I bought 7 boxes of 4x5 TMY yesterday in a knee-jerk response to this thread 8^)...EC
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I bought 7 boxes of 4x5 TMY yesterday in a knee-jerk response to this thread 8^)...EC
Film won't die if we do not stop to use it. This is very simple. I remember some years ago when Ilford, Agfa and Forte went to bankruptcy, there where discussions that B&W fotography is dying. Now we know, this wouldn't be. There is enough demand to produce film, you just have to talk to people of Adox or Fotokemika, they will confirm that. The problem of companies like Kodak or Fuji is, that if they just switch on their coating machines, they will produce much to much film for a niche market - they are simply too big. Analogue photography can not and should not compete to digital photography, it is a different kind of photography and this is the point.
In my country we see that the use of color neg. films used by hobby foto enthusiasts like most of us are is increasing and not decreasing! But on the other side the mass market is falling down towards 0, because the mass market is digital. So the companies have to produce films in small scale production for photo enthusiasts like we are - this is the future and there is enough demand. So it's time for companies like Adox or efke, who are able to coat small charges of film. It would be great if we can save Kodaks Portra Films and the Ektar, but this will only be possible if Kodak or another company which buys the assets, uses small machines to produce small charges.
I'm sure that we will have film in the future, just don't stop using it.
I should stop reading this thread as it makes me want to cry, laugh my butt off and punch somebody in the face all at once....
Used to call that a Kodak Moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricus.stormfire
I just feel really bad about this whole thing. I've always used both Kodak and Ilford products and I'll be really sorry if Kodak ceases to be. It's not only because of my selfish needs for Kodak stuff, but also because it's just a very sad story.
Kodak was an extremely important American institution for a long time, a real intellectual leader, a source of pride. It's not just about the end products, but also the monumental scientific endevours and achievments of the Research Lab, the great minds who led the field in an extremely complex field of research and development which no longer exists, the history of acquired companies like Wratten & Wainright, and on and on. Even beyond traditional photographic technology, Kodak's achievements in digital imaging have always been overshadowed by the perception it is nothing more than a lumbering piece of junk company. How many people, for example, realize Kodak makes the superb sensor in the Leica M9 that is flying off the shelves generating record numbers for Leica?
If Kodak fails completely there goes another once-great American company, down the tubes. I know Kodak has been in a downward spiral for decades now and bla bla bla but I still find it troubling, and a shame.
The beauty, for us, about kodak being too big and having to produce too many films is the pruce.
Altough rather high, presently, imagine how much it will cost once a company will produce strictly to answer the demand. The roll will have to be somewhere around 15$, whuch will in turn kill the market.
Let's nkt forget: there is a market for film at current prices, thanks to Kodak for over producing.
By following my logic, I realize that if Kodak dies, the whole market will die. I'm not sure I'll want to pay 15$ a roll. And I'm a die-hard!
Instead of stopping reading keep shooting film (as most of us are doing). I'm pretty sure the demand for film is still good. Think of the 120 size films. Why should companies like Efke,Foma,Ilford,Rollei keep producing them ? Simply because they get a profit from this (niche) business. My humble opinion is that we should foster the analog culture among young generations in order not to make analog photography die.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricus.stormfire
Keep shooting.
Ciao
Three of the most basic human emotions at once and all for free. A method acting school would charge a fortune to be able to teach you how to achieve this :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Ricus.stormfire
pentaxuser
What a load of "§$%&. Ilford does not overproduce, has an excellent palette of B&W film stock yet their rolls don't cost much more than Kodak's, in some countries even less.Quote:
Originally Posted by NB23
Film prices have gone up substantially for US folks yet the demand for photographic film stays flat - and that in the face of a double dip recession.Quote:
Originally Posted by NB23
By following your logic, I realize that if I die, the whole field of photography dies :laugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by NB23
Ha! I ordered 30 each of Tmax 400 and Tri-X in 120 to add to my already decent frozen supply!Quote:
Originally Posted by eclarke