Kodak discontinues three colour reversal films

<p>Sad news:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2156493/kodak-discontinues-colour-reversal-films">http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2156493/kodak-discontinues-colour-reversal-films</a></p>

<p>That's sad. Not surprising though. There aren't that many people shooting chromes now, and Fuji seems to be doing better than Kodak in that area.</p>

<p>That's actually great news. It shows that Kodak is starting to wake up and smell the coffee. It may actually survive.</p>

<p>This is a step into the wrong direction because it will kill even more professional labs.</p>

<p>I am shooting slides only. Even if I will completely switch to Fuji, some labs won't be able to process my films anymore, because Kodak won't supply the E6 chemicals...</p>

<p>If there are labs that want to buy E6 chemicals, somebody will supply them. They're not difficult like K14 chemicals, and there are multiple sources out there. The problem is on the demand side, not the supply side.</p>

<p>Bummer. IMO, E100G is one of the best films going. It has good color and dynamic range, and scans very well too. </p>

<p>It says clearly that Kodak E-6 chemistry will continue to be available. Plus, Kodak doesn't make the chemistry, Champion does -- they spun off that business years ago.<br>

I thought that Kodak's E-6 product line was on "life support", and this is the end of the cross-subsidies. The "End of Ektachrome." Right business move for Kodak.<br>

The E-6 labs are dropping like flies anyways. They weren't getting the volume to keep the line "in control", and if they raised the price enough to dump the chemicals often enough to stay in control, the price was more than anyone would pay. E-6 chemistry is really tricky to keep happy.<br>

The landscape photographers using Velvia 50 will keep some E-6 labs in business. Fuji pretty much has owned the E-6 film business for the last 3-4 years.</p>

I don't know if this is good or bad but my first response is that it is bad. It does not leave Fuji with any rivals in the field. I shoot almost exclusively Fuji Velvia. Part of this is because having a shot a number of rolls I understand how to meter it with my equipment. I did shoot a few rolls of EVS a while ago and while they were good but more expensive to buy than the Fuji. As long as this does not affect the labs..

<p>Also see this thread.<br>

http://www.photo.net/film-and-processing-forum/00ZqOo</p>

 

<p>Yes, sad news. With Agfa, Konica and now Kodak gone, much depends on Fuji. Interesting how Fuji is able to balance film plus digital plus other interests rather than self-destruct like Kodak. I would be happier to see some competition for Fuji, as keeping film going is imperative, whatever the future is for digital. Both should be supported by those photographers who really care about the medium. If watercolours were to somehow become extinct for some reason, painted art would lose a valuable component of that medium.</p>

<p>Doesn't make sense. E100G - that's the vanilla ice cream. I could undestand the other (2) and why don't they get rid of E200.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>why don't they get rid of E200.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>They did that two years ago. The three films in the announcement were all that was left of the Kodak E6 line. This represents the end of all transparency film at Kodak.</p>

<p>First they came for our Kodachrome, and I said nothing because I didn't use Kodachrome. Then they came for the Ektachrome, and I said nothing because I didn't use Ekttachrome. Then they came for my Tri-X, and there was no one left to speak for me...</p>

<p>Arthur, Kodak still sells film. It has the entire Portra line of Portra 160, 400 and 800, and well as Ektar 100 available in 35 through sheet film. It also maintains a solid B&W line with TMax 100, 400 and 3200, Tri-X 400, and their C41 B&W. </p>

<p>Pretty decent offering of what are probably going to be the best films ever!</p>

<p>E6 film represented between 1% and 2% of Kodak's film sales. It was not feasible to continue the E6 line. </p>

<p>Sad. When I need the extra stop, I prefer e100vs to the two velvia 100s.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>why don't they get rid of E200.</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p><em>They did that two years ago. The three films in the announcement were all that was left of the Kodak E6 line. This represents the end of all transparency film at Kodak.</em><br>

This was my favorite in 120 and led me to sell all my professional 120 gear and buy a Canon 5D Mk II. The decline in color film sees exponential - I presume it's movie customers that keep C41 color film afloar.</p>

<p>I put in an order of 2 pro packs of 120 and 4 individual 35mm. In the ideal world, I like this film over Velvia because it's more natural, it captures what the eye sees. Iconic thai/caribeaan beaches, twilight/sunset over HKG. </p>

<p>Kodak has dropped some iconic films in the last 12 months -- Plus-X and now Ektachrome. I really liked Ektachrome 100G, but it was expensive. I mostly shot the Elite Chrome stuff, but the was discontinued last fall.</p>

<p>C41 is the only thing you can get developed around here anyway. Not many places even doing that.</p>

<p>That just sucks. What good is it if Kodak "survives" if they don't make any products I will use? I'm still pissed about the loss of Panatomic-X. That was just the first nail in their coffin.</p>

<p>I am going Kodak Gold myself at least for a while.</p>

<p>They've dropped a lot of films I liked. Plus-X was a staple for me over the last year or so. I really don't like their TMAX stuff. So it's down to trix and porta nose, plusr rktar for a vibrant look.</p>

<p>They've dropped a lot of films I liked. Plus-X was a staple for me over the last year or so. I really don't like their TMAX stuff. So it's down to trix and porta nose, plusr rktar for a vibrant look.</p>

<p>Perhaps it is time for us to completely abandon Kodak. Seriously, I don't see how they can possibly survive as a film/paper/chemicals company. There are a number of companies out there that are serious about supporting film photographers, niche though they may be. We should be giving our full support to them. Ilford, Foma, Fuji, Adox, Efke, etc. There will always be a small market for film, as long as we support only those companies that believe that. Let Kodak die. I hate it as much as anyone...it is THE iconic American photography company, but really, it is already dead.<br /><br />I am a big fan of chromes. It's all or nothing now with Fuji. Buy some film, take some pictures, let's support them as best we can.</p>

<p>Kodak can't survive stocking the unique chemicals needed to make a film that represents a few percent of their business. Plus, as their volumes go down, the price of some of those chemicals (which may well be custom synthesized for them) is probably soaring. Nor can they afford to make short runs of films, and have large percentages of it returned when it doesn't sell before expiring. They have to punt money-losers like Ektachrome to keep the film business alive. From a fiscal point of view, they should also have punted Kodachrome 5 years earlier.<br>

We got spoiled when Kodak used it's incredibly diverse product line to maintain their monopoly position. They had a product for every purpose so no competitor could use that niche as a toe-hold to get started. So they probably always lost money on a lot of esoteric film types. With 80% profit margins, they could afford to do that. They no longer have anything like a monopoly, so they have to have a more realistic business model.<br>

That said, if the Kodak film business wants to survive, they gotta shake their "attitude". They've always been hard to deal with as a customer, retail or wholesale. A lot more openness and humility like Ilford is what they need.<br>

I'll miss E100G and E100GX some. But with Ektar 100 and Portra 400, not much.</p>