nikon grrl. . . Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 hi all. i'm getting ready to go on a shoot in texas, getting all my camera stuff together, buying film, etc. much to my chagrin, i'm not able to find kodak plus-x 220 film. i loved this film, and it was nice to get thrity frames in large format negative. i never heard a word about kodak discontinuing this film. have i had my head in the sand, or was this a recent thing? i'm so upset. what is a film photographer to do? sometimes it seems that no matter how much i value film, it doesn't matter, because it's going to be discontinued regardless. why do the companies make buying and using their product so hard for us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 They only make the "wedding" films in 220 now. If they can't sell a production run before it expires, they stop making a particular product. They have to make money now. 220 never saved you money, only hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurelien_le_duc Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hi, I asked Kodak recently, and this is their answer about PXP 220: "I am sorry to say that Kodak Professional Plus-X 220 is no longer being made, but we do continue to make Kodak Professional Tri-X Film in 220, catalog #828-6825. If you should have additional questions, please be sure to revisit our site as we are continually adding information to enhance our support. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pics Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Just about the only people who used 220 were studio/production photographers and the wedding shooters. These people are going digital en-masse and the market for 220 is probably nill these days. I shoot Medium Format for my own pleasure and I find it difficult to go through just one roll of 120 in a day of shooting. I venture to guess many others have the same experience. MF isn't the type of thing where you often burn through film in rapid fashion unless of course you are the above mentioned professionals. Don't be too concerned however. If there ever was a "redundant" format, 220 would be it. Losing it doesn't mean the end to anything except a few extra frames on a roll. I'm sure someone will be able to come up with an obscure camera that only accepts 220 rollfilm, but for the most part its loss won't render anything obsolete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_andrews10 Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 I'm pretty sure that stock of Ilford's FP4+ is still available in 220, since I picked up some in-date boxes just a couple of months ago. It's not exactly the same as plus-x, I know, but it's about as close as you'll get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_appleyard Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 220 isn't dead, it's just getting it's second wind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_hohenstein Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Pete, where did you find the Ilford 220? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith_tapscott Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Ilford discontinued 220 rolls for a fews years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photojim Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Ilford doesn't even have working machinery to make 220 anymore. They were investigating getting Agfa's equipment but I don't know if that panned out or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_502260 Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 I have some 220 Plus-X stored away so I will enjoy it for a little while longer. Last week I bought a beautiful 1-reel Nikor wide spaced 220 tank/reel set for about $11! A few weeks earlier I got the same set for $35. Now I have three 1-reel sets and one 2-reel set. I'd better stock up on 220 TXP now while I still can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_s7 Posted June 29, 2006 Share Posted June 29, 2006 Regina, I understand your frustration when a favorite film goes away. However, as was stated above, Plus-X 120 IS still available, and in my call to EK, they stated it would be around (as well as Tri-X) in all current formats, for years to come. 220 lacked the paper backing, and was prone to scratching easier. I'm preparing a trip to Germany this Fall, and will be shooting Efke 100 in 120. Having to change rolls a little more often is a small price to pay to ensure a paper backing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discpad Posted June 29, 2006 Share Posted June 29, 2006 "220 lacked the paper backing, and was prone to scratching easier. I'm preparing a trip to Germany this Fall, and will be shooting Efke 100 in 120. Having to change rolls a little more often is a small price to pay to ensure a paper backing." ...Especially since Efke & Bergger films scratch VERY easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre_noble4 Posted June 29, 2006 Share Posted June 29, 2006 "I'm pretty sure that stock of Ilford's FP4+ is still available in 220..." YEAH, I WISH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_502260 Posted June 29, 2006 Share Posted June 29, 2006 I stopped at Unique Photo in Florham Park, NJ today. They too are out of Plus-X in 220 size. I picked up a pro-pak of TXP 220. They should have 85 rolls left. At some point I'm sure TXP 220 will also be discontinued but now I have a little more to use in my MF cameras and my 220 Nikor tanks. As far as we know Fuji is still making color film in 220 size. It would be nice if they could roll some ACROS and Neopan 400 in 220 format. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent_purcell Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 "it would be around (as well as Tri-X) in all current formats, for years to come." Joe, Kodak said that a few times before, only to do the opposite a few weeks later... I can't imagine them discontinuing those films, but you never know with the economics of film these days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_andrews10 Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I've just checked back here. I guess I must have got some of the last remaining stock of 220 FP4+. I bought it from a camera fair, so I've no idea where the stockist's permanent address is. If I can get hold of some more, I'll snap it up and freeze it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikon grrl. . . Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 hey all. you know, i have to say, for those who say the death of 220 is no big deal, well, it is. it helped me to shoot medium format almost with the same convenience of 35mm, with the ability to shoot 30 shots on a roll. also, i was considering purchasing a mamiya 7, and then i could shoot 18 shots using plus-x. now, i would only be able to shoot 9! there's no longer an incentive for me to purchase plus-x. on my last shoot, i used all delta 100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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