Topic: Kodak

[DaveO]

    Now that Kodak is going or has gone out of business, is anyone picking up the manufacture of their Portra and Ektar film or should I stock up on it?

[LT]

Has there been new developments Dave? Last I could find on Google was the stuff around The film division being up for sale. I can't find anything about it actually ceasing production?

[DaveO]

    I haven't heard anything at all.  Hopefully it will continue to be made.

[Francois]

It's been a really long time since we've last heard anything from them. I wonder how they're going and how much work is left to sort this mess out?

[ChristopherCoy]

I had to quit using Tri-X because of this very reason. No one knows anything, has heard anything, can confirm anything, and I need a film with a stable future.

[Nigel]

I had to quit using Tri-X because of this very reason. No one knows anything, has heard anything, can confirm anything, and I need a film with a stable future.

I would think Tri-x and the other mainstream Kodak films have as much of a stable future as any currently in production. I think they'll find a buyer and the films will continue to be made for many years to come. Tri-X, as I understand it, is one of the worlds best selling films, I can't imagine that someone wouldn't pick it up.

[ChristopherCoy]

Tri-X, as I understand it, is one of the worlds best selling films, I can't imagine that someone wouldn't pick it up.

That's what I've heard a lot of people say... but still, no one knows for certain.

[Fluminian]

Has there been new developments Dave? Last I could find on Google was the stuff around The film division being up for sale. I can't find anything about it actually ceasing production?

It seems Kodak is looking for bankruptcy plan extension.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130128/BUSINESS/301280029/Kodak-bankruptcy-timeline-extension

[LEAFotography]

I hope Kodak films do have a stable future. Though the overall volume of film sold has slumped due to the popularity of digital, we know there is still a viable market for consumer/pro film, albeit in smaller quantities.  Some of the European film makers struggle to produce the quantities needed for a continuous supply, and what that shows is a small, steady but hungry market out there.  I read a while back that Kodak would continue to produce 35mm cine film for the present, though the article was less clear about consumer/pro 135/120 formats. Kodak's recipes/patents and their processing machines remain a valuable, saleable, and desirable asset, and at very worst (full receivership/administration or the USA equivalent) these would be sold, probably at under their market value and I suspect snaffled up by a company somewhere. My best guess would be by a Chinese company, their increasing 'luxury' market is both developing acquiring high end products.  I think someone there will have noticed Kodak's reputation and quality and be wondering/exploring options as we speculate.  Lomo have shown that retro/lo-fi fun photography is chic/cool and film photography seems to be an endearing and enduring medium with growing popularity of steady growth, with an added morsel of quirky elitism in some circles. For companies with vision, now is the time to be IN.  Just my 15 frames...

[zapsnaps]

Chapter11, broadly, allows a company to carry on trading, but with protection from its creditors. US airlines continue fly under Chapter 11, so one cannot presume that film production - or anything else - will cease as a result of Kodak's filing for Chapter 11 protection. Although I think that their 'valuable patents' may not be quite as valuable as they would hope for.

So, if you stockpile their film now, you will be helping them, or you, or both. Nothing can be lost from panic buying, in this context.

[Nigel]

So, if you stockpile their film now, you will be helping them, or you, or both. Nothing can be lost from panic buying, in this context.

My trouble is every time this story surfaces I get a little uneasy and buy anther brick of Tri-X, very soon I'm not going to be able to close the fridge door! 

[LEAFotography]

So, if you stockpile their film now, you will be helping them, or you, or both. Nothing can be lost from panic buying, in this context.

My trouble is every time this story surfaces I get a little uneasy and buy anther brick of Tri-X, very soon I'm not going to be able to close the fridge door! 

...cue panic buying of freezers/fridges

[Terry]

I'm inclined to think (hope?) that Zapsnaps is right: I don't think there's an airline currently flying in the US, except perhaps Southwest, that hasn't been in chapter 11 'bankruptcy'.  As I understand it, it's mainly to allow restructuring and prevent hostile takeovers by predators. 

[Rafael Morales]

Buy film.

[jojonas~]

I'm inclined to think (hope?) that Zapsnaps is right: I don't think there's an airline currently flying in the US, except perhaps Southwest, that hasn't been in chapter 11 'bankruptcy'.  As I understand it, it's mainly to allow restructuring and prevent hostile takeovers by predators. 

interesting point that last one. investment companies can fuck shit up, if you'll excuse my language

[Late Developer]

As far as I'm aware, the only Kodak film division that's no longer making film is cinematic - and that's probably because most films movies are shot in digital these days.

