stash in the freezer. I buy up all of a discontinued film which I like when I first hear that it is disappearing. I never cared for the lack of selection of 220 films.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

The Ilford films (Delta 400 and HP5 Plus) that I received today from B&H have expiration dates in 2018. To me that's far enough ahead to suggest they are still being produced. We can either sit here and electronically wring our hands, or shoot what we have and buy some more. The latter is more likely to keep them available -- yes? :munch:

Yesp!
And I can tell you that your Ilford films should be about 2 years old.
Most Ilford/Kentmere films have a 5 year shelf life.
My latest Kentmere is dated to 2020.

 

[mgb74]

Of course 120 film will be discontinued. It's just a matter of time. But keep in mind you can still buy these, so don't sell your MF cameras yet.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

All siriusness aside. I am not worried about 120 black & white and color negative film disappearing. I process both and print both. I have a stash in the freezer. I buy up all of a discontinued film which I like when I first hear that it is disappearing. I never cared for the lack of selection of 200 films.

Sorry, but that is the wrong attitude.
If you are only buying "second hand" films, then what is going to happen to fresh film?
That's right: it stays in shelves until someone buys it at a much reduced price.
You tell me what shop or factory can live from very reduced profit margins.

Please, don't put film on freezer, that is for food.
Just buy it fresh and use it immediately.

 

[Texsport]

Ferrania will be up and running soon, but I'd like CineStill to make another attempt at financing 120 production.

Texsport

 

[DREW WILEY]

Favorite films and papers and have come and gone as long as I can remember. The best way to have the film you want exactly when you want it is to have a dedicated freezer. 120 film is outright cheap in general. But when I look at my stash of 8x10 color film, and realize that
some of these same products have tripled in price in just a few years, a freezer makes more sense than ever. ... at least until my wife tries
to stuff a frozen turkey in there too!

 

[eddie]

Sorry, but that is the wrong attitude.
If you are only buying "second hand" films, then what is going to happen to fresh film?

I took sirius to mean he buys up his favorite emulsions when the announcement is made that they're going to be discontinued, not that he buys "second hand" film. If you have favorite films, I think it makes sense.

 

[eddie]

Favorite films and papers have come and gone as long as I can remember.

For as long (4+ decades) as I've been doing it, too. If photography is important to you, you'll adapt as photographers have done since the beginning.

 

[Sirius Glass]

All siriusness aside. I am not worried about 120 black & white and color negative film disappearing. I process both and print both. I have a stash in the freezer. I buy up all of a discontinued film which I like when I first hear that it is disappearing. I never cared for the lack of selection of 200 films.

Sorry, but that is the wrong attitude.
If you are only buying "second hand" films, then what is going to happen to fresh film?
That's right: it stays in shelves until someone buys it at a much reduced price.
You tell me what shop or factory can live from very reduced profit margins.

Please, don't put film on freezer, that is for food.
Just buy it fresh and use it immediately.

I am buying fresh film.
I have been doing this for decades as I have never eaten roll film nor sheet film. Sealed film is sealed film is sealed film. Once the packaging has been open, the film is moved to the refrigerator in Zip-Lok bags. I asked when I worked at Kodak about freezing film and food. I was told there is not problem with that. Now you show me a vetted scientific study that says otherwise.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I took sirius to mean he buys up his favorite emulsions when the announcement is made that they're going to be discontinued, not that he buys "second hand" film. If you have favorite films, I think it makes sense.

Eddie understands.

 

[Prest_400]

Ferrania will be up and running soon, but I'd like CineStill to make another attempt at financing 120 production.

Texsport

Cinestill are still working on 120 and recently saw Adam Goldberg post about a single roll he was given, handrolled and from 70mm. When, how and what... Don't know. But perhaps they still have it in the map.

120 is one of the foundations of film and quite widespread, don't expect to see it going away anytime soon.


<Beamed through Tapatalk relay>

 

[Ai Print]

Personally, I do worry that 120 film will cease to be produced- like 220 has.
I invested in two Hasselblad bodies and lenses, and it will be a shame to not be able to shoot 120.
Just the craziness about the pricing of film backs ($50 for A24 and $250 for A12) makes me wonder.

A Hasselblad Digital back is like $10k.. But that's very steep.

I have a fairly large Hasselblad V system that includes 10x 120 film backs that I use for ad shoots ad fine art so I am most certainly counting on 120 being around for a long time, at least in black and white. 220 film backs are worth about the same as 70mm backs because there is practically nothing left for them, I sold all but one 220 back for the 80 or so rolls of 220 I have left. I have noticed 120 backs going up, makes sense since there is a finite supply of them.

And yeah, even at 10K the D-back is not cheap, but in my case it makes it to where I can now fully rely on my Hasselblad system for a lot of different kinds of work, it actually sees me shooting more 120 black and white film because I am choosing that system over another one.

So do what I do, buy a bunch of it and then routinely rotate stock as you shoot it. I have about 5 years worth of 120 film in the freezer but replace it about 4 times a year.

 

[Harry Stevens]

I have got 120 5 roll pack of Tri-X 400 that expired in 1978 in the freezer, made in England and before they messed with the silver content.

I am saving it for something special.

 

[bdial]

I am not worried for the near term.
I bought a sheet film back (Hasselblad) for long term insurance. I'll either make my own film, or buy it from a cottage industry maker then.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

I am buying fresh film.
I have been doing this for decades as I have never eaten roll film nor sheet film. Sealed film is sealed film is sealed film. Once the packaging has been open, the film is moved to the refrigerator in Zip-Lok bags. I asked when I worked at Kodak about freezing film and food. I was told there is not problem with that. Now you show me a vetted scientific study that says otherwise.

Eddie understands.

Sirius
I do understand.
I just think you are delaying the inevitable.
If a film is discontinued, then why carry on using it instead of finding a replacement that is still in production and support the manufacturer this way?
As an example, I've used a ton of Kodak EBX. When that one was axed together with all other E6 Kodak films, I went to find a replacement as soon the discontinuation notice was put up. In fact, here in the UK all remains of that film were sold out in a week or 2 even though the price had almost doubled since it was announced its axing.
So, what's the point of holding to a film that is no longer in production?
Every time you use it, it is a reminder that you have one less roll and that one day there will be not one left.
For me it is just painful.
I still have a roll of EBX left. It is in a drawer just as a reminder of what Kodak used to be.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

I have got 120 5 roll pack of Tri-X 400 that expired in 1978 in the freezer, made in England and before they messed with the silver content.

I am saving it for something special.

I was given a roll of Ilford HP4 that expired in the same year I was born, so 44 years ago.
It looked as it had left the factory today.
I used it and developed it in Rodinal 1+100 1 hour stand.
It came out almost black. You could barely read the rebate.

 

[Roger Cole]

I have stockpiled and frozen all the Provia 400X I could afford to buy. Since there is still some out there I may be able to buy more after the first of the year.

There IS no substitute. The only other slide films still being made are two stops (Provia 100F and Velvia 100) or three stops (Velvia 50) slower. There is the Rollei Digibase 200 but even that is a full stop slower and reports on quality are mixed. Since I shoot slides for projection at events held through the summer, often enough in shade or overcast, there simply isn't anything else. Yes, I could push Provia 100F two stops but not with the quality I get from 400x (and I could also push the 400X at need.)

I DO shoot Provia 100F (and my frozen stock of E100G *g*) when the light allows.

I have enough 400X to last me through the events of next year. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a 400 speed E6 film from Film Ferrania by 2017.