I Just Took the Plunge (Film Stockpile)

[Andre Noble]

Kodak, give us more bulk roll options!!! (Especially for Portra)

According to a well respected former Kodak engineer, Rowland Mowrey who posted on Photo.net a few years ago, film in cans does not last nearly as long as in individual, sealed cannisters.

[Andre Noble]

Sorry, but not even close.

Some people are just better at sensing *danger* than others - at imagining that the future will be dramatically different than all that has gone before. Some people just aren't visionaries... Doesn't make one a better or worse photographer...

It's just that I cannot fathom how with "Rome burning" in the (especially color) silver halide photography industry, one cannot see that it's time to buy buy buy! Stockpile stockpile stockpile!

Brian, if you have the credit and are serious about photography, buy now! Freeze for later.

[BrianShaw]

I bought up all of the fiddles in Rome when Nero burned it down. I now have more fiddles than I'll ever be able to use in a single lifetime. I know what you are saying but it is not yet the time for panic buying... but I might be wrong so do whatever makes you comfortable. You are correct, it won't make you a better (or worse) photogpraher... and maybe you'll still be shooting film after I have to stop. I'm just not into the hysteria (yet).

[MattKing]

According to a well respected former Kodak engineer, Rowland Mowrey who posted on Photo.net a few years ago, film in cans does not last nearly as long as in individual, sealed cannisters.

"Rowland Mowrey" - that sounds familiar.

I wonder if PE knows him

[Matthew Cherry]

What are you doing to stockpile chemistry? Can that be frozen as well?

[Photo Engineer]

According to a well respected former Kodak engineer, Rowland Mowrey who posted on Photo.net a few years ago, film in cans does not last nearly as long as in individual, sealed cannisters.

Thanks for approximately quoting me.

Film in 120 size comes individually wrapped in foil. These keep best. When 35mm came in cans, the cans had gaskets at the top which also sealed them. These were second best. Today, 35mm comes in plastic cans and this offers little protection.

Also, film stored in the original "coffin" at Kodak, is stored in an optimal environment that does not change. It is slit and chopped and packed at the same temp and RH and then is shipped to you. It is at that point that the film begins to age significantly. So, you might consider that film in Kodak's hands keeps longer than 3 years or film in your hands.

I might add that the wides roll for coating at Kodak is 72" 6 feet, not the value quoted above. And, this is only for paper. Film is coated in a narrower width. See Bob Shanebrook's book for this information and more.

I hope this answers a few questions about film keeping and coating.

PE

[Roger Cole]

Bruce, E6 is just about gone forever. A new manufacturer, if any would only have an inferior E6 film at a jacked up price - a la the Impossible project. Ditto on the jacked up price for any C-41 from Kodak buyers.

Right now, it's time for "Sauve qui peut!" (everyman for himself).

Kodak E6 is "gone forever" - they announed its discontinuance (on which announcement I bought up the amount of E100G I'd shoot in a year, which of me meant 10 rolls as I'm not a big slide shooter, and learned to like Provia, with Astia gone, but now that there's Agfa branded Fuji made Sensia there may be a light in the tunnel for a moderate contrast E6 film.)

It is conceivable, barely, that someone buying up the film division of Kodak could commission them to make more E6, and there was the one statement by someone that could never be verified that Kodak might in the future make small runs of any discontinued film even Kodachrome if the demand is there (my reaction to which is something like "yeah, and I COULD win the lottery too" because they'd have to also make the chemicals and get someone to start a K14 line again - ain't gonna happen.) Kodak E6 coming back might just be possible but given the lack of demand seems very unlikely to me.

Fuji E6 is another question. So far they are saying they will continue to make still film, though in smaller quantities. That's ok - they can presumably store theirs as well as Kodak can and it should be available as long as they keep making it. The price, however, is another question. Priced any Provia 400 lately? I just ordered a few rolls from B&H along with some other stuff. I have a few more in my freezer. At $10 from B&H it's an expensive film but not too ridiculous. $15 from Freestyle is getting into another realm of price entirely.

[benjiboy]

I bought a large chest freezer a couple of years ago that's full of film in my basement in addition to the film filling nearly half of the freezer in my kitchen, I have positively no more room for any more film whatever they discontinue, or we will have no room for food.

[BrianShaw]

I hope your power is reliable!

[Roger Cole]

I hope your power is reliable!

Why? It's not like food that will ruin if it thaws for too long. The film will just start to age normally as if not frozen until the power comes back on. Shouldn't be an issue. The longest power outage I've ever experienced was nearly a week, back in the mountains of TN. I think it was the "blizzard of 93" as we called that snow fall. Lots of people lost lots of food, but for film it would just mean a week of normal aging. Wouldn't make any detectable difference at all.