[Ed Wenn]

I need a film with a stable future.

I think it's called digital memory 

[ChristopherCoy]

I think it's called digital memory 

No, that's called Ilford.

[LT]

I had to quit using Tri-X because of this very reason. No one knows anything, has heard anything, can confirm anything, and I need a film with a stable future.

I cant see why you needed to stop using it already? In fact if Kodak needed your purchase at any time, it is now!  It is still being made, and the master rolls will be sufficient to keep the stuff going for quite some time to come. Agfa stopped production of APX 100 5 years ago, yet there are still rolls of the old version available.

I'd say stick with it, and stockpile. When the time comes to change to a new film, just change then.  Where's the hardship?

 

[Francois]

Personally, I'd just keep on using tri-x like if there was nothing going on. If all users stockpile and stop buying regularly because their freezer is full, it's going to seriously screw-up their production figures and will make it even more likely that they will be forced to stop production. What they need is a constant cash flow, not a big jump in figures and then nothing.

[LT]

Good point François. Keep Calm & Carry On is the order of the day.

[Fluminian]

Kodak closes its digital imaging patent sale, settles disputes

[ChristopherCoy]

I cant see why you needed to stop using it already? In fact if Kodak needed your purchase at any time, it is now!  It is still being made, and the master rolls will be sufficient to keep the stuff going for quite some time to come. Agfa stopped production of APX 100 5 years ago, yet there are still rolls of the old version available.

I'd say stick with it, and stockpile. When the time comes to change to a new film, just change then.  Where's the hardship?

Here's my thinking on it - and its pure opinion so take it with a grain of salt.

I can shoot digital all day long, I know how to produce exactly what I want. I know how my sensor is going to react, I know how my images are going to come out, I know how I'm going to fix it in post if needed.

However, since I'm only going on my second year of shooting film again, I can't say the same for this medium. There are ENDLESS combinations of films and developers, and development times and techniques and everything produces a different look. I try to stick with a single film and a single developer and a single process, so that I can somewhat produce the consistent results that I expect. I don't want to dedicate another year of learning to use Tri-X only to find out that in 2014 the supply is gone, and it wont be produced ever again. Or worse, some other company picks it up and can't produce it with the same results that it was once made with, and then where am I - back at step one re-learning everything about a film. In addition, nothing is certain at this point - except for the fact that Kodak is in trouble because they have their hands in too many pots.

I chose to move over and shoot strictly Ilford HP5+, and develop in DDX.... although I think I may be switching to Ilfosol 3. Some people have told me that Ilford has twice filed bankruptcy in the past, and though I don't know that for sure, I can only assume its true. The difference is that as I see it, Ilford has gotten past its troubles, and is dedicated to film, and is preparedl enough now to handle the film market in the future. Instead of continuing with a film that has a shaky future, I chose to move to one that seems to be more secure.

It may be a stupid way of viewing the issue, but as I said, its my opinion. I don't shoot color, I don't shoot IR, I don't shoot anything but B&W film right now, and I don't like worrying about whether or not it'll be there next year or not.

[LT]

diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks I guess.  And the more people who buy Ilford, the better I'd say.  They are well on their way towards their Last-Person-Standing goal.

I guess I have never required that level of accuracy and reliability.  I just slosh around and print - deal with it all in printing and see where I end up. I've come to think that although there are differences between materials, they are not really that big an issue for me.

Ilford, as in the traditional film and paper division made in UK, have only got into trouble once, and then the managers bought the firm themselves and made it work as Ilford Photo (part of Harman Tech) . the other Ilford, based in Austria and making a load of inkjet stuff, may or may not have got into further financial troubles, but that has been separate from the film division for about 10 years now. It is a complex recent history, I'll give you that!

[ChristopherCoy]

Well to a certain degree I guess all the materials are all the same on some level. But little things like the contrast difference between HP5+ and Tri-X are what I'm talking about. I find HP5+ to be way more contrasty than Tri-X at box speed.

I don't know. Maybe once I learn more about printing, and how to adjust the print in the dark room, my views will change.

ETA: (I'm trying to be strictly Ilford this year as well. Film, chems, paper etc etc.)

[LT]

ETA: (I'm trying to be strictly Ilford this year as well. Film, chems, paper etc etc.)

Great stuff!

[artobest]

For my part, I'm burning through Kodak film as fast as I can get my hands on the stuff. If Portra goes, I don't see myself shooting colour again.